Chapter 17: How To Think More Clearly Than 99% of People

The smartest thinkers don’t consume content like everyone else.

They’re intentional with their inputs.

They choose what goes in — because they know it shapes what comes out.

But most people never stop to ask:

How is what i’m consuming impacting my thoughts?

They assume their ideas are original.

Their beliefs? Self-made.

Their perspective? Unique.

But zoom out, and it’s obvious:

Most people are just a reflection of their feed.

Their thoughts are shaped by headlines.

Their identity, by algorithms.

Their curiosity, hijacked by whatever’s trending.

And the wild part?

They don’t even realize it’s happening — because it feels normal.

They wake up, scroll TikTok or Instagram, check Slack, skim the news — just enough to feel “plugged in.”

But they’re not thinking.

They’re reacting.

And you can’t become an original thinker if you’re constantly reacting to what the world throws at you.

Unfortunately, this is the default setting for 99% of people.

The Old Way of Thinking

The old way of thinking looks like this:

• Scroll endlessly but call it “research”

• Let the algorithm decide what you consume

• Prioritize speed and stimulation over depth and insight

• Consume content that reinforces your existing worldview

• Never pause to reflect, question, or go deeper

In this model, you don’t shape your thoughts — algorithms do.

You’re not thinking.

You’re recycling.

Your opinions are borrowed.

Your attention is leased.

And when you sit down to create something, you hit a wall.

Not because you lack creativity.

But, because you’ve filled your brain with everyone else’s noise.

The New Way: Conscious Consumption

Let’s be real:

You can’t think clearly if you’re eating mental junk food all day.

The new way of thinking is built around intention.

You don’t passively let content consume you.

You curate your inputs like your life depends on it (because it does).

You:

• Seek out timeless ideas instead of clickbait

• Follow thinkers who make you uncomfortable, not just those who validate you

• Default to books, essays, and long-form conversations

• Create before you consume

• Reflect more than you react

This is where original thought lives.

In other words: What you consume dictates how you see the world.

So choose wisely.

The Big Picture: Original Thinking is a Skill.

Original thinking isn’t something you do once.

It’s a skill. A practice. A discipline.

It’s not about being a genius.

It’s about building a life where good thinking happens by default.

That starts with your inputs.

You don’t rise to the level of your goals.

You fall to the level of your habits.

Your mind is an operating system.

Every piece of content you consume is either installing a useful program, or malware.

If you want to build a clear, independent, and lethal mind…

You have to get serious about what you let in.

How To Build an Information Diet That Actually Makes You Smarter

1. Audit your inputs

   Unfollow low-signal, high-noise accounts.

   Seek out real thinkers — remove shallow entertainers.

2. Create before you consume

   Write. Create something. Think for yourself.

   Don’t let your brain get hijacked before it’s even fully online.

3. Prioritize long-form

   Books, essays, newsletters from educated thinkers.

   Short-form entertains. Long-form transforms.

4. Default to “deep, not wide”

   Pick one thinker or idea and go down the rabbit hole.

   Study them. Don’t skim. Learn to articulate concepts in your own words.

5. Protect white space

   Walks without your phone.

   Morning coffee without a screen.

   Give your brain space to breathe. That’s when the good stuff shows up.

Final Thought

If you feel scattered, uninspired, or like your ideas never fully land —

it’s probably not a motivation problem.

It’s an input problem.

You don’t need another productivity hack.

You need to reclaim your mind.

Because if you let the algorithm think for you…

you’ll never think for yourself.

You’ll stay in the loop.

Consuming more. Creating less.

Reacting. Never reflecting.

And that version of you?

That’s not the real you.

The real you is on the other side of intentional input.

The other side of quiet.

The other side of depth.

Choose better inputs.

Write your own operating system.

Your future depends on it.

Rooting for ya.