Developing an informed opinion

Signal to noise ratio: a measure of how much useful information there is in a system, such as the Internet, as a proportion of the entire contents

I learned a lot about intuitive eating and the HAES movement from our latest episode of Barbell Mesearch. Before each episode we ask our guests for some research they’d like us to read to better understand the topic at hand. After all, if we are going to add  context to myopic issues we need to understand that context.

In the past, I have made blanket statements about positions in fitness and nutrition prior to having a solid grasp of the information. This is something I have worked hard to remedy in myself. Often, we are quick to give our opinion on things we aren’t even qualified to discuss. It’s not that we don’t deserve an opinion or that our personal experience doesn’t matter. Rather, when we opine on a topic that is rooted in research we step out of the element of research and into the world of just creating noise. We are not contributing value. And we already live in a world filled with noise.

Mindfulness is not just a practice in being but also in doing. When we act, and adding to discussion is action, we should also do so in a mindful way. Every action has a ripple effect and our contribution to topics can help those who seek better information or just obfuscate the facts at hand.

Science, research, facts; these are all great examples of signal. There will be debate among professionals who are well informed and that is how the scientific process works. However, when we haven’t developed a rudimentary understanding of a topic and start to insert our opinion or personal experience into the conversation we simply add to the noise.

But what if our experience shows something works? Isn’t that evidence? Yes and no. While we can use that observational data we must also understand that it doesn’t explain the mechanisms that drive those results. And without the knowledge and research on a topic we can’t make educated logical jumps. And this is where the signal to noise ratio gets especially messy.

When we don’t have a complete grasp of a topic, or even an elementary one, we are much more apt to believe we understand more than we do. The further into expertise we explore, the more we will see our limitations. And the more likely we are to ask questions rather than opine.

So own your experience. Explore your observations. And form your hypothesis. But before offering your opinion, ask yourself if it is informed. Because the last thing we need today is more noise.