Photo by Kevin Butz on Unsplash
In short: Strategic ignorance is the art of knowing what to ignore and what to pay attention to. It isn’t about being uninformed. It’s about choosing, on purpose, which information, messages and requests deserve your time, so that you can think clearly and decide well. Check messages at set times, pick a few sources you trust, say no more often, and your mind will have room to rest again.
You sit down with your coffee and pick up your phone, just for a minute. There are the headlines, and none of them are cheerful. A message from a group you can’t remember joining. Three emails marked urgent that aren’t. An article on the ten things you should be doing for your health, which contradicts the one you read yesterday. Twenty minutes later your coffee is cold, your shoulders are up around your ears, and you haven’t started your day yet.
We are curious by nature. We want to know, from the latest news to the newest trend. But too much information overwhelms us and clouds our judgement. This is where strategic ignorance comes in.
What is strategic ignorance?
The idea has been around for a very long time, and many successful people have used it to make better decisions. Strategic ignorance is the art of knowing what to ignore and what to pay attention to. It’s not about being uninformed. It’s about being selective with the information you take in and use.
The reasoning is simple. When you have too much information, you tend to focus on the wrong things. You get bogged down in details and lose sight of the whole picture. When you deliberately set some of it aside, you can see what’s important, and deciding becomes easier.
It has nothing to do with laziness or complacency either. It’s intentional. You work out what’s relevant and what isn’t, and you stay aware of your own biases so they don’t decide for you.
Why does too much information wear you out?
Your attention is like your appetite: it can be fed well or badly, and it can be overfed. Every notification, headline and message asks your mind to stop, take something in and react. Do that all day and you finish the evening tired without having done anything that feels like yours.
Your body takes part in this too. Alarming news and a pinging phone keep you on alert. You eat faster, or you forget to eat and then reach for something sweet. You scroll in bed and wonder why sleep won’t come. I’ve described what constant alertness does in how sleep and stress affect your appetite and weight. Choosing what to ignore is a way of looking after your mental energy, and with it, your health.
How can you use strategic ignorance in daily life?
1. Identify what’s important
Before you make a decision, take a moment to ask what really counts here. Which few factors will make the difference? Once you know, gather information about those, and leave the rest.
2. Stay calm about the details
It’s easy to get lost in details that don’t change anything. Step back and look at the whole picture and at what your decision will mean overall.
3. Be aware of your biases
We all have opinions we hold a little too tightly. Notice yours, and look now and then for information that challenges them. Being selective doesn’t mean only listening to what you already agree with.
4. Use your intuition
Your gut feeling can be a good guide. If something doesn’t feel right, pay attention to that. Trust your intuition and don’t brush it aside.
5. Learn to say no
Sometimes the most useful tool is a simple no. It’s fine to decline information or opportunities that have nothing to do with your goals. Each no frees time and energy for what matters. If you find it hard, my article on non-negotiables gives you a few kind sentences to use.
Strategic ignorance isn’t about living in a bubble or shutting out the world. It’s about being deliberate with what you let in.
How do you handle calls, emails and messages?
Calls, emails and messages all compete for your attention, and it’s hard to tell which ones matter. So be selective about what you respond to. Not every call or message needs an immediate answer, and very few emails are truly urgent.
Here’s what helps:
Set times to check. Read your emails in the morning and again in the afternoon, for example, instead of all day long. Do the same for returning calls and answering messages.
Use filters. Most email programmes can sort messages into folders by importance, so the essential ones are the first you see.
Tame your notifications. Set your phone to alert you only for the calls and messages that really matter, and let the rest wait until you choose to look.
Be clear about when you’re available. Tell colleagues, family and friends when you can be reached. Boundaries that are stated kindly are usually respected.
This fits naturally with a simpler way of working, which I describe in Simplify your work life with minimalism.
What about news, social media and information overload?
The same thinking applies to social media and the news. With the internet in your pocket, you can find endless information on any subject. That’s wonderful in many ways, and it can also get in the way of deciding anything at all. Health is a good example: the more you read, the less sure you may feel about what to put on your plate.
A few simple habits make a big difference:
Choose quality over quantity. Find a small number of sources you trust and that give you something of real value, and let the others go.
Choose your topics. You don’t need an opinion on everything. Decide what you want to follow and what you’re happy to miss.
Set a limit. Give yourself a set amount of time for news and scrolling, so it doesn’t spread across the day. A regular digital detox helps too.
Let tools do the sorting. A news reader can gather articles on your chosen subjects from your chosen sources. A notebook or a mind map helps you keep what’s useful in a form you can find again.
Try this today
Switch off every notification you wouldn’t miss.
Choose two moments today for email and messages, and close them in between.
Eat one meal with your phone in another room.
Unfollow or unsubscribe from three things that leave you tense or tired.
Put your phone away an hour before bed and see how your evening feels.
Clearing what comes into your mind is very like clearing what sits on your shelves. If you’d like to do both, you’ll find a room-by-room guide in From chaos to calm: minimalist spring cleaning, and answers to common questions in 18 FAQs on minimalism.
Book recommendations
The Art of Saying No by Damon Zahariades. On saying no to requests that don’t fit your priorities, with strategies for setting boundaries and protecting your time and energy.
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz. How too many options can leave us stuck and dissatisfied, and how to simplify our decisions.
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal. Strategies for overcoming distraction and being intentional with your time and attention.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. How to build the habit of concentrating deeply on meaningful work.
The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption by Clay Johnson. On being selective about the information we consume, and how to filter it.
The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Why focusing on one important thing at a time brings better results, and how to find yours.
Strategic ignorance helps you make better decisions. So the next time you face a decision, an interruption or a distraction, pause, ask what truly deserves your attention, and let the rest go by.
Frequently asked questions
What is strategic ignorance, in simple words?
It is the art of knowing what to ignore and what to pay attention to. You choose on purpose which information, requests and interruptions deserve your time, and you let the rest pass. It has nothing to do with being uninformed or lazy.
Is it irresponsible to stop following the news?
You do not have to stop. You can choose one or two sources you trust and a set moment in the day to read them, instead of checking all day long. You stay informed about what matters, without carrying the weight of every headline.
How do I stop checking my phone all the time?
Make it a little harder. Switch off all notifications except the ones you truly need, decide on two or three moments a day for messages and email, and keep the phone out of reach while you eat, work on something important or get ready for bed.
What if people expect me to answer straight away?
Tell them how you work. A short sentence such as: I read my messages at midday and at the end of the afternoon, and for anything urgent please call me, is usually enough. Most people adapt quickly, and very few things are as urgent as they look.
When should I talk to my doctor?
If the constant flow of information and demands leaves you anxious most days, unable to sleep, exhausted, or with a low mood that does not lift, please talk to your doctor. Fewer inputs will help, and it is no substitute for proper care.
Would you like some help?
Sorting through conflicting advice about food and health, and keeping only what suits you, is one of the things we do together in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and we’ll look at what is taking up your attention, and what you could happily ignore to feel better.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
