I just want to remind people, watching self-help content does not make your life automatically better! You cannot make yourself a better person by just listening, it takes activity and thorough effort to improve in the ways you want to.
This even if you collect tons of self-help/courses, and not actually applying what you want to achieve in your life. Nothing's going to change and I know it's hard but we'll have to act to achieve our dreams and unfortuntately I'm facing the same problems as of writing this.
I partly disagree. Being open to different ideas and opinions already changes someone. Being exposed to self-help content can have an impact on someone's live, even if on a subconscious level, and this, with time, can lead to real change.
My school awarded the kids who read the most by the end of every month... and I won almost every month. While rooted in good intentions, these awards ignited a lifelong tradition of consuming too much with a feeling of superiority over my peers who spent time on video games or at parties. I scoffed at my mom, a slow reader who leans over the same pages for months, showing her my never-ending list of books. Only in the last two years have I started questioning and unlearning the notion of "hustle learning", as you brilliantly put it. Thank you for your content, and for inspiring thoughtfulness against the tide of social media.
Thanks, grateful to hear it. School was mixed for me when it came to that. Early on, it was exactly as you describe, but thankfully, they later had us read only a few books in lots of detail.
Good for you! Now you’ll hopefully have a greater awareness of the value in these books and of treating them with the respect and effort that they deserve (assuming, of course, that they do).
Nelson Rodrigues, a Brazilian writer, used to say that we should only read two or three books (he didn't mean that we should not read more books, but that in one book, if we read carryfuly and more the one time, we would realize that in just one book we can take many lessons every reading, and to really absorb the book we need to read more the one time)
The world has become so fast paced that every area of life is now supposed to have immediate results and success be it studies, career or even health. The idea of not having 'enough time' has been drilled into our brains by these gurus so heavily that everybody is unintentionally partaking in a sort of rat race in their own heads. The beauty of enjoying the process is no longer emphasized on, only reaching the goals, as fast as one could, is relevant. When I started reading, my goal would also be to 'read a certain amount of pages in a certain amount of time' so I could have this satisfaction of having read enough books. The goal was not to learn, but to get done with the reading. Recently I slowed down my learning and took more time to indulge deep into whatever I was reading on. It made such an impact! I was not only remembering more of it, but I was also becoming more aware and conscious of ideas related to what I had read on to have my own reflection on it and discuss it with my friends. Take your time. Read. Watch. Learn. And don't forget to have fun.
Wise words, and I love to hear you made a change for yourself. In a sense, it's good to have experienced the worst of it so you can cherish your current approach.
Yes, your learning should become a part of who you are. This has been my mission in life and what supports my own YouTubing, which is not focused on learning/reading/studying, but on sharing the fruits of decades of reading and studying literature (I don't use any apps, just traditional study techniques). Love what you do and enjoy following your journey.
Yes!! I love this video so much. I used to tell my high school and college students in my literature classes (I taught for five years) that one important reason to read the books themselves rather than only reading someone else’s summary of them is because it’s the difference between reading someone else’s highlight of a trip they took and going on the trip yourself where you experience every detail and nuance of the journey, landscape, culture, and people. Another way to put it is that overconsuming content is about stockpiling information, where slow and intentional consumption like what you described here is about personal transformation. We don’t want to be encyclopedias, we want to develop rich characters.
Thanks, and I love that idea. It's good too because you can form your own opinion rather than going into the book with someone else's analysis in mind.
Hi! Ever since I saw your mini essays video I have tried to slow down my reading speed and think about what I am reading. I have written more in the last three months than I have in years of trying to write. And most importantly, I enjoy reading more. What we consume becomes part of us, it deserves time. Your advice is great! Thanks for sharing! Greetings from Argentina!
Just today I decided that I should slow down when learning & winning at life. Rushing things lead me to do worse in everything, so I went through my routine + goals and made them more singular.
@@odysseas__I love how you reply on most of your comment sections! You seem very passionate and helpful in these type of videos. I mostly see self improvement "creators" in this "boss"/ dominant persona. I'm glad I discovered your channel. Keep up the good work!
the moment I realized I was "optimizing" and podcasting too much was when I realized that I had some really great thoughts but none of them were original.
I don't personally find the "there's technically nothing new under the sun" hyper-rational dissection of our minds and what we create to be as relevant to subjective desires for giving and receiving novel things as the "some things under the sun are more interesting than others" thing, in which following the principles of this video I believe will help with.
@@Chad-xh8zs I think I agree with you but that the experience I am describing is something else. Where instead of other people's thoughts acting as a catalyst, my thoughts are more on the side of plagiarism. My experience goes something like; I show up to work usually quite early and so does one of my coworkers and so we often talk about anything and everything in life. However, there was a point where I realized that during the past one, two, five, or more conversations every provoking thought was essentially an exact copy of one I had heard within the last week or so. I dug deeper. I realized that I had been aligning my core beliefs with the things that were told to me by the people that I respect and consider great. I don't think that is specifically such a bad thing in doses considering it's really just some form of having a positive role model. But I think there are people who, like I was, are drowning themselves in it. I believe that this is creating less leaders, unique personalities, distinct paradigms, etc. I believe this is the petri dish that is cultivating (easy example) the growing political extremes. Smaller doses is all I say. Mix the thoughts in with your own life experiences, a look at history, and some general reasoning. You know what I mean.
I like the premise of this video! A common thread in your other videos is how the beliefs of hustle culture can be self-defeating. This one reminds me of how you've spoken about comprehensive time management in the past, and I'm curious if you could maybe make a future video on how you manage your day and week without hustling or forgetting work-life balance. Thanks once again; you're an inspiration!
I invested in a typewriter to slow my reading and writing down a bit. I take handwritten notes on a book or article I am reading, write a short summary on a yellow legal pad, and finally, type up my final draft on my typewriter.
I agree with the concept of how reading and learning just sort of become a part of you over time through habit and lifestyle rather than always having to be some kind of metric to measure up against
I used to read a lot as a kid. Overtime I stopped and now it feels like a chore. I loved reading so much that I literally used to finish a book in day ( 200 pg books mostly ). I am trying to get back to reading again. Starting with simple classics from Kafka now. It's like I am going back to zero. What helped you to get back into reading and staying consistent ? I am quite against hustle culture too. So appreciate the video !!!!!
It makes me really uncomfortable if I am just sitting there consuming something. Not stopping the video like yours some four times to think aloud or a book if i do not pen paper or type or write. I just can not go ahead.
Immaculate advice, Recently I myself have been grappling with managing multiple interests. Because of the overwhelming content internet provides, Ive been really lacking on reading meaningfully. After understanding the concept of slow productivity, I think I will have to sacrifice my lesser prioritised subjects to improve more on what actually projects me into success. Thank you for the video. ❤
I am now u know following the same approach deliberately I'm reading Clarissa a big doorstopper with just 5 to 6 pages per day . Reading other complementary works as well . I am tempted to fast read as the plot picks up but I slowvdown and reread and its mind blowing!
This!! at 15:13 practice how you think and articulate yourself, i think it deserves a video on its own. It's so frustrating when you have an awesome idea or opinion about something but when it comes to communicating those thoughts to people it becomes a mess, like you can't even arrange your word properly it's so embarrassing. I've been struggling with this problem for a long time now, the moment i start speaking to people i immediately see them struggling to listen, i could see it on their faces Mastering this skill will work wonders in our everyday lives not just reading and writing.
“A multitude of books only gets in one’s way” “You should be extending your stay among writers whose genius is unquestionable, deriving constant nourishment from them if you wish you to gain anything from your reading that will find a lasting place in your mind” “To be everywhere is to be no where” Beautiful video, Seneca would surely approve
I put this video on and started peeling a five pound bag of potatoes, and it finished right as I finished the last one. I didn’t mean for it to go this way but it felt therapeutic and very in line with the “anti hustle” approach here :) thanks so much for sharing this, it’s helping me think! great as always, appreciate your approach and thoughts!
another tip .. I found it more appealing to write notes on "small-sized sticky notes" on the side or top of a page and medium-sized notes (at the end of the book) to answer the questions that pop up in mind while reading.
I think wanting to support yourself for the sake of betterment is an honest intention, but I feel it can lead to a slippery slope unintentionally by consuming content pertaining to it. Hear me out. There is absolutely nothing malicious about content that wishes to help guide people, if that is their true, sole aim. It’s human to want to share with others to help benefit our lives. But it still feel like it can be harmful just as the ones just blatantly trying to sell you something because it brings about this ideation to ourselves that how we approach/do something is inherently wrong. This, inadvertently, can make engaging in hobbies, like reading, feel extremely daunting. Whether it’s against “hustling” or not, we can become trapped in this idea of having to do something a “proper way”. It’s torture for perfectionists. I say this because It dawned upon me as I watched this video; When did the prospect of just existing have to be so efficient? I feel as though I am viewing capitalistic ideals through rose-colored glasses as I consume this type of content. No wonder no one can get themselves to do anything, these spaces only feed the idea that there is always something to fix. It’s okay to just be, I think. Don’t misunderstand me, I am simply sharing some thoughts this video had evoked.
