SELECTIVE IGNORANCE AND WHY IT MAKES SENSE

Selective Ignorance is all about intentionally choosing what to pay attention to and what to ignore. It gives us the power of choice.

CHOOSING TO BE SELECTIVELY IGNORANT

In January I chose "Live Lightly" as my Word of the Year because I had a deep desire to simplify my life and to focus on what was important - while screening out all of the background noise. I wanted to shed some of the weight/baggage that I carried around with me, but I also realized that I wanted to be more selective about what I allow into my thoughts and what I give my time to.

Recently I discovered a concept that really appealed to me, it's an effective way to intentionally choose what to give my attention to. That concept that resonated with me is "selective ignorance"....

WHAT IS SELECTIVE IGNORANCE?

Definition: selective ignorance (noun): the practice of selectively ignoring distracting, irrelevant, or otherwise unnecessary information received, such as e-mails, news reports, etc.

Selective ignorance is all about intentionally choosing what to pay attention to and what to ignore. It gives us the power of choice.

We can ask ourselves questions like: "Is this novel interesting enough to finish?" "Am I learning something or being enriched by this podcast?" "Am I binge watching this Netflix series for enjoyment or to distract myself from something that's more important?" "Is what I'm paying attention to relevant or just a distraction of my attention?"

WHY IS SELECTIVE IGNORANCE IMPORTANT?

Selective ignorance allows our mind to focus on what is important to us. It takes away the distractions - it can stop us going down the Youtube rabbit hole, or getting caught up in compare and despair from scrolling through Instagram for hours. 

We may think that we're "chilling out" but if we're not being intentional in what we're giving our attention to, we risk filling our minds with information overload, we get caught up in worry about things we can't change, we begin to believe the social media myths, we waste time with people who aren't good for our mental health, we are drained instead of enriched by what we're allowing into our heads and hearts.

HOW TO BE SELECTIVELY IGNORANT

James Clear gives some great advice in regard to relationships, current affairs, and online content when he says:

Ignore topics that drain your attention.  Unfollow people who drain your energy.  Abandon projects that drain your time.  Do not keep up with it all.   The more selectively ignorant you become, the more broadly knowledgeable you can be.

Ultimately we need to decide what's important to  us, what we want to focus our energy and time into, and to be intentional in how we go about that. Time wasting can be a great escape, but too much scrolling, binging, or youtubing can take away from what's really important and lead us down a path that isn't healthy or useful. There's SO much information available to us online, SO much sensory overload, SO many people doing SO much that we're not - we need to be discerning about what we allow into our thoughts and values.

THE BENEFITS OF SELECTIVE IGNORANCE

Instead of trying to learn all the things and do all the things, it’s about taking a moment to ask oneself: Is this really going to be helpful? Is this really going to be enjoyable? Will I feel better or worse after I consume this piece of content? Will I have learned something that brings me closer to my goals?

via: Ness Labs

An occasional trip down the rabbit hole is fine, but intentionally choosing where we want to engage, what we want to know about, what we want to learn, who we want to spend time with - this is where we can selectively ignore what isn't a good fit for us. It frees us up so that we can invest in knowledge and relationships that are a higher priority for us.

I really like the idea of being in charge of who and what I allow into my headspace. If I want to avoid stress, drama, political intrigue, unrealistic beauty, comparisons, false information, and mind numbing time wasting.....then I need to be selective in my choices. The more aware I am of distractions, the more easily I can ignore them and focus on what truly engages my interest and grows me into becoming a better human being.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Have you heard of selective ignorance before? Does the idea of choosing where to focus your attention resonate with you? Do you ever find yourself mindlessly scrolling or falling down internet rabbit holes?

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Selective Ignorance is all about intentionally choosing what to pay attention to and what to ignore. It gives us the power of choice.

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Selective Ignorance is all about intentionally choosing what to pay attention to and what to ignore. It gives us the power of choice.

30 comments

  1. Leanne, I follow James Clear and so admire his clarity about focus. Thank you for this blog. It makes so much sense in this too often senseless world. I have a thing I do when I m feeling overwhelmed and distracted, I ask myself, "What is the most personally beneficial activity I can choose to do right now?"

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    1. Hi Judith - I love that question you ask yourself. There's so much in this world clamouring for our attention - sometimes I feel shouted at by my social media. I like the idea that you can just keep on scrolling, that you can unsubscribe, that you don't have to go down every rabbit hole - you can be smart and intentional.

