In this series, I want to share lessons I’ve gleaned over the years to offer some perspective to co-travelers on life’s journey because learning from others’ experiences means avoiding unnecessary pitfalls, and charting more fulfilling courses for ourselves.
You have encountered countless experiences, people, and situations, each with its own set of truths and falsehoods and surely, they have shaped your understanding of the world. These experiences are what you must use to hone your “BS filter.”
The filter is what helps you to distinguish between who or what is genuine and who or what is not, lest they lead you down the paths of misinformation, manipulation and ultimately, disappointment.
“The eyes are useless when the mind is blind.” -unknown.
Fine-tuning the BS filter
Your life experiences are invaluable here. You develop the ability to recognize patterns and better understand human behavior through them. In separating fact from fiction it also helps to trust your gut instincts while being open-minded and willing to adjust your beliefs based on new evidence.
In addition to this you’ll need to:
- hone your critical thinking skills,
- question information,
- seek other perspectives,
- be aware of biases, and
- rely on credible sources for information
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.” — Richard Feynman
By neglecting this fine-tuning we run the risk of falling prey to deception and manipulation that can lead to jeopardizing our own well-being. On the other hand, refining the skill means empowering ourselves by going through life with a heightened sense of clarity and confidence.
“The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.” — Frank Zappa
Never make the mistake of neglecting your BS filter. Take lessons learned from your life experiences to heart and use them to sharpen your sense of judgment to ensure that when you face life’s challenges it is with your senses finely tuned.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
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