You make a good point, and to me, the problem you describe is what separates good self-improvement content from the bad. I like when the creators behind a video or article are aware of how flexible your approach can be. They don't talk in absolutes, and instead of trying to tell you the 'right way,' they show you their method that helped them achieve a goal. It's the guide vs guru idea. At the same time, other creators will talk in a more one-dimensional way because they know their audience and what they want. Alienating people doesn't matter to them as much because, to them, they never belonged to that 'focus audience' in the first place. For example, there's fitness influencers who speak in harsh, almost masochistic, terms, and it's repulsive to most people. To them, that's fine because they don't care to cater to everyone -only a small subset of guys who become their consumer base.
hey there! i feel u on this sm. ur right on how harmful ideals based on efficiency could be and i could speak about that. during the pandemic, i remember placing myself under a lot of stress trying to emulate self-help techniques and strategies i found on the internet because everyone around me seemed to be thugging it out while i couldn’t. i always thought that the pushback was without question part of the learning process- that my body was facing necessary struggles that i would soon overcome over time. after 2 days of me living the “proper way”, boredom and stress overtook me and i fell down my throne of “perfection” into what was a miraculous slump. in which every second was spent wishing i was doing something productive and loathing myself if i didn’t. after some time, and i don’t know how, but i learned to slowly abandon these ideals. it was probably when 10th grade rolled around when i started getting more in touch with humanities. it was the time my english teacher discussed The Little Prince and made me realize the value of sensing through the heart. that there was “worth” in taking our time and ambling about this life independent of what others or the world at large may think. it took away from what teenage me would consider “realistic” and offered instead a more forgiving and familiar angle in going about life. suddenly, my worries about acquiring work experience or at least having the attitude for it, transformed instead into questions of whether i was enjoying myself or if i was happy with my life. and with my emotions as my frame of reference, it was now easier for me to pinooint which direction id like my life to be heading towards. wonderingly, i performed better when i was striving to be me instead of more explicitly, a more “efficient” me. so yea i agree that sometimes we should just “be” ^^ in a capitalistic sense, i do feel the same way.. it feels dehumanizing for the world to be formed upon systems that behold “efficiency” as “the standard”. even in schools i feel that they inadvertently reward those who are able to cram the best rather than reward those who actually understood the material. i used to say that school was made to churn out A-grade workers who are apt enough to handle society’s many problems, which i’d imagine would multiply as the years go by. while the idea to keep churning out workers to run society may seem good, it does have vast repercussions on the workers’ mental health and on enlarging societal demand (which introduces more problems and- 😭). it’s almost full circle. like i wonder if perhaps our current society is now at the same spot as pandemic-me. stressed, agitated due to extreme optimization. what if we just relaxed and reformed systems to benefit the humans running them rather than fixate on improving them for capital creation? and yeah these r my thoughts. im always up for a discussion !
I appreciate your point on flexibility. I think addressing how accessible a method/advice is can put into light how realistic it can be. Curated audiences too are good proof that there is no one way approach to anything. Overall, our discussion has put emphasis on self-trust and figuring out what works for oneself through our experiences and guidance. I think it’s good to take a step back and see what someone’s advice might mean to us. Cheers!
I definitely agree with your points on a capitalistic ideology in school, society and the pandemic. The mental anguish from living in the pandemic has led us vulnerable for wanting stability, and the capitalistic idea we have to keep working definitely preys on that. I’m glad you found resolve through a book that spoke to you! I wish you strength and guidance on your journey navigating the world.
Some years ago i came across some books on speed reading. I did the exercises and got to where i could "read" at a pretty good speed. I could even talk to someone about the book and impress them with how fast i read it. The thing was, I no longer enjoyed reading. It wasn't until i stopped speed reading and slowed way down, sometimes deliberately slowing down and reading aloud, that i began to enjoy books again. And i realized that i had been missing the whole point of reading. It isn't about downloading input into your brain like Johnny 5, it's about the experience. That is the whole point. And the deeper you can make the experience, the better. I know a guy who watches movies at 2.5 speed, and i can't help but feel that he is not experiencing the movie in any way. Other than as a way to just knock it out and move on. Yuck
I just came from a writing session with a friend. I used pen and paper, while he used his laptop. I got more done because I was more focused. He got distracted and wrote little because he was connected to the WiFi. So, I agree with you that writing with pen and paper is effective, and it can help you remember and refine your ideas.
It took me years to understand that doing something fast is not the better approach if you want the end result to be great. This is especially true when it comes to learning. Most people never slow down to really understand what they are doing. There are times when I feel like I'm falling behind, because of my thorough approach. So, I'm learning to let go of my ego, and do things at a pace and a way that is best for me.
You are god damn right sir, I went through the exact same process that Johnny Hustle, and I actually love the friction of learning now, looking back. PD: Please tell you are a professor because man what a story telling skills you have!!
What to do with the fear? Fear of missing out on books. Like If i read something and then i put it down. It is a beautiful concept really and in practise too but the fear of missing other books.
Thank you, this video was so needed! I've just finished my A-Levels, and my plan for my gap year was to 'educate' myself properly before I start higher education. Over the past week (since completing my final exam), I've spent the whole time stressing over everything I want to learn and not actually starting on anything. This reminded me to slow down- I just need to pick something and begin, rather than stress over how to cram in every last topic I want to study in one year.
I think alot of this applies to anything you strengthen and develop over time, optimizing for efficiency or other things doesn't always result in effectiveness overall
I love this advice. I'm in college at the moment, studying Jazz music. My first year I thought I'd get better by learning every solo I heard and playing a new weird scale everyday, but by the end of the year I felt like I hadn't retained any of the knowledge I thought I was soaking in. Over summer I've realised studying one simple scale, but thoroughly playing through it's every possibility and permutation, is fat more beneficial to me. Thorough learning of one thing is far more beneficial than surface-level learning of several
I needed this tbh, I am a really fast learner but at the end of last year I was trying to do too much with too little time. In that process I wasnt able to remember anything I learn over a long term, I was preparing for an college admission exam. I failed the 1st one. but somehow after being burnt out with so much studying (14+ hrs Physics chem maths all three in one day! ) I barely managed to pass and score a 96/100 in the backup exam. I dont want to be in this situation ever again ! Now I will get it right and make sure I am embracing slow productivity to maximise the output. thanks for the video it was like a reminder to me. not gonna repeat stuff in college life now.
Thank you for this reminder. A deliberate and slow approach to learning seems to me to be the only viable path if one wishes to develop their intelligence deeply. Blinkist summaries, ChatGPT's, and all the various fast-foods of thought that exist today give us the illusion of knowing a lot of things, but very often, it turns out to be a waste of time...a passive consumption of content without real substance.
Much appreciated, thanks. I like how you call it fast food too. It doesn't hurt to add it on top of an already good routine, but it can't be the sole source.
Indeed, it is harmless as long as we do not use them to avoid the effort of thinking and engaging in genuine intellectual work. On this topic, Cal Newport wrote an excellent article titled 'On Ultra-Processed Content,' published on June 19, 2024 (Cal's blog), which delves into the concept of 'intellectual fast food'.
How to Read a Book, The Outsider, 12 Rules for Life, How to Take Smart Notes, 1984, The Art of War, Euripides, How to Read and Why, The Intelligent Reader's Guide to Reading, The Odyssey
Ever try reading science fiction that is informative and gets you to think? The majority of stuff called science fiction does not make you do that. Star Wars is not even science fiction. *Daemon & Freedom* by Daniel Suarez *The Dispossessed* by Ursula K Le Guin *Voyage from Yesteryear* by James P Hogan Non-fiction can be useful too. LOL *The Tyranny of Words* (1938) by Stuart Chase George Orwell mentioned Chase in an essay on politics. He published the book, *A New Deal* , shortly before FDR's famous speech. He was a member of FDR's brain trust.
I started reading Odyssey today before sleep. Couldn't fall asleep and started reflecting, thought how original ideas come from slow thinking. Then opened youtube and saw you dismissing one of my favourite books - how to read books, and couldn't figure out which one you accentuated on the thumbnail. Turned out it's oddyysey and the video is about reflecting. Creepy.
I'm really so glad I came across your channel. It's destroying the neurotic patterns I have that keep me from getting to that next level. So springing off your atomic notes video the process to 'internalize' a given text is to read text > select quotes and explain them in one's own words > make atomic notes from previous step > make content out of this entire process. You've given me a lot of scaffolding to tackle my goals and there's no f--king way I'm alone in feeling that. You're a gem sir! Also... take your own advice and put up some book reviews! They may go against the spirit of this video and your approach to learning in general (review = fast 'hustle learning') BUT you have a very welcoming candor and bitingly dry sense of sarcasm when you do use it, I think they would do well on this platform.
Thank you. We needed this video. However, I don't think that we should take things at an awfully slow pace. I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Don't take learning too slowly, but don't try to sprint it either. As someone with hyperactivity, I can't write every time I read. Sometimes I just learn for leisure and to stimulate my curiosity. However, a form of digestion definitely helps me, whether it be writing about it or a mindful walk! Using your river analogy again: rivers have three upper, middle, and lower stages. Upper stages are undefined, fast, rocky, impossible for settlement, and go all over the place. Lower stages are more defined and flat with fertile farland, but they can also flood on either bank. The middle stage seems to be the sweet spot to avoid the negatives. Find your own sweet, fulfilling, middle pace. (can you tell I studied geography) Feel free to critique this claim. I love your videos and editing style!
This was such an amazing video and it came at just the right time! My university semester just recently started again, and I literally wrote a note in my notepad about reading consumption, asking myself was i reading too slow, and how much should I read in a certain period of time? My degree has alot of readings to do, usually a couple required articles per week and then a list of recommended (per course). I was worrying that I wasn't consuming everything that I could each week, that I was 'missing out' on all these articles, and so I was going to start skimming my readings so that I could fit more in because I thought maybe thats better. But I'm so glad I saw this video, and it also alligned with my gut. So far, with all my readings, I have annoted them, then I would go back through the highlighted parts and write my notes on them, and recently I've been even increasing how much I write those notes in my own words with my own reflections (rather than just quotes). And this process has done me so well! I know what an article was talking about, i remeber my own thoughts and applications with it, and CONSTANTLY I go back to them time and time again. I have repeatedly reused what I've read and learnt in 0ne subject for example when Im learning in other subjects and when Im writing. This video really resonated with me, and afiirmed that taking the slow approach isn't a bad thing, even if it means I'm not reading as many different things, so thankyou!
I totally agree that handwriting makes the learning process better. Not only learning but thinking at all, it's just much faster and simpler to work with a pencil. But it's hard to store that information. That is why I started using iPad+ipencil. Same way as paper, but you digitalize information immediately and can store it in your fault. It's expensive but works really good.
