We live in a time where new information emerges every day. Keeping Sturgeon's Law in mind during this time is important for optimizing our time.
Introduced by the American writer Theodore Sturgeon in the 1950s, Sturgeon's Law is a maxim that says "90% of everything is bullshit". This means that most of what is produced in any given area is worthless or of poor quality.
For example, in the case of literature, Sturgeon's Law claims that 90% of books are of poor quality, meaning they are probably not worth reading. Likewise, according to this law, 90% of the content shared on social media is of poor quality, so they are not worth your time.
Theodore Sturgeon (born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American fiction author of primarily fantasy, science fiction, and horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 reviews and more than 120 short stories, 11 novels, and several scripts for Star Trek: The Original Series.
Sturgeon's Law was proposed by the American writer Theodore Sturgeon in the 1950s as part of the defense of the field of science fiction. Theodore Sturgeon was a fiction writer and literary critic who mostly wrote fantasy, science fiction, and horror fiction. He has written nearly 400 reviews, over 120 short stories, eleven novels, and some Star Trek screenplays. But as a science fiction writer, he was also the target of critics. As a result, he would propose this law, which was identified with his name, as an answer.
Sturgeon's law (or Sturgeon's revelation) is an adage stating "ninety percent of everything is crap". It was coined by Theodore Sturgeon, an American science fiction author and critic, and was inspired by his observation that, while science fiction was often derided for its low quality by critics, most work in other fields was low-quality too, and so science fiction was thus no different.
As we said before, Sturgeon's Law is not a law. Nor is the 90% rate a definitive empirical principle that will necessarily be true in all cases. This figure is used to emphasize the vast majority.
How Did Learning This Information Help You?
Life is short and we all have limited time. Moreover, there is now too much information and too many products in our lives. The key when applying this law as a consumer is to understand that the vast majority of studies submitted to you are likely to be of poor quality. In this way, you will have the chance to decide more rationally how to spend valuable resources such as your time and money.
Additionally, Sturgeon's Law will help you set realistic goals. It can also make you realize that all the ideas that come to your mind are low quality and part of the worst 90% of all tweets you post.
After that, when you don't like a performance, feel like you're wasting your time in a meeting, get bored of a conversation, or can't read a book or even an article, consider this law.
Don't waste your time. Instead, look for the 10% worth it. Your job is to distinguish between ideas and good ideas, products and good products, meetings and good meetings. And one last rule: If you're not sure if it's good or silly; It's absolutely nonsense.
Full / Real Name: Edward Hamilton Waldo
Date of Birth: February 26, 1918
Died: 8 May 1985
Who is Theodore Sturgeon?
Theodore Sturgeon, born Edward Hamilton Waldo, is an American science fiction and horror writer. His name was later changed to Theodore by his stepfather, William Sturgeon. Sturgeon's most famous work is the science fiction book More Than Human, published in 1953. His book Beyond Human won the International Fantasy Award in 1954 as the best novel of the year.