The Information Pyramid: Being More Mindful of the Types of Information We Consume

If you consume a lot of junk food, your body is going to feel like crap and not function at its best. And if you consume a lot of junk information, your mind is going to feel like crap and not function at its best.

In other words… we have to be just as mindful of what we consume with our minds as we are of what we consume with our bodies.

The information that you consume on a daily basis (whether through TV, books, movies, articles, etc.) can have a huge impact on your psychology. It not only affects your daily thoughts, emotions, and mood, but it also shapes your overall perspective on the world, including your core beliefs and “map of reality.”

Are you feeding yourself a steady diet of healthy information? Do you know where your information comes from? Do you know how reliable it is? Do you know how it’s affecting you on a daily basis?

These are all things questions we should be mindful of, especially in today’s world where there is so much information and misinformation that distracts us and overwhelms us.

It can often be very difficult to cut through the noise and determine what information we should focus on vs. what information we should ignore. But we all need some type of “information filter” or we’d drive ourselves insane trying to keep up with everything.

In the same way that a “food pyramid” is a guideline for what types of food we should eat to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, I decided to create an “information pyramid” as a guideline for what types of information we should consume to maintain a healthy and balanced information diet.

It’s not meant to be followed too rigorously, and it’s more of a rough guideline for what would typically be considered “high educational value” vs. “low educational value.”

My “information pyramid” is more focused on information that boosts learning, knowledge, and/or cultural value, and not information that’s simply used for boosting your mood and attitude (such as watching a funny TV show or listening to your favorite song, which also have a positive benefit on our lives).

So with that in mind, I present my “information pyramid” and my thoughts behind it.

Here’s my version of the “information pyramid.” It’s a very rough guideline for the types of information we should consume. The more you move toward the bottom, the more “educational value” is typically associated with consuming the content.

As you look through the information pyramid, reflect on your own habits: Which sources do you tend to consume the most? Which sources do you not pay much attention to?

Here it is…

Now obviously there are a lot of exceptions to this. My information pyramid is mostly broken down by medium of information, but clearly what we consume within that medium plays a big role in the “educational value” of that information.

For example, a classic movie or TV show can be just as valuable as consuming a “literary classic.” And things like blogs, documentaries, and podcasts all depend on what specific ones you consume. Not to mention there are flawed scientific studies, imperfect experts, and errors in science books.

Just because you are consuming something toward the bottom of the pyramid doesn’t automatically mean it’s true or accurate information. Only that it is more likely to be of educational value.

And even less trustworthy ways of consuming information like gossip, speculation, or rumors aren’t completely valueless either, depending on what they are about. For example, speculation in markets and politics is in-itself a big influencer of outcomes in markets and politics – so its sometimes worth paying attention to.

I also put “how-to’s” and “workshops” toward the bottom because I think practical information is almost always high value information in one way or another. (One could argue that information is only valuable when we can actually apply it to our lives).

You can be the most skeptical thinker in the world, but if you consume a lot of junk information, then you’re probably going to form junk beliefs and junk perspectives. You have to actively filter what goes into your mind if you want to be a truly critical thinker.

Psychology research shows information can be very sticky. When we first learn something and then we are later told it is false or incorrect, we often still end up regarding the false information as true (especially if it confirms a pre-existing belief).

This, plus a range of other cognitive biases, makes us very poor judgers of good information vs. bad information, which is why we must be careful of what we let enter our minds.

Our minds are imperfect, and we can’t rely on being constantly alert and monitoring every bit of information to determine if it is true or false. That would be mentally exhausting and impossible. It’s often easier to just cut down on the junk and try to spend more time consuming information that you know is high quality.

The “information pyramid” is a simple guideline, but hopefully it can point you in the right direction. I was inspired to create it when paying more attention to my own information consumption.

For example, I recently started taking the time I spend watching TV, movies, or news and replacing it with reading more books (just picked up Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are after hearing it recommended on a podcast), watching documentaries (going through a lot of Werner Herzog‘s films including Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Grizzly Man, and Nomad), and college lectures (currently going through a “Power and Politics In Today’s World” course that is uploaded for free on the Yale YouTube channel).

Those are just a few recent examples of how I’ve shifted my information consumption.

In general, I’m a strong believer that our education shouldn’t stop just because we’ve finished school. It’s important that we are always learning new things, challenging our minds, and sharpening our thinking. I think it plays a major role in our mental health and keeping our brains fit.

What types of information are you consuming on a daily basis? How can you use the “information pyramid” to shift your information consumption in a more healthy direction?

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