Awesome insights ❤ you must musst read the slow productivity by Cal Newport which exactly preaches the Anti Hustle notion in depth and why its a solution to burn out and be excellent 60 pages into the book right now 5/5 for sure( note that if you are high in Neuroticism you will feel easy to understand the takes by Cal in the book and if you you are low in Neuroticism you might feel that the book is full of nonsense in my OPINION) ❤
Since finding your videos, it's really changed how i read. I'm still a very fast reader. But stopping to take notes, followed by a second reading connecting the notes not only ensures i'm not flying to quickly through things (i mean, I'd've read it twice), but that i'm getting all the "flavor" out of my reading. And after having adopted the mini essay concept, i can better synthesize my ideas. I've always been someone who wants to learn and share the information i've learned, and stopping to write 4-600 words about a topic lets me explore those single ideas greater, and connect them overall. I'd be interested in some videos about other aspects of this retooling of the polymath/Renaissance person. You've mentioned fitness and other rewarding hobbies in videos, but more about those and especially how they integrate and enhance the reading and writing would be good.
To understand and communicate properly, you need a proper foundation. Read The Trivium by sister Miriam Joseph for an introduction (which frankly is better than a modern university education). If don't have mastery over language, logic, and rhetoric, everything else is moot. All the authors you are reading possessed that education, so it would behoove you to follow suit if you want to pursue scholarship.
When I read books, I like to check online communities to verify my opinions with other people who have read the book. Seeing opposing opinions from mine makes me understand the text at a deeper level since my notions of the themes, characters, and plot get challenged by the interpretations and perceptions of other readers. So I suggest that after you have formed an opinion towards the stuff you have read, you should communicate with other people to cement what you have learned. :D
Oh damn I was doing the exact same thing with my notes. Thanks for helping me realize that. I also use writing as a forcing function to process information and deepen my understanding. As well as active meditation.
I would just like to add that it is also important to allow your own learning “style” to flourish. Try different things out and if what you are trying is not working out; see if you can adjust it before you try something else but do not feel bad for having tried it. For example, retyping my notes (I prefer handwritten note-taking) in obsidian was not doing anything for me so the zettelkesten method was not something I feel was going to work for me. So I am sticking to notebooks and book annotating but I am getting better at discerning what is worth writing down over just writing everything down.
i agree with what you said about writing. At least for my dnd sessions and now reading novels. the second pass of reading and refining notes illuminates so much more, smoothly. throw in some recall learning and im feelin e q u i p p e d
Johnny is exactly me 😂 P.D. Well, a small difference is that I don’t read summaries or short forms; but read the entire book. I’m someone who spends as much or even more thinking and reflecting about parts of a book than reading the book itself, and it works for learning and remembering; BUT with time, I tend to forget some realizations I got through that process and it’s only when I stumble upon something related that I come back to it to find I don’t recall as well as I did. I think your advice of writing about it will help me a lot to storing that knowledge. Thanks! Great video btw
I've experienced the crippling pressure that all these self-help gurus and podcasts can bring to someone new to the whole concept. I like reading and taking notes slowly to 'digest' the book. Hustle culture poisons that value that reading brings. Thanks for this video, reached me at the right time 👍
Thank you for the thoughtful video. I've subscribed to your channel on the same day I unsubscribed from half the channels I was following, precisely to reduce the amount of information I consume. However, I want to take the time to pushback a little bit on the ideas in the video. First, I know you highlighted that each person should do as much or as little as they want, and that there's not one-size-fits-all. But since the main argument of the video is about creating friction, reading fewer books (or any content), both slower and more deeply, I'll pushback on that. I've found that there is a fundamental difference between two types of people. Or perhaps three, if we include the hustlers. I agree wholeheartedly that hustle culture is damaging, whether it's in learning, work, or even in personal life. But I think that there is one type of person to whom this video speaks the most, which is the person who likes to learn things in detail, who likes to know a lot about few things rather than knowing less about more things. Funnily enough, that is aligned with the modern notion of specialization, even though sometimes modern specialization is at odds with the slow learning camp when it comes to the goal. Specialization is more associate with productivity, whereas slow learning can be more focused on living a good life in the ethical sense. But there is also a different position that is not about hustling, but simply about exploring. And just to be forthcoming, I find myself in that camp, so I'm probably biased. In any case, when I read a book, often I don't want to know every detail about it, neither I want to be able to teach someone about it later. And that doesn't mean I'm not changed by the book, neither that I don't think deeply about the ideas discussed. I have a background in Philosophy, and I've done some very deep thinking about some very difficult ideas. And yes, I probably remember less about what I've read in the sense of who said what, or about the history of some idea. But I don't care about that, that's not why I read or learn things. I read and learn to explore ideas. When I read books, I care that they make me think about things I wasn't aware before, and that afterwards I'm changed in important ways, even if I can't remember which book changed me in what way. Besides, in defending slow learning, it seems to me that there is the assumption that the best ideas are the ones buried deep in the books, the ones you only get to when you read slowly and deeply. But I'm not sure if that's true. I think that often it's the overarching idea that makes the most difference, and in those cases the details are less relevant. For example, when someone reads Aristotle, I think it's more important to understand the idea of "ethics through virtue" than to know or to think about each of the virtues he puts forward. And I'm saying all of that having tried myself exactly what you propose: not reading something unless I am able to fully engage with it, taking notes and thinking about it thoroughly. And sometimes I still do that, especially when I need to reference it in a paper I'm writing, for example. But what I've found is that instead of making me get the most out of everything I read, more often than not it turns something I love to do (reading and thinking about it) into a chore. And because of that, I end up reading and engaging with the content even less than I would otherwise. Perhaps I'm lazy, or perhaps I lack the discipline. Or perhaps it's something else. To end on a brighter note, there is one technique I found useful for me, and that kinda gives me the better (even if not the best) of both worlds. When I'm learning about something and I want to go deep in it, but I don't want to allow it to block me because it turned into a chore, what I do is to find two sources on the same topic. One source I use to take notes and go deep(er). But to avoid cornering myself, whenever I don't have the energy, the time, or I simply don't want to have the trouble of taking notes, I go to my second source and simply read it at any pace I want, without worrying about processing it fully or commiting anything to memory. More often than not, an idea I've read superficially in one source will later reappear in the other. So even if I only get the gist of the idea without the details, it's enough to allow me to make connections and understand the context of the idea. Later, when I am able to process the first source more deeply, that idea already has some conections in my mind, and it's easier to go deeper. Anyway, thanks again for the video, and thanks for indulging my comment by reading it :)
Thanks, and I find myself agreeing. I'm not sure how clear I am in these videos, but even if I don't emphasise it, I also like to be 'shallow' sometimes. At the end of the day, reading deeply is tough. It's work. Meaningful, sure, but not easy in the slightest, and that gets old pretty quick. I'll also balance it with lighter books like you say, or watch videos just to supplement what I'm already learning. Or sometimes, mindless junk just for entertainment's sake. The overarching point idea of yours is true too. Good writers, or at least ones that don't write to fellow experts, will often make the big idea clear quickly and without much mental strain. An easy conclusion to reach doesn't mean it's shallow by any means, so that's fair. Hope that all makes sense and wishing you well
Hello Odysseas, I just discovered your TH-cam channel and I am thrilled by your ability to simplify various concepts. Congrats!!! One more thing.Your English speaking level is really admirable.Do you have advice to other people that want to reach similar level of English? (Greek guy here)
Many thanks! I grew up in England so it's my first language technically, so I can't offer much beyond the usual advice of immerse yourself, practice vocab and grammar daily and maybe do it with others
Listening to podcasts is in 99 cases out of 100 a complete waste of time. I used to listen to a lot of Tim Ferriss and I thought I was learning something, and then I just realized it was a waste of time, and I should have just been working with real, good material, instead of the superficial dialogue. To be honest, he does try to sell it like "oh, we're talking to top performers so you'll just skip over to the good part", but that's just wishful thinking. When you manage to dig yourself out of the hustle/optimization trap, you start to see it everywhere, not just in the realm of self help. I work in tech, and I can see a marked difference between the type of engineer who reads poorly written articles and does really bad Udemy courses, and then the type of engineer who opens the official documentation, manpages or, in some cases, university textbooks. My friend once said that long and difficult things need to be that way in order to "refactor how your brain works", and I agree. You can't just buzz through something that is actively changing you, because you're not allowing it the necessary time and involvement to actually change you. I think that Robert Pirsig explained it really well in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and this elusive... thing that we're after, it's *Quality*. Listening to bad material, reading summaries or listicles... that's all just a lack of Quality. But doing the work, putting in the hours and the _attention_ - that is Quality.
Brilliantly said. Some believe the path of less resistance will somehow be as fruitful as the 'obsolete' and 'boring' routes, but in almost every case, that's untrue. I can only see the easier options as supplements to the real, hard work.
Odysseas, thank you for this video. I'm a new subscriber to your channel and newsletter. I've decided to set up my Obsidian vault just like yours and I'm halfway through "How to Take Smart Notes." I have a question: what content goes into your source material notes in Obsidian? I'm trying to create a distinction between fleeting notes, permanent notes (main notes), and source material notes. When are the source material notes taken? After you've gone through a book once completely? During the read?
Glad to hear the progress, and thanks too. Personally, I write notes in the book as I read then go through it a second time to turn them into formal source notes. I guess technically then, my initial pencil notes in the first reading are fleeting notes. If I'm watching or reading something online, I'll usually write them as I go through it. The difference with permanent notes is a bit more abstract. They tend to describe the main ideas you found in the sources, only in a unified, wrapped up form. For example, If I take many notes about pride in a novel, and it appears over and over, I might write a main note about pride -one which wraps up the idea from ALL the source notes I mentioned it in. Aka, the big takeaways. I hope that makes sense, and best of luck!
This is great learning. I have re-ordered hard copies of my four favourite books. Yes, I love them but have never really 'read' them. The book I am currently reading is at a slow pace - I am taking notes, rewriting, and exploring. I am a quarter of the way into this book and have found four new words. Sometimes I would check the meaning and move on - other times, I'd just skip it. I took your suggestion with Obsidian and have explored those new words further by using them in my own sentences. Some of those sentences have expanded into paragraphs and will become their own short stories. Once again, thanks for your valued suggestions.
