What’s on the iPod: Strange Girl by The Airborne Toxic Event
Despite having a clear plan in place yesterday, my day spiraled from laid-back to somewhat chaotic. I didn’t get done half of the stuff on my list. I didn’t have any deadlines, which is probably for the best. A lot of piddly stuff got in the way of any real progress on any one thing. Today will be better.
I was reading a post by Cathy Miller, who is one of my favorite people, on how technology is making us either stupid or lazy. She has some great points in there about critical thinking and analysis, and she outlines how to return to a more active thought process.
And then she says it: “Check the Kool-Aid.”
This is a discussion we’ve had with others in email. There are just too many people blindly following advice and experts that are both untested. And since I’ve been trying to get to this month’s blog theme – education – I thought Cathy’s post on those behind-the-scenes conversations led right into this topic.
Who’s your thought leader? More importantly, does your thought leader own any worthwhile thoughts? How about original ones?
I discourage people from holding too much esteem for other professionals who have been doing the job for any length of time. In fact, I’ve seen some self-professed gurus who have put out their shingles as these experts within a year of freelancing. To which I would ask this; how can you be an expert, let alone know you are, if you’re so new to the game?
Alas, expertise is apparently borrowed. Yet people still follow. Why? Because as Cathy points out in her post, we forget to ask questions.
It’s the lemming factor. Writers who are new are looking for advice. Writers who are experienced are looking for answers, camaraderie, validation, venting, whatever. Someone comes along who tells us exactly what we want to hear and we go no further into any topic. We buy it. No vetting, no sweating.
How convenient.
Are you a lemming? I doubt it, but here are some behaviors to adopt to ensure you’re still engaging your brain:
Trust your gut. If it smells like bad advice, don’t follow it just because your favorite blogger or expert is spewing it. Ask questions. Do your own digging for answers. Sure, it may be that you come to the same conclusion, but it’s like writing an article. You wouldn’t use just one interview source. You’d balance the story with at least three voices (or you should). Do the same for the advice you hear.
Don’t trust anyone blindly. Even me. I’ve been proven wrong on a few occasions, so if I say it, don’t say “Oh! She’s so smart!” No. Instead, say “Hmm, I’d better check that out first.” Then check it out. What works for me may not work for you, and maybe I’m doing it all wrong. Also, look for whether your expert has even done what he or she is saying works so damn well.
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. Pay close attention to the comments. Are they all roses and rainbows, or is there a real discussion happening? I’ve known bloggers who will delete comments that don’t jibe with what they’re selling. To me, that’s deceitful. To you, it may be something you’ve overlooked. If so, start looking maybe?
Look for repetition. It’s true there are no new ideas, but didn’t you just read that very same thing over on another blog? Almost verbatim? Your “expert” may be someone with a low ethical threshold. That could be someone else’s post, repurposed. And oh yes, it happens. It’s happened to me too many times to count. So if it sounds familiar and there’s no attribution, maybe look at other posts — was it a coincidence or is this someone who is fond of rewriting other people’s work?
Pay attention to content. There were a few so-called experts I’d stopped following because the posts? Yea, they were all about the build-up. I remember one post that went on for six paragraphs about this fabulous secret to freelance success. Well hey, I’m going to want to read that, right? Imagine my outrage when the “secret” turned out to be something as mundane as “write every day!!!!” (exclamations in lieu of the massive font this blogger used.) If you’re reading BS of a similar fashion, why exactly are you thinking this is your expert? Don’t invest time in something that’s netting you no more than a big letdown.
What are some of the lemming-like traits you’ve seen? What else should writers be aware of?
10 responses to “The Lemming Factor”
Sometimes the freelance writing community reminds me of politics. People choose to live in these little bubbles. It's like the conservative who only watches Fox News or the liberal who watches nothing but MSNBC. If you gravitate toward people who will tell you what you want to hear, you never get the full picture. It's up to all of us to do a bit of digging and know what biases and background are behind the information we choose to consume (and base our business decisions on).
Thanks for the link love and press time, Lori. 🙂
I love your new mix on the kool-aid. Sounds like a recipe for success. Okay, so now that I've milked that food analogy all I can, let's move on. 🙂
Recently, I was reading a definition of bias vs prejudice. I loved one description where the person (and I'm sorry I can't remember where I read it) said the difference between bias and prejudice is that when a biased person learns new facts, they could change their view. A prejudiced person would hear those same facts and ignore them.
