WEBVTT 00:00:01.610 --> 00:00:05.089 Yesterday we considered what use of time reveals 00:00:05.089 --> 00:00:08.830 about our priorities. But how do we decide what 00:00:08.830 --> 00:00:12.310 deserves our attention in the first place? Well, 00:00:12.330 --> 00:00:14.830 part of the answer comes from what we repeat. 00:00:15.070 --> 00:00:18.809 So think about what you watch or read or hear. 00:00:19.730 --> 00:00:21.969 And I'm sure you've heard the computer expression, 00:00:22.250 --> 00:00:26.129 garbage in, garbage out. When we give the computer 00:00:26.129 --> 00:00:28.989 incomplete, misleading, or corrupted information, 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:32.920 Even excellent programming may produce a poor 00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:37.479 result. Now, we humans are not computers. We 00:00:37.479 --> 00:00:40.240 do not treat every difficult or unpleasant message 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.759 as garbage. Sometimes we need to hear the facts 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.859 that disturb us. We cannot build a meaningful 00:00:46.859 --> 00:00:50.179 life by simply ignoring suffering or surrounding 00:00:50.179 --> 00:00:56.299 ourselves only with pleasant ideas. Still, what 00:00:56.299 --> 00:01:01.399 we take in each day affects us. News, entertainment, 00:01:01.859 --> 00:01:07.420 advertising, conversations, and of course, social 00:01:07.420 --> 00:01:12.060 media shape what we notice. They influence what 00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:17.859 we fear, desire, admire, and expect from others. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:22.939 And most of this influence works through repetition. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:27.719 Yes, one alarming headline may not change how 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:31.290 we see the world. But a steady stream of alarming 00:01:31.290 --> 00:01:34.709 headlines can make the world feel more dangerous 00:01:34.709 --> 00:01:39.349 than it is. One cynical joke may not cause any 00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:43.549 harm, but constant cynicism can make sincerity 00:01:43.549 --> 00:01:49.430 seem foolish. Digital algorithms also learn from 00:01:49.430 --> 00:01:52.109 the attention that we give them. When we pause 00:01:52.109 --> 00:01:56.290 over a post or watch a video to the end or click 00:01:56.290 --> 00:02:00.170 on an angry headline, We help teach the system 00:02:00.170 --> 00:02:05.250 what to show us next. Our reactions shape the 00:02:05.250 --> 00:02:08.729 recommendations, and the recommendations shape 00:02:08.729 --> 00:02:12.789 us. We do not need to avoid every source that 00:02:12.789 --> 00:02:16.069 challenges us, and we should not listen only 00:02:16.069 --> 00:02:18.469 to the information that confirms what we already 00:02:18.469 --> 00:02:22.270 believe. We need truth, we need disagreement, 00:02:22.490 --> 00:02:25.389 we need beauty, humor, and we need contact with 00:02:25.389 --> 00:02:29.729 experiences beyond our own. So instead, we can 00:02:29.729 --> 00:02:34.129 ask what each source produces in us. Does it 00:02:34.129 --> 00:02:37.469 help us understand something? Does it help prepare 00:02:37.469 --> 00:02:41.710 us to respond wisely? Does it increase our compassion 00:02:41.710 --> 00:02:46.449 or curiosity? Or does it repeatedly leave us 00:02:46.449 --> 00:02:50.669 agitated, suspicious, distracted, or feeling 00:02:50.669 --> 00:02:54.750 helpless? So today, notice one source of information 00:02:54.750 --> 00:02:57.979 that you encounter on a regular basis. Maybe 00:02:57.979 --> 00:03:01.379 it's a news program, a podcast, social media 00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:05.039 account, or a group conversation, or of course, 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:09.780 a notification. Whatever it is, ask this. Does 00:03:09.780 --> 00:03:14.180 this leave you better informed or merely more 00:03:14.180 --> 00:03:19.479 agitated? We have limited attention. When we 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:23.780 choose what receives it regularly, we also choose 00:03:23.780 --> 00:03:26.120 what will gradually shape us.