Can We Find Wisdom In The Noise?

Turning Information Overload Into Personal Growth.

Photo by Joel Lee on Unsplash

I doubt that I'm alone in saying this, but I often get overwhelmed by the constant news cycles. The breaking news, the talking heads, the debates, the "he said, she said". Do I want to be informed? Yes. Forcefed? No.

I find myself asking, "What does this mean for me? How will this affect me? Can I do anything about this other than pray?"

Even if I try to adjust my intake, put up walls and boundaries, the constant cycle always seems to find its way in like a cockroach that finds you somehow in the bathroom. And gives you a stress and anxiety spike.

Over-consumption of the news is a thing. And it can affect your mental health.

So we can either turn ourselves into full-body shields and not take in any information or absorb everything and risk our mental health.

Or is there a third option? Can we take in the news in a way that works for us and benefit from personal insight and growth?

I think so.

It's so easy to be a passive consumer these days. Doom scrolling is a trap that anyone can fall into on social media. On YouTube, you can easily get sucked into a rabbit hole and end up watching five videos on a topic when you only intended to watch one. Then you stumble upon a funny video of someone's pet doing something crazy.

Why do we get sucked in? We are wired for stories. But the kind of stories we consume matters.

As humans, we love telling stories. Storytelling is not only a way to share information but also to connect with others. Stories offer a way for people to think and reflect on whatever "news" is told in a way that affects them.

Storytelling is different from reporting, which is collecting, compiling, and then presenting information with little to no bias (ideally).

We all know that much of mainstream news does carry a bias. And that's ok. That’s freedom of the press and freedom of speech. We need to be more discerning and find a framework that works best for us as individuals.

That's why here at The Freeman Wire, I focus on God, America, and Being Human as the lenses by which I view stories. Faith is the lens through which many of us view life, including myself. American culture is something that affects and drives this nation socially, politically, and economically in a myriad of ways. There is a broad culture in society and a bunch of subcultures that we should consider. And Being Human is all about personal growth and understanding the things that affect all of us as humanity, regardless of your background.

These are the parameters I use to help you, as the reader, think critically.

I have a 4-step approach that I like to use to analyze stories. This guide helps me filter out the noise and get the clarity I need.

1. Identify the Core Story - Strip away noise, find the essence. Get down to reporting.

2. Analyze the Context - Historical and cultural background. History repeats itself.

3. Question the Narrative - Who's telling it and why?

4. Find Personal Relevance - What does this mean for your life?

There are so many voices out there that try to tell you how to interpret stories and the information you get. That can be part of the noise even if you agree with it. The key is to create a framework for analyzing that connects to your values and life. And will help you disseminate truth from lies and reflect on your own beliefs and perspectives.

Some of those are going to change throughout your life, while others will stay the same.

Let me share with you two verses from the book of Proverbs.

Tune your ears to wisdom,

and concentrate on understanding.

Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

Proverbs 2:2-4 NLT

And the benefits of gaining wisdom. From the same chapter, a few verses down.

Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,

and you will find the right way to go.

For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will fill you with joy.

Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.

Wisdom will save you from evil people,

from those whose words are twisted.

These men turn from the right way

to walk down dark paths.

They take pleasure in doing wrong,

and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.

Their actions are crooked,

and their ways are wrong.

Proverbs 2:9-15. NLT.

Proverbs tells us to seek after wisdom, not only to grow in the fear of the Lord but also to discern the crazy amount of voices vying for our attention every day in the media.

If you're feeling stressed from the constant media barrage, consider turning off the TV and doing something else. Go for a walk in nature, do some breathing exercises, or journal.

Turn the static and chaos into a clear picture. Get away from the noise and grow in wisdom!

I have a practical guide called The Wisdom Filter that will help you do this.

It’s Pay What You Want. You can grab it for free, or if you find value in it, you can use it as an opportunity to support my work as a writer. Every contribution helps me keep creating content like this, challenging the status quo, and equipping people like you with tools to think clearly and live freely.

Live Free!

-Jordan

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