The Art of the Second Opinion

You often think of medicine and health when you hear the term second opinion, but now it seems like a good idea to get another opinion on almost anything. The internet is the ultimate second, third, sixth opinion, but it is easy to get lost in the noise of information and opinion it brings with it. With the recent trend in people scaling back choices in technology (slightly), it might be a good time to take the same approach with information gathering. The people in your life might be just as valuable or more valuable than the online good neighbor networks. And although Angie’s List is a great resource, becoming more connected to those in your life has an added value.

Without becoming overly analytical about it, you can think about the expertise and talents your friends, family and acquaintances possess and consider asking them for their thoughts the next time you need advice about anything not in your immediate frame of reference — from buying tires to interior design or bread baking. The next time you are in a bind or are just wondering about something, reach out to someone you know and build new networks through second opinions.