Libraries were the original TH-cam. If you are a TH-cam University student like me then you will probably also love exploring different books in a library. You are not lazy for being naturally curious. "Becoming" a slow learner is therefore not a major shift in your character or motivation. Rather it is a simple choice to experiment with different forms of engaging your natural curiosity
Could you please make a video about HOW to do this thinking? I know there isn't a one size fits all tutorial to this but there could still be applicable, tangible advice to guide you in the right direction, right? Like guiding points to essay topics, how to ruminate on your half-baked ideas, etc Anyway I loved this video. It was shockingly relevant to my current mindset toward the appearance of gaining something from reading so much, rather than actually taking the time to slow down and do the thinking necessary to gain the value out of the books.
One serious question concerning reading is, do you have a "reading chair" or "reading desk". I find it difficult sometimes reading for longer period of times due to neck pains, knee pains from sitting, back issues, etc. It works for me to go working out, because my muscles are somehow doing better after working out, if I don't go to thw gym for a week, my issues start again. So do you have those issues?
I don't, but I find it helps to break up long periods of reading (or any sedentary work) with movement. Walks, exercise, or even just swinging your arms and legs around to stretch helps. Being consistent in the gym should give you a nice core strength to avoid those issues in general.
I liked the concept of how, your actual learning from a book happens when you finish it and then spend some to digest it and really think about the book. Or whatever content you've consumed. The trouble I seem to have is; what do I do in between moments where I can't take in information the way that I would like to? Most content I want to consume is of the nature where you have to sit with it, analyse it, make notes on it but I don't time to do that everyday. What do I consume in moments where I am waiting in lines, or waiting for work work to start? I really don't want to consume TikToks or reels or even Twitter. I know the answer though. It's just to be present Do you _really_ need to be watching/reading/listening to something whilst you wait in line for a coffee? Or when there are five minutes of nothing in your day? Not really. In fact, it might lead to better ideas I do like doing things all the time though haha so instead of scrolling, I do a bit of micro-journalling on my phone. That helps me ground myself and allows me to be present with my thoughts
I’ve wasted so much time trying to multitask. Say I want to learn Spanish I would aim for 1 hour a day but in reality I could not even stick to that. What will actually work is: doing the minimum for living your life, go to work, engage socially, fitness. But give ALL your energy to learning that language. Think of it everyday and night for months at a time. After 6 months your progress will be crazy and from that point on all you have to do is lightly maintain instead of push. Then move on to your next project. Great video btw
you can mention that part of friction learning is leaving comments on such videos 🤣 but I am not joking. trying to find similar experiences, different points or critiques in the comments then participating is important.
I don’t comment on videos very often but I had to on this one. This video hit the nail on the head and it’s an excellent solution for information overload. Great work!
This is how things were done before the internet & smart phones. If you grew up in that world, the present day culture of education seems like decay, while the culture of yesterday seems like a golden age. Average scholars from the 70’s and 80’s & even the 90’s (to say nothing of the 50’s & 60’s) would move like learned geniuses in today’s decadent environment. Please observe: it’s common that high school students today may have never learned from a text book in their entire lives.
I like taking notes in notebooks and making small notes in my books as I read, but I don't really write reflections. That sounds like something that would help me remember what I've read more. Could you please do a video with a flip-through and/or breakdown of your notebook notes?
I’ve noticed you have to do a bit of both. I lived amongst hermits only studying the small set of wisdoms provided through the Dao de jing. Today I am a fellow at a very prestigious humanistic institution curating and re-reading inmense volumes of medieval latin scripta. I am equally happy with the amount of input and my ideas are only, lets say, different. This might not apply to all of yall noobs and virgins since I am peak level Boddisatva only opting for the samsaric realm to reach the optimal level of smugness. Begginers mind baby😅
Applying the criteria of this video to itself, for it turned out that about 3-4 minutes had most of the bang for the buck. I would really like to see a scenario where carrying around my notes on say, the Crusades would be beneficial. What I’ve observed is that ppl will spend more time 1) deciding which digital app to use 2) endlessly tweaking said app 3) debating which note taking method is superior.
I used to love tinkering with computers, electronics, etc. until I became an engineer and got paid to do what I loved. Now I look for things that take me away from technology/online as much as possible. I do spend an awful lot on pens and stationery tho lol
I'm a slow reader, like really slow, I'd spend more than a few minutes on a single page sometimes. I've always felt behind for that, classmates finishing novels in a few days, hitting monthly book goals, tracking in goodread etc. On the other hand, I'm not academically lacking because of it at all. I'm not here trying to say oh you're lacking all the nuances in the single words overanalyzing every sentence, standing morally superior to people who read faster, I'm just saying you'll have to be clear on what you want from the book, interact with it. Do I want to be entertained and immersed in a story, missing details here and there but not interrupting the flow? Great, read as fast as you can. Do I want to understand every sentence, look up every word and go through all footnotes but lacking the bigger picture and not getting into a flow of reading? Sure do that. It's being true and not lying to yourself when you expect to discover great insights by glossing over and thinking, of course I've understood that.
Also, different people have different strengths. Some books may ask of you to blaze through it (maybe even the writer blazed through writing it). While other books are layered a thousand layers deep which require heavy analyzation to get below the surface. I'm a slow reader too. It's not that the "quick books" are bad, sometimes in creation you have a grand idea and you've just got to get it out before you lose it. But maybe we can play to our strengths and pick up the layered books a little easier than others might find?
That's true -everyone has different goals and to ciriticise their intention behind how they read makes no sense. What matters is they *know* how to get what they want in the first place.
Constantly feeling overwhelmed with wanting to change and improve has made me not progress at all. I really needed this video to kinda lean back and reflect upon my objectives and how to get there. Thanks for the content!
I've always thought that pages that sell summaries of books are only good for one thing: when you want to take a first glance at the book before starting to read it, or when you have finished it and want to check if you got the main ideas.
Great video and message. I have come to realize my brain will become “full” if I try to cram too much new content into it too quickly. I’m sure we’ve all hit that wall where you read the same paragraph 3 times and none of the words make sense (semantic satiation). That’s when I know it’s time to take a break and review what I’ve read thus far, usually in the chronological order I read it to help cement the ideas “into place”. I’ll also use physical books in addition to digital copies/kindle epubs. I’m able to write notes in the margins but I find it slows down my reading speed. Ebooks are great for speed reading and keeping my ADHD brain active by constantly scrolling down and keeping the next paragraph near the top of the screen.
That one is the intelligent readers guide to reading. The rest are How to Read and Why, How to Take Smart Notes, 1984, some of Euripides' plays, 12 rules for life, Albert Camus' main ones and Italo Calvino too
I just want to remind people, watching self-help content does not make your life automatically better! You cannot make yourself a better person by just listening, it takes activity and thorough effort to improve in the ways you want to.
Amen
This
even if you collect tons of self-help/courses, and not actually applying what you want to achieve in your life. Nothing's going to change and I know it's hard but we'll have to act to achieve our dreams and unfortuntately I'm facing the same problems as of writing this.
I partly disagree. Being open to different ideas and opinions already changes someone. Being exposed to self-help content can have an impact on someone's live, even if on a subconscious level, and this, with time, can lead to real change.
My school awarded the kids who read the most by the end of every month... and I won almost every month. While rooted in good intentions, these awards ignited a lifelong tradition of consuming too much with a feeling of superiority over my peers who spent time on video games or at parties. I scoffed at my mom, a slow reader who leans over the same pages for months, showing her my never-ending list of books. Only in the last two years have I started questioning and unlearning the notion of "hustle learning", as you brilliantly put it. Thank you for your content, and for inspiring thoughtfulness against the tide of social media.
Thanks, grateful to hear it. School was mixed for me when it came to that. Early on, it was exactly as you describe, but thankfully, they later had us read only a few books in lots of detail.
Good for you! Now you’ll hopefully have a greater awareness of the value in these books and of treating them with the respect and effort that they deserve (assuming, of course, that they do).
Nelson Rodrigues, a Brazilian writer, used to say that we should only read two or three books (he didn't mean that we should not read more books, but that in one book, if we read carryfuly and more the one time, we would realize that in just one book we can take many lessons every reading, and to really absorb the book we need to read more the one time)
What book would you recommend as a must read?
@@abdullahjaouni8405 How to Read a book by Mortimer J Adler
The world has become so fast paced that every area of life is now supposed to have immediate results and success be it studies, career or even health. The idea of not having 'enough time' has been drilled into our brains by these gurus so heavily that everybody is unintentionally partaking in a sort of rat race in their own heads. The beauty of enjoying the process is no longer emphasized on, only reaching the goals, as fast as one could, is relevant. When I started reading, my goal would also be to 'read a certain amount of pages in a certain amount of time' so I could have this satisfaction of having read enough books. The goal was not to learn, but to get done with the reading. Recently I slowed down my learning and took more time to indulge deep into whatever I was reading on. It made such an impact! I was not only remembering more of it, but I was also becoming more aware and conscious of ideas related to what I had read on to have my own reflection on it and discuss it with my friends.
Take your time. Read. Watch. Learn. And don't forget to have fun.
Wise words, and I love to hear you made a change for yourself. In a sense, it's good to have experienced the worst of it so you can cherish your current approach.
Yes, your learning should become a part of who you are. This has been my mission in life and what supports my own YouTubing, which is not focused on learning/reading/studying, but on sharing the fruits of decades of reading and studying literature (I don't use any apps, just traditional study techniques).
Love what you do and enjoy following your journey.
Brilliant stuff, that's a nice philosophy to go by. Thanks too
Yes!! I love this video so much. I used to tell my high school and college students in my literature classes (I taught for five years) that one important reason to read the books themselves rather than only reading someone else’s summary of them is because it’s the difference between reading someone else’s highlight of a trip they took and going on the trip yourself where you experience every detail and nuance of the journey, landscape, culture, and people. Another way to put it is that overconsuming content is about stockpiling information, where slow and intentional consumption like what you described here is about personal transformation. We don’t want to be encyclopedias, we want to develop rich characters.