So, my analogy would be it's okay to have a business bias, but don't let it turn into prejudice. Keep an open mind.
As your resident Darwinian, I approve this message, LW.
To extend Jenn's comment: My two cents is that the biggest mistake is thinking you're learning all there is to know from fellow writers. At the risk of generalizing, many/most are freelancing because they write well, not because they're exceptional businesspeople. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as Seinfeld would say.
However: Those who fail to immerse themselves at some level in big business, small business, sales, graphic design, advertising, photography, etc., etc., are missing out on other facets of the business and how we fit in.
How the heck is it Thursday already? I've got 2000 words to hammer out, a book project planning meeting, and a daughter who needs to take her driver's permit test (yikes). Moar coffee!
Sometimes writers position themselves as "experts" because they did something in their business that worked well for them. The problem is that the concept may not been tried and tested to qualify as a truth that can apply to different writers' circumstances. So, while I'm happy to listen to, and learn from other writers ( and I have learnt a lot from them), I think it's important that we find out if this advice is even relevant for our own businesses.
I've always been a bit of an anti-lemming. Even as a teenager I didn't follow popular trends. (I probably couldn't name a single Top 40 song from my high school years if I tried.)
Even when I trust people (like Lori) and their expertise, I always bear in mind that they're human, too. Perhaps the biggest lesson anyone can take from any expert is to learn to think for yourself. Listen, absorb their ideas, then let your internal filters process the information into something you can, or can't, use.
And Jake, thanks for reminding me – I have almost 2,000 words to write today, too. I'd let myself fall into research mode on some other projects, and really need to get that article done before I get lost in research.
Jenn, great analogy. It can be like a bubble sometimes. I've seen so many people claimin to be experts in this, that, and something else, but in actuality their expertise is so limited in scope. In my own specialization, I've seen people claim to be "insurance" or "healthcare" experts. They can by rights claim that, but in actuality, they're not writing for trades — they're writing general consumer pieces that talk about insurance and healthcare. To quote Jake's Seinfeld reference, not that there's anything wrong with that.
The problem arises when these experts state their expertise and embellish a bit, either omitting or outright claiming more than they really have. The same goes for the bubble people — they're all about how fabulously smart and successful they are. Sure — on the backs of others maybe, but where is the real expertise?
Cathy, super reminder. I'd much rather be biased. 🙂
Jake, excellent comment. There's no way anyone could have taught me how to market my services at a trade show. I can because I've done it successfully, but it's not something I learned from reading it on a blog. It took a few years of trying to get it right. That's the missing piece — there are things other writers can't teach us. And that means we need to turn off the monitor and explore on our own.
Hammer away, chum! I hope you managed those 2K words. 🙂
Damaria, great to see you. What a wonderful perspective, too. I remember trying someone's idea of cold-calling clients. It didn't fit me, I knew it, but I tried it. Wow. No more! LOL As you so wisely point out, just because it works for one doesn't mean it will work for all.
Paula, I'm glad you're not a lemming. 🙂 And I'm glad you question me and others. I'd hate to be leading people in the wrong direction, even inadvertently. I try not to tell people this is the ONLY way to do something (rarely ever is), but rather "Here's what's worked for me." That's more the truth, and the truth is what I'd much rather be sharing, even if (maybe especially if) it means I learn something from it and change my mind.
What drives me nuts is when these "experts" put up posts with misleading headlines or opening paragraphs, and it's really a sales pitch for the reader to BUY something, without any actual information in the post/article/newsletter.
If you give me real information and it pays off, then, maybe I'll buy your book. If it's nothing more than an advertorial posing as an article, I'll move on and never take anything this individual says seriously again.
Oh, that's a big one, Devon. I agree. Another twist on that is the "helpful" comments or posts that are nothing more than "Gee, I can help you for a fee." That may be so, but are you worth the fee?
A little critical thinking is what's needed, Lori. This is a super complement to Cathy's post.
Glad to see you here, Sharon. 🙂 Cathy provides a great post from which to continue a discussion.