Thumbrule: You seek value, useless products seek you

Let me tell you a secret.

I have read some great books. In fact, I have read some rather exceptional books. And seen some great cinema and content. 

Because, I ignored the reviews and the bestseller lists. 

The most striking examples I can think of are a murder mystery based on an Indian sleuth, and a series of books about an African ambassador who is also a good sleuth. The plots were borrowed sometimes, but the reading was rather refreshing. 

And Bodies in the Library. Bhaas ke Natak, which is totally gripping. 

All these books, I would not have read, if it wasn't for the fact that: 

A. I go to the bookstores and browse books myself. 

B. I patently ignore all recommendations and bestseller lists. I have said this earlier - most good writers are not good marketers, and vice versa. You will be sad to know that the first series - based on a lady Indian sleuth, is no longer in print. It was a series of 4 books, and when I tried to look for more books by the author, I realised that there were 4 books, but they were out of print. 

Long ago, we decided that the job of a search engine is to find the best content on the internet and present it to its users. It is not our job to apply to the search engine and hope that they will include us. 

Apply that principle to life - go looking for value. It is your job to seek value. I cannot overstate this.