The Wisdom of Deferring and Evaluating Sources in the Age of Information

In the age of abundant information, it is crucial to be less certain of our opinions and to know when to defer to others. Judging the quality of information on the internet is a key skill, as the internet can make people smarter or stupider depending on how they use it. Developing the ability to evaluate sources, whether as a generalist or a specialist, is increasingly important. Improving one's judgment involves triangulating information from trusted individuals and cross-checking and investigating information on the internet. The key is to constantly seek to improve and to avoid presuming to know everything.