{"id":933,"date":"2009-07-27T08:35:21","date_gmt":"2009-07-27T16:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=933"},"modified":"2013-08-20T11:38:55","modified_gmt":"2013-08-20T19:38:55","slug":"5-reasons-to-avoid-lists-1-reason-to-read-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-reasons-to-avoid-lists-1-reason-to-read-them\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons to Avoid Lists (& 1 Reason to Read Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image courtesy of wwcutie<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Have you ever noticed how common lists are?\u00a0 Why does it seem that almost every blogger in the blogosphere churns out list after list after list?\u00a0 How many times do we need to read \u201c12 Ways to Have a Great Day\u201d?\u00a0 What if you didn\u2019t read this list?\u00a0 Would you still be able to have a great day?\u00a0 What if you spent the two minutes it took to read this list and simply made a list of your own?<\/p>\n

\u201cAny man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.\u201d ~\u00a0\u00a0 Albert Einstein<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Lists, not just in the blogosphere but in almost every corner of mass media, are primarily used as a marketing ploy to “trick you” into interacting with media content because lists fit perfectly into your brain’s preference for structure and efficiency \u2013 mental shortcuts \u2013 or put bluntly, “laziness.”<\/p>\n

In the interest of attention allocation, self-awareness and the prevention of mental laziness, I’ve put together some reasons to avoid lists:<\/p>\n

1. Prevent ‘Attention Theft’ <\/strong><\/p>\n

Media sources, including blogs, use lists to steal your attention.\u00a0 Take a look at this list from a prominent blogger<\/a> on “how to get traffic to your blog.”\u00a0 Wait, don’t look!\u00a0 I’ll save you the distraction and tell you what you need to know:\u00a0 Can you guess the first item on the list?\u00a0 \u201cUse Lists!\u201d\u00a0 What do you think is at the absolute bottom of the list, coming it a lofty number 56?\u00a0 “Write stuff the people want to read and share.”\u00a0 The most altruistic item on the list is given the lowest priority.\u00a0 Whether or not this was a conscious decision on the part of the blogger, it is quite telling.<\/p>\n

2. Be the Hunter \u2013 Not the Hunted<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lists are the antithesis of self-awareness \u2013 they are nothing more than an old marketing tactic to get you to do something you did not consciously set out to do.\u00a0 To be charitable, I must say that some media sources are often intended (and sought) as a source of entertainment, rather than education, for (and by) the end-user (you).\u00a0 And that’s OK.\u00a0 Aimless wandering is perfectly acceptable when aimless wandering is your purpose.\u00a0 In summary, be mindful of what you are doing.<\/p>\n

3. Lists are Listless <\/strong><\/p>\n

Lists do not provide energy \u2013 they sap it.\u00a0 Certainly, one might feel a bit of elation from reading an inspirational article or blog post.\u00a0 The problem, however, with this kind of short-term inspiration is that it might seem to help you in the present moment but it does not often carry over into the next moment \u2013 this inspiration is a state, not a trait, and eventually leaves an empty space that needs to be filled again by another inspiring article or blog post.<\/p>\n

One may successfully argue that reading the right lists on a daily basis will eventually aid in the formation of positive thinking and healthy habits.\u00a0 My observation, however, is that most lists are formed and published with the intent to steal the attention, which often results in a fragmented attention for the reader.\u00a0 A fragmented attention is a fragmented person.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Lists Are Generally Generalizations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lists are typically “one-size-fits-all”-type generalizations.\u00a0 Unless it’s a narrow subject, directed to a narrow audience, such as the “Top 10 Ways to Stay Safe in a Foreign Taxi<\/a>“, then it is unlikely you will find many points useful to your needs, if any at all.<\/p>\n

Creating a list by (and for) yourself is the perfect antidote to generalization.\u00a0 At risk of entering a circular argument, perhaps a good list (other than your own) would be a list that explains how to make a list?<\/p>\n

5. Avoid the \u2018Poverty of Attention\u2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Information rich often translates into attention poor.<\/p>\n

Avoid the poverty attention by allocating your attention in a similar way you would a portfolio of investments:\u00a0 Each media source is allotted a certain amount of time and\/or energy for consumption and serves a purpose in a larger collection of diverse media sources.<\/p>\n

Allocating attention is quite a conscious, valuable and necessary personal development practice amidst the deafening media noise of today\u2019s overabundance and hypervelocity of information:<\/p>\n

\u201c… in an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else:\u00a0 a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes.\u00a0 What information consumes is rather obvious:\u00a0 it consumes the attention of its recipients.\u00a0 Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.\u201d ~ Herbert Simon<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Is there ever a good reason to read a list?\u00a0 This question is best answered by you; however, I will humbly submit to you that there is only one consistently prudent reason to read a list:<\/p>\n

1. You created it. <\/strong><\/p>\n

What are your thoughts?<\/p>\n

Kent Thune is a guest blogger for PickTheBrain and the author of The Financial Philosopher<\/a>.
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Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Beyond GTD: How to Keep Productivity Simple<\/a><\/p>\n

The Secret To Fantastic Leadership<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever noticed how common lists are? Why does it seem that almost every blogger in the blogosphere churns out list after list after list? How many times do we need to read \u201c12 Ways to Have a Great Day\u201d? What if you didn\u2019t read this list? Would you still be able to have a great day? What if you spent the two minutes it took to read this list and simply made a list of your own? Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[30],"tags":[221,4633,726,4631,119,4634,54,4629],"yoast_head":"\n5 Reasons to Avoid Lists<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Have you ever noticed how common lists are? Why does it seem that almost every blogger in the blogosphere churns out list after list after list? 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