There are many ways to tell someone’s age. You can tell by the lines on their face or by the number of gray hairs (or hairs without). You can see how carefully they sit down and how loudly they groan when they do so. But one of the surest ways to tell someone’s age is by looking at the memes they share.

When I was a teacher, my students would show me viral videos of weird dances, with weird music and weird words. They were funny enough, but completely foreign to me. Conversely, when my dad comes to visit, he’ll show me a “funny picture you’ll like, Jonny.” He’ll pull me aside, hand me his phone, and wait for my inevitable guffaw. I’ve almost always seen the picture. Most of the online world has probably seen it. The meme is probably years old. But, yielding to the old man’s expectant face, I’ll fake-laugh like Laurence Olivier at his best.

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Behind this story of memes and old people lies a surprisingly insightful and incredibly practical tip that we can use in our daily lives. It’s about being more aware of Where we hear certain things.

If they say it, it must be right

In April last year, the writer George Mack introduced us to the idea of ​​the “Early-Late Razor.” As Mack put it, “If it’s a topic of conversation on Reddit or Twitter, you might be early. If it’s a topic of conversation on LinkedIn or Facebook, you’re definitely late.” In other words, be vigilant about where you read something; the source of an idea often tells you as much as the idea itself.

For many people who are plugged into the social media machine, they use different websites for different things. For example, if there’s a story about a riot somewhere, you’re probably going to turn to X. A traditional newspaper might run a story about what happened, but it’s hardly fresh and current. If you’re looking for something quality and tried and true, you’re obviously not going to find it in the “sort of new” timeline on Reddit. You’re going to find it written by intelligent and erudite commentators on Substack or on LinkedIn and Facebook once the dust has settled. There’s nothing wrong with old newsIn fact, it’s often more thoughtful than the knee-jerk bulletins. They’re just different things.

Similar to the “Early-Late Razor” is the “Smart Friends Razor.” Like the “Early-Late Razor,” this one is about paying attention to where you hear something. In this case, if all of your smart friends are talking about something, it’s probably worth talking about. If everyone you respect and trust is focused on a certain topic, that’s a good indication that you should be too. This could be about a bet to make or wisdom to take. It could be about good cars to drive, good places to go on vacation, or good TV shows to watch. This doesn’t mean you should follow the crowd. It does mean you should follow the smart crowd.

How do you use a razor?

When philosophers or writers use “razors,” they are referring to diagnostic tools used to evaluate ideas. A razor is a good way to recognize what is valuable and to shave away the nonsense or chaff. So, how can we apply these two razors in our daily work environments?

Know who to ask. At my previous job, there was Patrick. Patrick was a fairly short, middle-aged man who was always nice. And almost everyone emailed Patrick. That was because Patrick was the guy who knew his stuff. He knew the gossip from the Christmas party and he knew the obscure company bylaws on page 38 of the employee handbook. He was an address book, an encyclopedia, and HR, all in a suit. Every company has a Patrick. One of the most important aspects of being a productive and happy employee is knowing who to talk to about what. Ask around. Test the waters. Get Patrick’s number.

Follow the trends. It’s easy to roll your eyes at viral videos and marvel in disbelief at the latest trend, but for almost all businesses, this is an opportunity. And so you should be using TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit to identify those opportunities. Sure, there will always be a segment of society that looks down on “free riding,” and that Steve Buscemi meme will probably keep popping up. But according to a 2014 paper by Paniagua et al., social media is an invaluable tool, providing free data on billions of people and their spending habits. In the paper, the team isolate four effective ways that social media can improve a business today: “social capital, revealed customer preferences, social marketing, and enterprise social networking.”

Bet on the turtle. The “Early-Late Razor” isn’t an evaluative statement, but rather a statement of fact: Some places are good for fast news, and other places are good for slow, older news. The same goes for your business decisions. Not everything has to be done right away. Unless you’re an ER doctor, you probably have some time to think about things before you do them. In fact, slowing down to think about things and do them right often yields incredible results. As former FBI kidnapping negotiator Chris Voss puts it on Big Think+, “There’s often a rush to move things along quickly. But as counterintuitive as it may seem, slowing down can actually save time and yield better results.” Check out his three pieces of advice for “maximizing results and minimizing costly mistakes.”