diego's blog

Search Later

We need to know now! Or do we?

I have started "a new habit": instead of searching for things when I think of them, I write them down to "Search Later."

For example, I was reading a book and saw a mention of Tony Robbins. I don't know who Tony is, and I would like to learn more about him. I could take my smartphone and search for the answer, and that's indeed what most people do. Instead, my new approach is to write it down in a small notebook that I carry with me. Then, at the end of the week, I might review the list and search all things simultaneously.

There are several reasons to do this.

First and foremost, I'm weird, and I need to find new ways of expressing my weirdness. Otherwise, I will run out of things to write about here.

Secondly, searching for things and "learning" is addictive. Teaching our brains that whenever they have a thought, they can indulge and search for it sounds dangerous and not something I really want to do all the time. Whenever you have a question, you search for it (what was the population of tanganica anyway?); you will spend a lot of time using your phone in social situations, where you probably shouldn't. If you don't search, you might forget something relevant to know.

Finally, the potential of a rabbit hole when searching the web is substantial. Who hasn't opened Wikipedia to search for the real name of Taylor Swift, only to find themselves one hour later reading about the largest breeds of dogs?

Does using the notebook work? I think it does. It's a strange thing at first to know you have a question you can resolve and decide to wait instead. Yet, that's the whole point. It should not be strange, that's how it used to be for ages!

However, your search list might reveal things about yourself that you were not aware of. Here is mine for last week:

  1. Taylor Swift's New Album - Who is it about?

  2. One-Way Tickets: NYC -> Hawaii

  3. Nutritional value of 1 coco water

  4. Nutritional value of 1 tapioca

  5. Sodom & Gomorrah

  6. David & Goliath

  7. Who is Tony Robbins

  8. How do seatbelts work?

  9. Books on non-violent movements

  10. Focusmate service.

Interestingly, some things on that list, such as 1 and 10, are not as interesting to me to actually go and search for them later (I still don't know the answer to 1). They were small urges of curisosity that slowly faded as time passed. For others, such as 3, I gave in and searched for them before the end of the week.