Principlev1

Eliminate irrelevant information at the source rather than

Eliminate irrelevant information at the source rather than filtering it after consumption, because upstream prevention is orders of magnitude cheaper than downstream correction.

Why This Is a Principle

This principle derives from working memory limits (Working Memory Capacity Limit), cognitive resource depletion (Directed Attention as Depletable Resource), and the inverse relationship between information and attention (Information and attention have an inverse relationship: a). It prescribes a specific design choice: filter at the source, not at consumption. It's actionable across contexts (email, social media, news), general enough to apply broadly, and distinct from the axioms it grounds to.

Source Lessons

L-0124

High-quality sources reduce noise filtering

Curating better inputs is more efficient than filtering bad ones. Every hour spent choosing credible sources saves ten hours of downstream fact-checking, second-guessing, and correcting decisions built on noise.

Connections

Derived From (3)

AxiomWorking Memory Capacity Limit AxiomDirected Attention as Depletable Resource AxiomInformation and attention have an inverse relationship: a

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