Thanks, and I love that idea. It's good too because you can form your own opinion rather than going into the book with someone else's analysis in mind.
Hi! Ever since I saw your mini essays video I have tried to slow down my reading speed and think about what I am reading. I have written more in the last three months than I have in years of trying to write. And most importantly, I enjoy reading more. What we consume becomes part of us, it deserves time. Your advice is great! Thanks for sharing!
Greetings from Argentina!
That's amazing to hear, those are huge leaps to make. Thanks too!
Just today I decided that I should slow down when learning & winning at life.
Rushing things lead me to do worse in everything, so I went through my routine + goals and made them more singular.
Love to hear it, wishing you well
@@odysseas__I love how you reply on most of your comment sections! You seem very passionate and helpful in these type of videos. I mostly see self improvement "creators" in this "boss"/ dominant persona. I'm glad I discovered your channel. Keep up the good work!
@@SweatyHandsCrazy Thanks, really appreciate that. I also dislike those types, so I do my best to steer clear. Wishing you the best.
the moment I realized I was "optimizing" and podcasting too much was when I realized that I had some really great thoughts but none of them were original.
Great point, I had the same feeling. Was real frustrating
The odds are quite good that the best thought you’ll ever have in your entire life will just be a synthesis of other people’s ideas.
I don't personally find the "there's technically nothing new under the sun" hyper-rational dissection of our minds and what we create to be as relevant to subjective desires for giving and receiving novel things as the "some things under the sun are more interesting than others" thing, in which following the principles of this video I believe will help with.
@@Chad-xh8zs I think I agree with you but that the experience I am describing is something else. Where instead of other people's thoughts acting as a catalyst, my thoughts are more on the side of plagiarism.
My experience goes something like; I show up to work usually quite early and so does one of my coworkers and so we often talk about anything and everything in life. However, there was a point where I realized that during the past one, two, five, or more conversations every provoking thought was essentially an exact copy of one I had heard within the last week or so.
I dug deeper. I realized that I had been aligning my core beliefs with the things that were told to me by the people that I respect and consider great. I don't think that is specifically such a bad thing in doses considering it's really just some form of having a positive role model. But I think there are people who, like I was, are drowning themselves in it. I believe that this is creating less leaders, unique personalities, distinct paradigms, etc.
I believe this is the petri dish that is cultivating (easy example) the growing political extremes.
Smaller doses is all I say. Mix the thoughts in with your own life experiences, a look at history, and some general reasoning. You know what I mean.
@@rgraptor2542 thank you for that thoughtful response. Lots to consider.
I like the premise of this video! A common thread in your other videos is how the beliefs of hustle culture can be self-defeating. This one reminds me of how you've spoken about comprehensive time management in the past, and I'm curious if you could maybe make a future video on how you manage your day and week without hustling or forgetting work-life balance. Thanks once again; you're an inspiration!
Thanks, really appreciate it. It's a good idea too, I'll have to get on it.
you uploaded this at the right time because there's now an app that does to books what tiktok did to movies
It's scary, but expected in this attention economy.
What app is it?
What is it
Blinkist? I guess. Its like having a mother bird puking the book to your stomach. Its the virus to be "the most interesting person on the room".
Shortform, literally every productivity TH-camr is hawking it right now. 😅
I invested in a typewriter to slow my reading and writing down a bit. I take handwritten notes on a book or article I am reading, write a short summary on a yellow legal pad, and finally, type up my final draft on my typewriter.
That's smart, I like it
I agree with the concept of how reading and learning just sort of become a part of you over time through habit and lifestyle rather than always having to be some kind of metric to measure up against
Well said
I used to read a lot as a kid. Overtime I stopped and now it feels like a chore. I loved reading so much that I literally used to finish a book in day ( 200 pg books mostly ). I am trying to get back to reading again. Starting with simple classics from Kafka now. It's like I am going back to zero. What helped you to get back into reading and staying consistent ? I am quite against hustle culture too. So appreciate the video !!!!!
Thanks, and good luck. That rediscovery is precious stuff.
It makes me really uncomfortable if I am just sitting there consuming something. Not stopping the video like yours some four times to think aloud or a book if i do not pen paper or type or write. I just can not go ahead.
Me too. It feels off.
Immaculate advice,
Recently I myself have been grappling with managing multiple interests. Because of the overwhelming content internet provides, Ive been really lacking on reading meaningfully. After understanding the concept of slow productivity, I think I will have to sacrifice my lesser prioritised subjects to improve more on what actually projects me into success.
Thank you for the video. ❤
Thanks, and a smart move, even though it can be tough. Best of luck
I am now u know following the same approach deliberately
I'm reading Clarissa a big doorstopper with just 5 to 6 pages per day . Reading other complementary works as well . I am tempted to fast read as the plot picks up but I slowvdown and reread and its mind blowing!
Good stuff!
babe wake tf up...the goat has posted 🔥
Thanks boss
This!! at 15:13 practice how you think and articulate yourself, i think it deserves a video on its own.
It's so frustrating when you have an awesome idea or opinion about something but when it comes to communicating those thoughts to people it becomes a mess, like you can't even arrange your word properly it's so embarrassing.
I've been struggling with this problem for a long time now, the moment i start speaking to people i immediately see them struggling to listen, i could see it on their faces
Mastering this skill will work wonders in our everyday lives not just reading and writing.
You're totally right, it's a skill just like anything else and arguably of the most important ones in all areas of life.
“A multitude of books only gets in one’s way”
“You should be extending your stay among writers whose genius is unquestionable, deriving constant nourishment from them if you wish you to gain anything from your reading that will find a lasting place in your mind”
“To be everywhere is to be no where”
Beautiful video, Seneca would surely approve
I put this video on and started peeling a five pound bag of potatoes, and it finished right as I finished the last one. I didn’t mean for it to go this way but it felt therapeutic and very in line with the “anti hustle” approach here :) thanks so much for sharing this, it’s helping me think! great as always, appreciate your approach and thoughts!
Wow it's nice to see you here, love your videos too. Much appreciated!
oh wow no way! :) I’m honored. thanks for these and for your newsletter, I’m excited to read the new one today
@@timdemoss Cheers man, hope you like it
another tip .. I found it more appealing to write notes on "small-sized sticky notes" on the side or top of a page
and medium-sized notes (at the end of the book) to answer the questions that pop up in mind while reading.
This video should be bookmarked and referred to every 3 weeks.
Cheers. I need to remind myself often too.
was in my analytics and saw ur channel name and a 100k below it, congrats man. while the subs dont matter that much, its definitely a huge milestone.
Thanks man, it's crazy to imagine.. Best of wishes to you
@@odysseas__ np man, you too
I think wanting to support yourself for the sake of betterment is an honest intention, but I feel it can lead to a slippery slope unintentionally by consuming content pertaining to it. Hear me out. There is absolutely nothing malicious about content that wishes to help guide people, if that is their true, sole aim. It’s human to want to share with others to help benefit our lives. But it still feel like it can be harmful just as the ones just blatantly trying to sell you something because it brings about this ideation to ourselves that how we approach/do something is inherently wrong. This, inadvertently, can make engaging in hobbies, like reading, feel extremely daunting. Whether it’s against “hustling” or not, we can become trapped in this idea of having to do something a “proper way”. It’s torture for perfectionists. I say this because It dawned upon me as I watched this video; When did the prospect of just existing have to be so efficient? I feel as though I am viewing capitalistic ideals through rose-colored glasses as I consume this type of content. No wonder no one can get themselves to do anything, these spaces only feed the idea that there is always something to fix. It’s okay to just be, I think. Don’t misunderstand me, I am simply sharing some thoughts this video had evoked.
You make a good point, and to me, the problem you describe is what separates good self-improvement content from the bad.
I like when the creators behind a video or article are aware of how flexible your approach can be. They don't talk in absolutes, and instead of trying to tell you the 'right way,' they show you their method that helped them achieve a goal. It's the guide vs guru idea.
At the same time, other creators will talk in a more one-dimensional way because they know their audience and what they want. Alienating people doesn't matter to them as much because, to them, they never belonged to that 'focus audience' in the first place.
For example, there's fitness influencers who speak in harsh, almost masochistic, terms, and it's repulsive to most people. To them, that's fine because they don't care to cater to everyone -only a small subset of guys who become their consumer base.
hey there! i feel u on this sm.
ur right on how harmful ideals based on efficiency could be and i could speak about that. during the pandemic, i remember placing myself under a lot of stress trying to emulate self-help techniques and strategies i found on the internet because everyone around me seemed to be thugging it out while i couldn’t. i always thought that the pushback was without question part of the learning process- that my body was facing necessary struggles that i would soon overcome over time. after 2 days of me living the “proper way”, boredom and stress overtook me and i fell down my throne of “perfection” into what was a miraculous slump. in which every second was spent wishing i was doing something productive and loathing myself if i didn’t.
after some time, and i don’t know how, but i learned to slowly abandon these ideals. it was probably when 10th grade rolled around when i started getting more in touch with humanities. it was the time my english teacher discussed The Little Prince and made me realize the value of sensing through the heart. that there was “worth” in taking our time and ambling about this life independent of what others or the world at large may think. it took away from what teenage me would consider “realistic” and offered instead a more forgiving and familiar angle in going about life.
suddenly, my worries about acquiring work experience or at least having the attitude for it, transformed instead into questions of whether i was enjoying myself or if i was happy with my life. and with my emotions as my frame of reference, it was now easier for me to pinooint which direction id like my life to be heading towards. wonderingly, i performed better when i was striving to be me instead of more explicitly, a more “efficient” me. so yea i agree that sometimes we should just “be” ^^
in a capitalistic sense, i do feel the same way.. it feels dehumanizing for the world to be formed upon systems that behold “efficiency” as “the standard”. even in schools i feel that they inadvertently reward those who are able to cram the best rather than reward those who actually understood the material. i used to say that school was made to churn out A-grade workers who are apt enough to handle society’s many problems, which i’d imagine would multiply as the years go by. while the idea to keep churning out workers to run society may seem good, it does have vast repercussions on the workers’ mental health and on enlarging societal demand (which introduces more problems and- 😭).
it’s almost full circle. like i wonder if perhaps our current society is now at the same spot as pandemic-me. stressed, agitated due to extreme optimization. what if we just relaxed and reformed systems to benefit the humans running them rather than fixate on improving them for capital creation?
and yeah these r my thoughts. im always up for a discussion !
