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The world has no shortage of opinions. Every day, in nearly every context, feedback is tossed around like confetti at a parade – bright, visible, and everywhere. The challenge is that most of it isn’t useful. For anyone charting their own course – whether in business, leadership, or personal growth – learning to filter out the noise is as important as any technical skill. In fact, it might be the key that unlocks everything else.

Over the course of my career, I’ve come to realize a simple truth: 99% of feedback doesn’t matter. Most critiques are neither insightful nor relevant. They are distractions, offered up by people who may have opinions but lack the depth of understanding necessary to offer valuable guidance. It took me years to grasp this fully. In my early days, I fell into the trap of thinking that every opinion counted, every suggestion warranted attention. But this only led to confusion, second-guessing, and an erosion of my own instincts.

One of the most empowering lessons I’ve learned is this: Only a few voices are worth listening to. And those voices are the ones who truly understand your journey, have walked similar paths, and have achieved success on their own terms. The rest? Well, you can afford to let it slide.

Let’s be honest – filtering feedback is not easy, especially when you’re driven to improve. The temptation to consider every critique, every well-intentioned comment, is strong. But here’s how I’ve learned to cut through the noise:

1. Does the Person Truly Understand My Path?

Context matters. You can’t expect valuable insight from someone who hasn’t walked in your shoes. Their perception is inevitably limited, shaped by their own experiences, which may bear little resemblance to your reality. If someone hasn’t faced the same challenges, if they don’t know what it’s like to make the decisions you’re grappling with, how can they provide meaningful guidance?

Think about it this way: if you’re trekking through the wilderness, would you take directions from someone who has only ever driven on highways? It’s the same with feedback. Advice from someone who lacks the necessary context may sound logical, but it’s fundamentally disconnected from your experience.

Early in my career, I sought advice from many well-meaning people. But I quickly learned that only a few truly grasped the nuances of my situation. The rest were offering generic, surface-level observations. They didn’t understand the complexities I was navigating – the weight of my choices, the stakes involved. Their feedback, while sincere, was irrelevant.

2. Would I Seek Their Counsel in a Crisis?

This is perhaps the most powerful question I’ve added to my filter. When things go wrong – and let’s face it, they sometimes will – who do you turn to? Who has earned your trust in moments of true challenge? If someone hasn’t proven themselves reliable when the stakes are high, why would their feedback matter when the pressure is low?

The answer is simple: it doesn’t. It’s easy for people to offer critiques when they have nothing on the line, but advice from someone who hasn’t been in the trenches with you lacks weight. I’ve learned to value the voices of those I trust in difficult times – people who have shown they can guide me when the pressure is on. These are the voices I listen to. The rest, well, I’ve learned to tune them out.

3. Have They Achieved Meaningful Success?

This question might feel blunt, but it’s an important filter. Has the person offering feedback actually succeeded in the area they’re critiquing? Too often, advice comes from people who have ideas, but little in the way of real-world achievement. The world is full of self-appointed experts who haven’t built, led, or created anything of substance. Their opinions, while perhaps well-articulated, lack the depth of experience that true success brings.

When I receive feedback, I always ask myself: has this person achieved something that aligns with my goals? If the answer is no, then I don’t invest much energy in their critique. The advice of someone who has climbed the mountain you’re scaling is invaluable. But someone who’s only watched from the base? Their feedback may be interesting, but it’s not essential.

The Impact of Filtering: Focus on Growth, Not Noise

Developing this internal feedback filter has been a game-changer. It’s not just about preserving mental energy—it’s about staying focused on what drives growth. When you spend too much time absorbing irrelevant feedback, you dilute your own vision. You start questioning your instincts, wondering if maybe you should pivot or change course based on someone else’s uninformed perspective.

But here’s the truth: Your growth comes from clarity. From focusing on what matters to you, what aligns with your purpose, and what drives your goals forward. The more you can tune out the noise, the more energy you can invest in building something meaningful.

I’ve experienced this firsthand, particularly in the early stages of my career. As an immigrant to Canada, building my professional life was not easy. I applied to dozens, maybe hundreds of roles, faced rejection after rejection, and received no shortage of unsolicited advice. People told me to change my approach, to compromise my goals, to settle. And at first, I listened. But soon, I realized that much of this advice came from people who didn’t understand my journey, who had never faced the unique challenges I was navigating. I stopped listening. Instead, I sought out mentors who had succeeded in areas that mattered to me. Their feedback? Invaluable. The rest? It became white noise.

Learning to filter feedback not only accelerated my career – it freed me from the constant second-guessing that comes from trying to please everyone. And this lesson applies across every aspect of life. Whether you’re building a career, leading a team, or simply trying to grow as an individual, selective listening is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal.

A Personal Creed: Don’t Take Feedback from Those You Wouldn’t Seek for Advice

This is the cornerstone of my approach: Don’t take feedback from people you wouldn’t go to for advice. It sounds simple, but it’s a profound shift in mindset. When you realize that most critiques are irrelevant, you liberate yourself from the need to please everyone. You stop trying to accommodate every opinion and instead focus on building something true to your own vision.

Over the years, this creed has allowed me to focus on creating real value—in my work, my relationships, and my personal growth. It has given me the clarity to pursue what matters most and the courage to ignore what doesn’t.

The result?

You gain more time, more clarity, and a sharper sense of direction. Most importantly, you learn to trust your own voice again. The world may be noisy, but with the right filter, you’ll always hear what matters.