Praxeology, the study of human action, focuses on the micro. We are our own individual actors and no macroeconomic model can aggregate individual choice into foreseeable patterns. Having a firm foundation on the idea of praxeology allows one to tune out noise.
There is noise all around us. Work gossip, political squabble, news media, family opinions and social norms. These all create the bubble we are trained to live in, the norm bubble. The only way out is to reject the norm bubble and form a noise barrier.
My Noise Barrier
Sometimes my noise barrier is headphones. At work I put my headphones on as a means to both get work shipped and avoid office gossip. But my main noise barrier is listening to me, not others. Not listening to other people includes not reading news, staying away from media outlets, not paying attention to politics, forming my own opinion on what I should do (like quitting) and keeping myself focused on what makes me tick. As fascinating as some people find political “battles” or conflict overseas, that doesn’t have an impact on my daily life. What does have an impact are the things I can control.
Focusing my energy on things that I can control limits the amount of noise that infiltrates my daily life. Instead of reading the news I read blogs that make me think. Instead of listening to what happened in last night’s football I put my focus on my tasks ahead, and how I can have an impact on the world around me. It has taken a while to become in control of my thoughts, and choose to be in control of me, but it’s the most valuable noise barrier I have developed.
Like Wearing Headphones
Creating your noise barrier is about knowing that your individual actions create a difference in your life, and only your life. Being able to listen to your conscience is the most important thing in building your barrier. Once you have developed your barrier walking around in society will feel like you’re wearing headphones when you’re merely highly in tune with your thoughts.