I appreciate your point on flexibility. I think addressing how accessible a method/advice is can put into light how realistic it can be. Curated audiences too are good proof that there is no one way approach to anything. Overall, our discussion has put emphasis on self-trust and figuring out what works for oneself through our experiences and guidance. I think it’s good to take a step back and see what someone’s advice might mean to us. Cheers!
I definitely agree with your points on a capitalistic ideology in school, society and the pandemic. The mental anguish from living in the pandemic has led us vulnerable for wanting stability, and the capitalistic idea we have to keep working definitely preys on that. I’m glad you found resolve through a book that spoke to you! I wish you strength and guidance on your journey navigating the world.
@@Apolleon21 Well said!
Some years ago i came across some books on speed reading. I did the exercises and got to where i could "read" at a pretty good speed. I could even talk to someone about the book and impress them with how fast i read it. The thing was, I no longer enjoyed reading. It wasn't until i stopped speed reading and slowed way down, sometimes deliberately slowing down and reading aloud, that i began to enjoy books again. And i realized that i had been missing the whole point of reading. It isn't about downloading input into your brain like Johnny 5, it's about the experience. That is the whole point. And the deeper you can make the experience, the better. I know a guy who watches movies at 2.5 speed, and i can't help but feel that he is not experiencing the movie in any way. Other than as a way to just knock it out and move on. Yuck
I just came from a writing session with a friend. I used pen and paper, while he used his laptop. I got more done because I was more focused. He got distracted and wrote little because he was connected to the WiFi. So, I agree with you that writing with pen and paper is effective, and it can help you remember and refine your ideas.
That's a good point -there's no possibility for distraction with paper.
I mean, the easy solution to that is turn on airplane mode and open a word processor software
Never doodled?
It took me years to understand that doing something fast is not the better approach if you want the end result to be great. This is especially true when it comes to learning. Most people never slow down to really understand what they are doing. There are times when I feel like I'm falling behind, because of my thorough approach. So, I'm learning to let go of my ego, and do things at a pace and a way that is best for me.
You are god damn right sir, I went through the exact same process that Johnny Hustle, and I actually love the friction of learning now, looking back.
PD: Please tell you are a professor because man what a story telling skills you have!!
Love to hear that, keep it up. I'm no professor either haha, I credit the long editing process for that.
Great advice. Thank you for sharing.
Much appreciated
What to do with the fear?
Fear of missing out on books. Like If i read something and then i put it down. It is a beautiful concept really and in practise too but the fear of missing other books.
He uploaded a video before that might be helpful: “How to beat FOMO in reading”
friends, let's get him to 1M... share & subscribe
"like" comments to help the algorithm
leave an emoji... that "counts" as interaction
I discovered it the hard way and i call it "Information Overload"
Thank you, this video was so needed! I've just finished my A-Levels, and my plan for my gap year was to 'educate' myself properly before I start higher education. Over the past week (since completing my final exam), I've spent the whole time stressing over everything I want to learn and not actually starting on anything. This reminded me to slow down- I just need to pick something and begin, rather than stress over how to cram in every last topic I want to study in one year.
I feel you, I used to stress over the options too. Hope your A levels went well, and best of luck for the summer ahead.
Subscribed to you when you were at 28k , felt genuine happiness when I saw the 97k today.
Great to see worthy content getting recognition :)))
It's crazy for sure. Thanks for sticking around, I appreciate it.
best video I've watched in the last 6 months...beautiful, sir.
Thanks, I'm grateful
I think alot of this applies to anything you strengthen and develop over time, optimizing for efficiency or other things doesn't always result in effectiveness overall
For sure. Some people can and do, but most of us benefit from a more realistic approach.
Dude pls add turkish translate your videos
No
I love this advice. I'm in college at the moment, studying Jazz music. My first year I thought I'd get better by learning every solo I heard and playing a new weird scale everyday, but by the end of the year I felt like I hadn't retained any of the knowledge I thought I was soaking in. Over summer I've realised studying one simple scale, but thoroughly playing through it's every possibility and permutation, is fat more beneficial to me. Thorough learning of one thing is far more beneficial than surface-level learning of several
I needed this tbh, I am a really fast learner but at the end of last year I was trying to do too much with too little time. In that process I wasnt able to remember anything I learn over a long term, I was preparing for an college admission exam. I failed the 1st one. but somehow after being burnt out with so much studying (14+ hrs Physics chem maths all three in one day! ) I barely managed to pass and score a 96/100 in the backup exam. I dont want to be in this situation ever again !
Now I will get it right and make sure I am embracing slow productivity to maximise the output. thanks for the video it was like a reminder to me. not gonna repeat stuff in college life now.
That does sound rough, and college is a different game after all -it doesn't care much about your schedule.
This is weirdly enough exactly the video I needed to watch right now.
Love to hear it -best of luck too
Thank you for this reminder. A deliberate and slow approach to learning seems to me to be the only viable path if one wishes to develop their intelligence deeply. Blinkist summaries, ChatGPT's, and all the various fast-foods of thought that exist today give us the illusion of knowing a lot of things, but very often, it turns out to be a waste of time...a passive consumption of content without real substance.
Much appreciated, thanks. I like how you call it fast food too. It doesn't hurt to add it on top of an already good routine, but it can't be the sole source.
Indeed, it is harmless as long as we do not use them to avoid the effort of thinking and engaging in genuine intellectual work. On this topic, Cal Newport wrote an excellent article titled 'On Ultra-Processed Content,' published on June 19, 2024 (Cal's blog), which delves into the concept of 'intellectual fast food'.
@@BeWiseQ Nice I'll check it out
Can you please tell us what books are on the Thumbnail?🙏🙏
How to Read a Book, The Outsider, 12 Rules for Life, How to Take Smart Notes, 1984, The Art of War, Euripides, How to Read and Why, The Intelligent Reader's Guide to Reading, The Odyssey
@@odysseas__ty!
Ever try reading science fiction that is informative and gets you to think? The majority of stuff called science fiction does not make you do that. Star Wars is not even science fiction.
*Daemon & Freedom* by Daniel Suarez
*The Dispossessed* by Ursula K Le Guin
*Voyage from Yesteryear* by James P Hogan
Non-fiction can be useful too. LOL
*The Tyranny of Words* (1938) by Stuart Chase
George Orwell mentioned Chase in an essay on politics. He published the book, *A New Deal* , shortly before FDR's famous speech. He was a member of FDR's brain trust.
I started reading Odyssey today before sleep. Couldn't fall asleep and started reflecting, thought how original ideas come from slow thinking. Then opened youtube and saw you dismissing one of my favourite books - how to read books, and couldn't figure out which one you accentuated on the thumbnail. Turned out it's oddyysey and the video is about reflecting.
Creepy.
I'm really so glad I came across your channel. It's destroying the neurotic patterns I have that keep me from getting to that next level. So springing off your atomic notes video the process to 'internalize' a given text is to read text > select quotes and explain them in one's own words > make atomic notes from previous step > make content out of this entire process. You've given me a lot of scaffolding to tackle my goals and there's no f--king way I'm alone in feeling that. You're a gem sir!
Also... take your own advice and put up some book reviews! They may go against the spirit of this video and your approach to learning in general (review = fast 'hustle learning') BUT you have a very welcoming candor and bitingly dry sense of sarcasm when you do use it, I think they would do well on this platform.
Thank you. We needed this video.
However, I don't think that we should take things at an awfully slow pace. I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Don't take learning too slowly, but don't try to sprint it either. As someone with hyperactivity, I can't write every time I read. Sometimes I just learn for leisure and to stimulate my curiosity. However, a form of digestion definitely helps me, whether it be writing about it or a mindful walk!
Using your river analogy again: rivers have three upper, middle, and lower stages. Upper stages are undefined, fast, rocky, impossible for settlement, and go all over the place. Lower stages are more defined and flat with fertile farland, but they can also flood on either bank. The middle stage seems to be the sweet spot to avoid the negatives. Find your own sweet, fulfilling, middle pace. (can you tell I studied geography)
Feel free to critique this claim. I love your videos and editing style!
This was such an amazing video and it came at just the right time! My university semester just recently started again, and I literally wrote a note in my notepad about reading consumption, asking myself was i reading too slow, and how much should I read in a certain period of time? My degree has alot of readings to do, usually a couple required articles per week and then a list of recommended (per course). I was worrying that I wasn't consuming everything that I could each week, that I was 'missing out' on all these articles, and so I was going to start skimming my readings so that I could fit more in because I thought maybe thats better. But I'm so glad I saw this video, and it also alligned with my gut. So far, with all my readings, I have annoted them, then I would go back through the highlighted parts and write my notes on them, and recently I've been even increasing how much I write those notes in my own words with my own reflections (rather than just quotes). And this process has done me so well! I know what an article was talking about, i remeber my own thoughts and applications with it, and CONSTANTLY I go back to them time and time again. I have repeatedly reused what I've read and learnt in 0ne subject for example when Im learning in other subjects and when Im writing. This video really resonated with me, and afiirmed that taking the slow approach isn't a bad thing, even if it means I'm not reading as many different things, so thankyou!
I totally agree that handwriting makes the learning process better. Not only learning but thinking at all, it's just much faster and simpler to work with a pencil. But it's hard to store that information. That is why I started using iPad+ipencil. Same way as paper, but you digitalize information immediately and can store it in your fault. It's expensive but works really good.