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  2. Hi, Leanne - I haven't heard the term 'selective ignorance,' but I am currently reading a book on memory, "Remember," by Dr. Lisa Genova (neuroscientist and author of 'Still Alice'). Dr. Genova frequently speaks about the importance of 'selective attention' for many of the same reasons that you mention. Wonderful synergy!

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    1. Hi Donna - I loved "Still Alice" - I read it around the time my dad was beginning to show signs of dementia and it was very moving. And yes, with all the information out there we can't be expected to take it all on board - being careful in our choices (even if it means we don't know everything!) seems like such a calming way to live. And yes, I love the synergy too :)

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  3. Hi Leanne I've not heard of selective ignorance but it's a little like looking at your life and determining who or what is draining you of joy or preventing you living the life you want. They come up with so many different descriptions don't they these days?

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    1. Hi Sue - yes I understood the concept but hadn't heard the term before. I really liked the idea that we are absolutely allowed to ignore things that drain us - we're not obligated to attend every event or interact with every online update - it's a much calmer way to live.

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  4. Hi Leanne - I didn't know this phrase "selective ignorance". What I knew is "be selective". But I think your phrase, conveys the idea much better. It's all about what we are engaged in, at any point of time. This is a very important concept in today's world, when we are deluged with too many things all vying with one another for our attention.

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    1. Hi Pradeep - I think that's the main thing with social media and 24hr access to information online - we just get swamped with things that are all trying to catch our attention and take up our time. I like that we can choose to ignore a lot of it and our lives will be better for it, rather than the old FOMO.

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  5. Hear! Hear! Leanne. I've often said it's amazing what I don't need to know. I'm not a fan of clutter. There's a lot of tech clutter out there including social media, phone apps, etc. I still have a landline without the bells & whistles, i.e. call display, call forwarding, etc. Someone asked me how I know who's calling without call display to which I replied - I answer the phone. Being selective about what's allowed into our headspace reminds me of why I never wanted to be hypnotized, giving my mind over to someone else.

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    1. Hi Mona - I laughed at your reply to who's calling. It feels like we just get bombarded from morning to night with so much information and so many distractions. I rarely watch television anymore, I may watch something online, but I'll fast forward it, or turn it off rather than waste time if it's irrelevant. I'm happy in silence for most of the day - no music or TV in the background, no chatter, just peace...

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  6. I started this years and years ago not even really knowing it was a thing. It's a huge reason why I don't do much of anything at all with any form of social media (other than blogging) and I hardly ever watch the news or weather forecasts and yet somehow I definitely still know most of what is going on in the world.

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    1. Hi Joanne - I don't watch the news anymore either - I figure it'll show up somewhere if it's important, the rest is just noise. I'm also on very few social media apps for the same reason - so much chatter and so little substance. I'm even backing off with blogging a little because it can become too much for me to keep up with sometimes - I'm just wanting a steadier and calmer life as time goes on...

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  7. Leanne, I sort of live life on a need to know basis, or simply want to know because I am curious or interested. My interest may last a little while or a long time. But, I get to decide when I am done with a subject, hobby, or even a person. I haven't heard the term 'selective ignorance' before, but I willingly embrace any lifestyle that has choice at its core.

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    1. Hi Suzanne - I'm a big fan of choice too (which is why the term caught my eye) and I also like that we can be intentional and smart with what we give our attention to. The louder something shouts at me, the less I want to listen these days. Give me things that spark my intelligence and get me thinking - rather than just mind candy.

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  8. I willingly follow my curiosity down rabbitholes, but am selective when it comes to news. There are things I know I should be aware of that I choose not to be for my own equanimity. These days I have allocated blocks where I skim through my socials and that's it.

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    1. Hi Jo - I don't mind a rabbithole now and then, and I love slipping in and out of social media. But I also really like the idea that it's intentional on my part and I'm not being constantly distracted by rubbish - give me tranquility over noise any day.

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  9. Interesting post Leanne as are the comments. I've not heard of the term either. I'm all for limiting distractions and selecting what I do or don't engage with but the word 'ignorance' worries me a bit. I don't want to be ignorant but I get that it's up to us to decide what we let into our heads. You are always coming up with new ways of Living Lightly, good on you!!

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    1. Hi Deb - I think the term "ignorance" has been given a bit of a bad rap and when we read it we immediately think it sounds backward or stupid. When we switch that around to just the word "ignore" and what we choose to selectively ignore, it made a lot of sense to me. We can't give space to everything that clamours for attention - so much of it is just noise these days and I'm happy to delete, unfollow, and ignore - just for my own peace and mental space.

