The importance of honesty and the danger of over-researching
Tuesbetter Newsletter #116
It’s time for the Frysbetter Nysletter!
(I had to use a ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’ to get the correct sound in your head)
Heyoooh! I just dropped a new video today: My Most UNHINGED Opinions About Money"
and it got me thinking… is it better sometimes to NOT do a lot of research?
Of course this depends on the type of thing you’re making. Especially if you’re doing straight-up educational content. But a lot of the areas I dabble in, sometimes I think it’s better to give my absolutely honest opinions over well-researched data.
(but to be clear, let’s differentiate “research” with “fact-checking”. I think fact-checking is super important. I don’t want to say factually wrong things.)
When I’m in a bind, when I don’t know what to say, when I’m struggling, I try to remind myself one thing, “Be honest.”
It’s often the case that my actual creator struggle is rooted in an unconscious fear of saying what I really think. Or an unclear idea of what I really think. Once I figure that out, I can usually move forward.
But if I don’t take the time to figure it out, I just distract myself and hide behind “research”.
So by researching (worst case scenario) I’m obfuscating what I really think. Of course, best case scenario I’m learning something to inform my opinions. But when we’re talking about experience based stuff, like my experience with money, isn’t it better to rely on my own experience and be honest about it?
My latest video got me thinking about this. I could’ve made a different video about money. I could’ve talked statistics and referenced tons of studies and tried to “prove” what I was saying. But that would’ve missed the point. The point was to give my unhinged opinions—my ACTUAL THOUGHTS as honestly as I possibly could. The things I really think!
That’s scary because I suspect if we’re all being honest, our true thoughts are messy and inconsistent and often hair-brained and based on nothing but our experience or absolutely nothing. And sometimes our honest thoughts run counter to what the research says.
And money management is a tricky, personal thing. A lot of the things I said in that video are going to be met with arguments. I’m not even sure I agree all the time with what I said or expressed my ideas in the absolute best way. But I did make it clear that I’m merely talking off the top of my head and you shouldn’t take this as gospel.
I think there’s a lot of value in hearing someone’s off the cuff, messy opinions. And I wish more people, particularly on my side of the political aisle, would just go off!
Of course, there’s a balance. We should fact-check. We should be careful not too venture too far into idiot territory. Whatever that means. It’s messy. I don’t know! I’m just being honest here!
Craig