It's great to see it become more comfortable digitally, truly the best of both worlds. The Remarkable looks nice too.
Awesome insights ❤ you must musst read the slow productivity by Cal Newport which exactly preaches the Anti Hustle notion in depth and why its a solution to burn out and be excellent 60 pages into the book right now 5/5 for sure( note that if you are high in Neuroticism you will feel easy to understand the takes by Cal in the book and if you you are low in Neuroticism you might feel that the book is full of nonsense in my OPINION) ❤
Since finding your videos, it's really changed how i read. I'm still a very fast reader. But stopping to take notes, followed by a second reading connecting the notes not only ensures i'm not flying to quickly through things (i mean, I'd've read it twice), but that i'm getting all the "flavor" out of my reading.
And after having adopted the mini essay concept, i can better synthesize my ideas. I've always been someone who wants to learn and share the information i've learned, and stopping to write 4-600 words about a topic lets me explore those single ideas greater, and connect them overall.
I'd be interested in some videos about other aspects of this retooling of the polymath/Renaissance person. You've mentioned fitness and other rewarding hobbies in videos, but more about those and especially how they integrate and enhance the reading and writing would be good.
That's a nice solid approach, I like it. Definitely more general hobby/creativity stuff to come
To understand and communicate properly, you need a proper foundation. Read The Trivium by sister Miriam Joseph for an introduction (which frankly is better than a modern university education). If don't have mastery over language, logic, and rhetoric, everything else is moot. All the authors you are reading possessed that education, so it would behoove you to follow suit if you want to pursue scholarship.
When I read books, I like to check online communities to verify my opinions with other people who have read the book. Seeing opposing opinions from mine makes me understand the text at a deeper level since my notions of the themes, characters, and plot get challenged by the interpretations and perceptions of other readers. So I suggest that after you have formed an opinion towards the stuff you have read, you should communicate with other people to cement what you have learned. :D
Oh damn I was doing the exact same thing with my notes. Thanks for helping me realize that.
I also use writing as a forcing function to process information and deepen my understanding. As well as active meditation.
Good stuff man, and thanks too
I would just like to add that it is also important to allow your own learning “style” to flourish. Try different things out and if what you are trying is not working out; see if you can adjust it before you try something else but do not feel bad for having tried it. For example, retyping my notes (I prefer handwritten note-taking) in obsidian was not doing anything for me so the zettelkesten method was not something I feel was going to work for me. So I am sticking to notebooks and book annotating but I am getting better at discerning what is worth writing down over just writing everything down.
Such an important point. Only you know what's best for you.
I love your videos man. Keep the good stuff up.
Thanks, grateful to hear it
i agree with what you said about writing. At least for my dnd sessions and now reading novels. the second pass of reading and refining notes illuminates so much more, smoothly. throw in some recall learning and im feelin e q u i p p e d
Johnny is exactly me 😂
P.D. Well, a small difference is that I don’t read summaries or short forms; but read the entire book.
I’m someone who spends as much or even more thinking and reflecting about parts of a book than reading the book itself, and it works for learning and remembering; BUT with time, I tend to forget some realizations I got through that process and it’s only when I stumble upon something related that I come back to it to find I don’t recall as well as I did.
I think your advice of writing about it will help me a lot to storing that knowledge. Thanks! Great video btw
Thanks, and that's great to hear. With time, we forget things inevitably but at least with good notes, they're easy to refresh yourself with.
I've experienced the crippling pressure that all these self-help gurus and podcasts can bring to someone new to the whole concept. I like reading and taking notes slowly to 'digest' the book. Hustle culture poisons that value that reading brings. Thanks for this video, reached me at the right time 👍
Much appreciated, and that's good to hear you take that route
Thank you for the thoughtful video. I've subscribed to your channel on the same day I unsubscribed from half the channels I was following, precisely to reduce the amount of information I consume. However, I want to take the time to pushback a little bit on the ideas in the video.
First, I know you highlighted that each person should do as much or as little as they want, and that there's not one-size-fits-all. But since the main argument of the video is about creating friction, reading fewer books (or any content), both slower and more deeply, I'll pushback on that.
I've found that there is a fundamental difference between two types of people. Or perhaps three, if we include the hustlers. I agree wholeheartedly that hustle culture is damaging, whether it's in learning, work, or even in personal life. But I think that there is one type of person to whom this video speaks the most, which is the person who likes to learn things in detail, who likes to know a lot about few things rather than knowing less about more things. Funnily enough, that is aligned with the modern notion of specialization, even though sometimes modern specialization is at odds with the slow learning camp when it comes to the goal. Specialization is more associate with productivity, whereas slow learning can be more focused on living a good life in the ethical sense.
But there is also a different position that is not about hustling, but simply about exploring. And just to be forthcoming, I find myself in that camp, so I'm probably biased. In any case, when I read a book, often I don't want to know every detail about it, neither I want to be able to teach someone about it later. And that doesn't mean I'm not changed by the book, neither that I don't think deeply about the ideas discussed. I have a background in Philosophy, and I've done some very deep thinking about some very difficult ideas. And yes, I probably remember less about what I've read in the sense of who said what, or about the history of some idea. But I don't care about that, that's not why I read or learn things. I read and learn to explore ideas. When I read books, I care that they make me think about things I wasn't aware before, and that afterwards I'm changed in important ways, even if I can't remember which book changed me in what way.
Besides, in defending slow learning, it seems to me that there is the assumption that the best ideas are the ones buried deep in the books, the ones you only get to when you read slowly and deeply. But I'm not sure if that's true. I think that often it's the overarching idea that makes the most difference, and in those cases the details are less relevant. For example, when someone reads Aristotle, I think it's more important to understand the idea of "ethics through virtue" than to know or to think about each of the virtues he puts forward.
And I'm saying all of that having tried myself exactly what you propose: not reading something unless I am able to fully engage with it, taking notes and thinking about it thoroughly. And sometimes I still do that, especially when I need to reference it in a paper I'm writing, for example. But what I've found is that instead of making me get the most out of everything I read, more often than not it turns something I love to do (reading and thinking about it) into a chore. And because of that, I end up reading and engaging with the content even less than I would otherwise. Perhaps I'm lazy, or perhaps I lack the discipline. Or perhaps it's something else.
To end on a brighter note, there is one technique I found useful for me, and that kinda gives me the better (even if not the best) of both worlds. When I'm learning about something and I want to go deep in it, but I don't want to allow it to block me because it turned into a chore, what I do is to find two sources on the same topic. One source I use to take notes and go deep(er). But to avoid cornering myself, whenever I don't have the energy, the time, or I simply don't want to have the trouble of taking notes, I go to my second source and simply read it at any pace I want, without worrying about processing it fully or commiting anything to memory. More often than not, an idea I've read superficially in one source will later reappear in the other. So even if I only get the gist of the idea without the details, it's enough to allow me to make connections and understand the context of the idea. Later, when I am able to process the first source more deeply, that idea already has some conections in my mind, and it's easier to go deeper.
Anyway, thanks again for the video, and thanks for indulging my comment by reading it :)
Thanks, and I find myself agreeing. I'm not sure how clear I am in these videos, but even if I don't emphasise it, I also like to be 'shallow' sometimes.
At the end of the day, reading deeply is tough. It's work. Meaningful, sure, but not easy in the slightest, and that gets old pretty quick. I'll also balance it with lighter books like you say, or watch videos just to supplement what I'm already learning. Or sometimes, mindless junk just for entertainment's sake.
The overarching point idea of yours is true too. Good writers, or at least ones that don't write to fellow experts, will often make the big idea clear quickly and without much mental strain. An easy conclusion to reach doesn't mean it's shallow by any means, so that's fair.
Hope that all makes sense and wishing you well
good job, you've explained it very well.
Thanks, always appreciated
Golden recommendation pull. I definitely won the lottery by watching this video lol
Cheers, grateful to hear it
clearly inspired by the book in the thumbnail, how to read a book by mortimer adler
Hello Odysseas, I just discovered your TH-cam channel and I am thrilled by your ability to simplify various concepts. Congrats!!!
One more thing.Your English speaking level is really admirable.Do you have advice to other people that want to reach similar level of English? (Greek guy here)
Many thanks! I grew up in England so it's my first language technically, so I can't offer much beyond the usual advice of immerse yourself, practice vocab and grammar daily and maybe do it with others
Listening to podcasts is in 99 cases out of 100 a complete waste of time. I used to listen to a lot of Tim Ferriss and I thought I was learning something, and then I just realized it was a waste of time, and I should have just been working with real, good material, instead of the superficial dialogue. To be honest, he does try to sell it like "oh, we're talking to top performers so you'll just skip over to the good part", but that's just wishful thinking.
When you manage to dig yourself out of the hustle/optimization trap, you start to see it everywhere, not just in the realm of self help. I work in tech, and I can see a marked difference between the type of engineer who reads poorly written articles and does really bad Udemy courses, and then the type of engineer who opens the official documentation, manpages or, in some cases, university textbooks.
My friend once said that long and difficult things need to be that way in order to "refactor how your brain works", and I agree. You can't just buzz through something that is actively changing you, because you're not allowing it the necessary time and involvement to actually change you.
I think that Robert Pirsig explained it really well in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and this elusive... thing that we're after, it's *Quality*. Listening to bad material, reading summaries or listicles... that's all just a lack of Quality. But doing the work, putting in the hours and the _attention_ - that is Quality.
Brilliantly said. Some believe the path of less resistance will somehow be as fruitful as the 'obsolete' and 'boring' routes, but in almost every case, that's untrue. I can only see the easier options as supplements to the real, hard work.
Odysseas, thank you for this video. I'm a new subscriber to your channel and newsletter. I've decided to set up my Obsidian vault just like yours and I'm halfway through "How to Take Smart Notes." I have a question: what content goes into your source material notes in Obsidian? I'm trying to create a distinction between fleeting notes, permanent notes (main notes), and source material notes. When are the source material notes taken? After you've gone through a book once completely? During the read?