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    2. Yes I can see that ignore is a much better term Leanne and it all makes sense. Whatever we can do to get through!!

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    3. I like that we can re-think things and make positives out of them - the first time I heard it I thought "dumbing things down" but it was more about being intentional and selective - and I think we're both good at those things :)

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  10. I had not heard the term. I usually only head down rabbit holes when I'm researching a topic. I do find I scroll Facebook when I'm waiting on something, to pass the time. I've never been a big social media person, rarely watch the news...so I guess I've been doing selective ignorance at times without even knowing it!

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    1. Hi Pat - I find that being conscious of what you're putting your attention into means that you are then selecting what to focus on and what to ignore. It's the mindlessness, or the distraction, or the bombardment of all the online voices that I'm happy to ignore these days - and I can tell that you are too.

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  11. I have never heard the phrase 'selective ignorance' but the concept is familiar to me. PC keeps telling me that we don't need to watch the news. And almost forbids me to put it on in the evening...in fact, he just asked if I was going to watch it tonight before going to bed. He knows I can get wrapped around the hub when I hear something worrisome and just can't let it go. So he is protecting me. But I feel like I need to be aware of what's going on in the world.

    It is easy to lose track of time when I start scrolling Instagram, checking emails, shopping Amazon. I try to set a timer in order to limit that time suck.

    Thank you for an informative post. I am certainly distracted enough on my own without social media and television stealing my concentration and focus.

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    1. Hi Leslie - I now work on the premise that if something is so big that I have no influence on it at all, I'm better not allowing it to eat into my mind and my heart. I have a big God and I'm happy to leave a lot of the mess in this world in his hands while I just focus on my small part of the world. I don't want to be stressed or rattled or distracted, I want to be more serene and centred these days - selective ignorance plays into that really well for me.

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  12. I had not heard of selective ignorance before, Leanne, but it fits in well with my efforts to be more mindful and intentional about what I spend my time and energy on. I love these questions: Will I feel better or worse after I consume this piece of content? Will I have learned something that brings me closer to my goals? Thank you for this post.

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    1. Hi Christie - I think we get a lot more intentional about things as we get older (and wiser). I'm not wasting time on stuff that isn't good for my mental or emotional health, and I can't even invest a lot in something that I can't do anything about. I'm happy focusing on what is meaningful and letting the rest just be :)

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  13. Hi Leanne, I love the phrase you highlight “selective ignorance.” I have been using little tricks (at least this is what I am calling it) to control what I allow in my space/attention. Example: quitting email notifications except for certain periods in my day - I find them very distracting and interrupting my flow of energy. You hit a nerve with finishing a novel - I usually finish - in retrospect, I could scan and not finish (note to self for our upcoming camping trip). The energy and time concept always resonates with me and something I continually work on. Then I read how you refer back to one of our conversations, Leanne. I got a little choked up (in a good way). Interesting how you and I clicked and to this day we continue to learn from each other. “…invest in knowledge and relationships…” perfect!

    I have said it before, Leanne, thank you for being you! Always thoughtful and inspiring. I hope you continue to enjoy being a grandparent this week. Always the best reward! xx 💕 Erica

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    1. Hi Erica - the finishing the book thing is real for me these days. I've been trying to find series that make me want to jump into the next one and the next one. Unfortunately I start and after a book or two I realize that there's not enough meat to keep me ploughing on. The other day I jumped from the end of Book 2 to Book 5 to see how it finished - and I skimmed that one! I want a bit of a bang for my reading buck these days - to the point of going back and re-reading old favourites - it's like catching up with old friends :D
      And I love our commonalities too - I think we both want to focus our time on our family and our loved ones - to invest with our hearts and minds, and not waste our time and energy (your term that I've adopted) on anything that doesn't bring us a deep seated joy or a sense of growth. Life is too short to get caught up in the drama and noise - we've got those grandkids to keep us distracted from it all too :) xx

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  14. Hi Leanne.I Agree you. Really being selective, in what you give your attention to, is a much calmer way to live. I am working on it. Our computer crashed, so it may be a blessing. Maybe I will be less distracted and be able to focus on what truly makes me happy. Christina Daggett xx

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    1. Hi Christina - I hope you can eventually ressurect the computer - I seem to remember you replaced your last one not that many years ago? I've been closing my laptop and reading more lately - just sinking into a novel (re-reading a series atm) and feeling calm and not caught up in the flash and bang of the online world. x

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Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.