The World Wants You to Be Stupid: Six Ways to Be Savvy in an Overwhelmed World
Sometimes life feels like endless noise. Notifications buzz, news scrolls in, opinions swirl—all pulling at you until it’s hard to know what belongs to you. Have you ever paused and wondered, “Am I thinking for myself… or just echoing what’s being broadcast?”
The World Wants You to Be Stupid
In a culture hungry for clicks, likes, and outrage, it isn’t naive to be quiet—it might be the bravest choice. Sam and Jaclyn Thurmond call out this tendency: “The world wants you to be easily influenced.” In response, they invite us to cultivate soul-deepen, thought-crafted intention in how we form beliefs.
Six Ways to Be Savvy in an Overwhelmed World
Here are six practiced, compassionate ways to re-welcome clarity and surety into your inner space—without sacrificing who you are.
1. Gut Check
Have you ever felt a whisper in your chest—not loud, but steady—telling you something isn’t quite right? That’s intuition, and it’s both tender and wise. Sam notes that our “gut response… is right 95% of the time,” even long before public opinion crowds in. It's a sign to pause, breathe, and check in with yourself, not someone else’s logic.
2. Do Your Research
When Jaclyn flagged an Instagram post, she felt the weight behind censorship—not because of what she believed, but because truth is being filtered. She reminds us that beliefs deserve roots, not air-network vines. Research isn’t a burden. It’s a tether back to reality. In Model UN, she learned firsthand that advocating clearly begins with understanding both sides of the story.
Pairing this pause with positive practices, like those in How to Cultivate Positive Thinking, can bring clarity instead of conflict.
3. Gut Check Again
After gathering information, come back, softly, and ask yourself—How does this land inside me now? Our inner weather is shifting constantly, and truth isn’t one-and-done. It evolves as we do. Go gently with yourself.
If this resonates, you may also love How to Tune Your Frequency, which dives deeper into what it looks like to live in alignment.
4. Read Books to Expand Your Mind
Jaclyn calls books “cheat codes.” Ever marvel that reading a few pages transports you across the world or into someone’s life? That’s not fantasy. It’s empathy. Ideas grow, hearts open, and perspectives widen with every page. This is how change happens—slow, compassionate, and rooted.\
If you’re looking for inspiration, start with 7 Books on Abundance Mindset That Will Shift How You See the World.
5. Ask Questions and Be Real About Answers
Curiosity is courageous. When we meet someone with different beliefs, it’s tempting to pull away. But asking with curiosity—truly listening—changes everything. If someone’s answer feels thin or rehearsed, that’s not your truth to carry. Speaking your own with clarity and compassion is infinitely more powerful.
6. Align with Your Values
Every thought deserves the filter of your heart’s compass. Values aren’t vague; they’re the quiet backbone beneath every choice. Jaclyn’s childhood poster still resonates: “Stand up for what is right—even if you’re standing alone.” When culture shakes you, the values held steady become your anchor.
Final Thought
The truth is—it’s exhausting to keep up with the noise of the world. Everyone wants a reaction, a hot take, a quick opinion. But you don’t have to play along. You can slow down. You can breathe. You can take your time to feel what’s true for you.
It may feel lonely at times, especially when it seems like everyone else has already chosen a side. But silence can be sacred. Pausing can be holy. And choosing clarity over chaos isn’t weakness—it’s strength.
The world may want you to be easily influenced, but you don’t have to be. You can learn to listen inwardly, to align with your deepest values, and to walk in the kind of grounded wisdom that money, algorithms, or opinions can never shake.
If you take just one thing with you, let it be this: your thoughts are not small. They are seeds. Nurture them carefully, and they’ll grow into a life that’s deeply, unapologetically your own.
Live on purpose. Live on frequency.
Ien Araneta - editor of The Freq Show & The Beckon Times