Glad to hear the progress, and thanks too.
Personally, I write notes in the book as I read then go through it a second time to turn them into formal source notes. I guess technically then, my initial pencil notes in the first reading are fleeting notes.
If I'm watching or reading something online, I'll usually write them as I go through it.
The difference with permanent notes is a bit more abstract. They tend to describe the main ideas you found in the sources, only in a unified, wrapped up form.
For example, If I take many notes about pride in a novel, and it appears over and over, I might write a main note about pride -one which wraps up the idea from ALL the source notes I mentioned it in. Aka, the big takeaways.
I hope that makes sense, and best of luck!
This is great learning. I have re-ordered hard copies of my four favourite books. Yes, I love them but have never really 'read' them. The book I am currently reading is at a slow pace - I am taking notes, rewriting, and exploring. I am a quarter of the way into this book and have found four new words. Sometimes I would check the meaning and move on - other times, I'd just skip it. I took your suggestion with Obsidian and have explored those new words further by using them in my own sentences. Some of those sentences have expanded into paragraphs and will become their own short stories. Once again, thanks for your valued suggestions.
Libraries were the original TH-cam. If you are a TH-cam University student like me then you will probably also love exploring different books in a library. You are not lazy for being naturally curious. "Becoming" a slow learner is therefore not a major shift in your character or motivation. Rather it is a simple choice to experiment with different forms of engaging your natural curiosity
Nice point, and that's very true. I always have the strongest desire to read when in a bookstore or library.
Could you please make a video about HOW to do this thinking? I know there isn't a one size fits all tutorial to this but there could still be applicable, tangible advice to guide you in the right direction, right? Like guiding points to essay topics, how to ruminate on your half-baked ideas, etc
Anyway I loved this video. It was shockingly relevant to my current mindset toward the appearance of gaining something from reading so much, rather than actually taking the time to slow down and do the thinking necessary to gain the value out of the books.
Thanks, nice to hear you're already on it. I have some ideas like that too, so yep!
One serious question concerning reading is, do you have a "reading chair" or "reading desk".
I find it difficult sometimes reading for longer period of times due to neck pains, knee pains from sitting, back issues, etc.
It works for me to go working out, because my muscles are somehow doing better after working out, if I don't go to thw gym for a week, my issues start again.
So do you have those issues?
I don't, but I find it helps to break up long periods of reading (or any sedentary work) with movement. Walks, exercise, or even just swinging your arms and legs around to stretch helps. Being consistent in the gym should give you a nice core strength to avoid those issues in general.
I liked the concept of how, your actual learning from a book happens when you finish it and then spend some to digest it and really think about the book. Or whatever content you've consumed.
The trouble I seem to have is; what do I do in between moments where I can't take in information the way that I would like to? Most content I want to consume is of the nature where you have to sit with it, analyse it, make notes on it but I don't time to do that everyday.
What do I consume in moments where I am waiting in lines, or waiting for work work to start? I really don't want to consume TikToks or reels or even Twitter.
I know the answer though. It's just to be present
Do you _really_ need to be watching/reading/listening to something whilst you wait in line for a coffee? Or when there are five minutes of nothing in your day? Not really. In fact, it might lead to better ideas
I do like doing things all the time though haha so instead of scrolling, I do a bit of micro-journalling on my phone. That helps me ground myself and allows me to be present with my thoughts
Thanks, and you've got a good answer to your question. Sitting with thoughts is a nice way to let your mind relax a bit and just work.
I’ve wasted so much time trying to multitask. Say I want to learn Spanish I would aim for 1 hour a day but in reality I could not even stick to that. What will actually work is: doing the minimum for living your life, go to work, engage socially, fitness. But give ALL your energy to learning that language. Think of it everyday and night for months at a time. After 6 months your progress will be crazy and from that point on all you have to do is lightly maintain instead of push. Then move on to your next project. Great video btw
All your points have clear justifications. New subbie 🙌🏼
Thanks, it's good to have you
Hi i'm from india. can you put english(united kingdom) subtitles in your videos?
It would be highly appreaciated.
One day I will have the money to do that
Love you content man, do you have a reading list or suggested book list ? Would love to see what books caught your eye.
Keep up the great work.
you can mention that part of friction learning is leaving comments on such videos 🤣
but I am not joking. trying to find similar experiences, different points or critiques in the comments then participating is important.
True, anything to wake the mind up is precious
Did you put a snippet of the bioneer in just ro see who watches him and also your video? 😎
Maybe..
I don’t comment on videos very often but I had to on this one. This video hit the nail on the head and it’s an excellent solution for information overload. Great work!
Thank you, I'm grateful
Johnny hustle? I know a Charlie hustle.
Strange. I just bought The Friction Project book and he says to put friction in your learning.
That's cool, I'll have to check it out
Don't get me wrong, I loved the video, and there were lots of nice insights. But is it your table or the shelf that is crooked?
I think the camera is a degree crooked but I have since changed the angle so it's good now
And Seneca would also commend your closing statement because, as you well know, “Men learn as they teach”
The Greeks knew it well
If I understand a single book on pharmacology my life is made
This is how things were done before the internet & smart phones. If you grew up in that world, the present day culture of education seems like decay, while the culture of yesterday seems like a golden age. Average scholars from the 70’s and 80’s & even the 90’s (to say nothing of the 50’s & 60’s) would move like learned geniuses in today’s decadent environment. Please observe: it’s common that high school students today may have never learned from a text book in their entire lives.
I like taking notes in notebooks and making small notes in my books as I read, but I don't really write reflections. That sounds like something that would help me remember what I've read more. Could you please do a video with a flip-through and/or breakdown of your notebook notes?
I’ve noticed you have to do a bit of both. I lived amongst hermits only studying the small set of wisdoms provided through the Dao de jing.
Today I am a fellow at a very prestigious humanistic institution curating and re-reading inmense volumes of medieval latin scripta.
I am equally happy with the amount of input and my ideas are only, lets say, different.
This might not apply to all of yall noobs and virgins since I am peak level Boddisatva only opting for the samsaric realm to reach the optimal level of smugness. Begginers mind baby😅
i'm gonna make chatgpt summary of this
I think you read the book by Sönke Ahrens, the zettelkasten principal I am just reading it too.
Applying the criteria of this video to itself, for it turned out that about 3-4 minutes had most of the bang for the buck. I would really like to see a scenario where carrying around my notes on say, the Crusades would be beneficial. What I’ve observed is that ppl will spend more time 1) deciding which digital app to use 2) endlessly tweaking said app 3) debating which note taking method is superior.
If you use your notes for writing/study, it's nice to have them all online. Those are all valid problems too, but with simple fixes.
I used to love tinkering with computers, electronics, etc. until I became an engineer and got paid to do what I loved. Now I look for things that take me away from technology/online as much as possible. I do spend an awful lot on pens and stationery tho lol
Be a planet: use both!
I'm a slow reader, like really slow, I'd spend more than a few minutes on a single page sometimes. I've always felt behind for that, classmates finishing novels in a few days, hitting monthly book goals, tracking in goodread etc. On the other hand, I'm not academically lacking because of it at all. I'm not here trying to say oh you're lacking all the nuances in the single words overanalyzing every sentence, standing morally superior to people who read faster, I'm just saying you'll have to be clear on what you want from the book, interact with it.
Do I want to be entertained and immersed in a story, missing details here and there but not interrupting the flow? Great, read as fast as you can.
Do I want to understand every sentence, look up every word and go through all footnotes but lacking the bigger picture and not getting into a flow of reading? Sure do that.
It's being true and not lying to yourself when you expect to discover great insights by glossing over and thinking, of course I've understood that.
Also, different people have different strengths. Some books may ask of you to blaze through it (maybe even the writer blazed through writing it). While other books are layered a thousand layers deep which require heavy analyzation to get below the surface. I'm a slow reader too. It's not that the "quick books" are bad, sometimes in creation you have a grand idea and you've just got to get it out before you lose it. But maybe we can play to our strengths and pick up the layered books a little easier than others might find?
That's true -everyone has different goals and to ciriticise their intention behind how they read makes no sense. What matters is they *know* how to get what they want in the first place.
i cant watch the video cause the camera is tilted
I’m the speedster
this validated my approach :) thank you
Much appreciated
I really appreciate your honest content. it is nice to take in some honest tips that are raw
Thanks man
Also, I love how your videos are so dense in content
Thanks, don't want to waste anyone's time after all. Good luck on the pharmacology, doesn't sound easy..
Constantly feeling overwhelmed with wanting to change and improve has made me not progress at all. I really needed this video to kinda lean back and reflect upon my objectives and how to get there. Thanks for the content!
I've always thought that pages that sell summaries of books are only good for one thing: when you want to take a first glance at the book before starting to read it, or when you have finished it and want to check if you got the main ideas.
I agree, that's a fair way to use them.
Why do you speak so much facts ???!
huh???
@@jmsl_910 sorry if it sounds rude, it was a compliment
Great video and message. I have come to realize my brain will become “full” if I try to cram too much new content into it too quickly. I’m sure we’ve all hit that wall where you read the same paragraph 3 times and none of the words make sense (semantic satiation). That’s when I know it’s time to take a break and review what I’ve read thus far, usually in the chronological order I read it to help cement the ideas “into place”.
I’ll also use physical books in addition to digital copies/kindle epubs. I’m able to write notes in the margins but I find it slows down my reading speed. Ebooks are great for speed reading and keeping my ADHD brain active by constantly scrolling down and keeping the next paragraph near the top of the screen.
Thanks, and I didn't know there was a term for that. Cool stuff
Does anyone mind telling me the books on the left side? especially the ones behind “how to read a book” it’s got ‘read’ on it’s title
That one is the intelligent readers guide to reading. The rest are How to Read and Why, How to Take Smart Notes, 1984, some of Euripides' plays, 12 rules for life, Albert Camus' main ones and Italo Calvino too
@@odysseas__ Thank you for your attention sir! keep up the good work
@@mRain123 No worries, wishing you well too