This is all so true!! I've been a life long reader, I sometimes get caught up in the asthetic of reading, due to following certain booktubers. In the last year or so I've started to go back to the simplicity of just reading for the sake of reading. It has been so wonderful to rediscover my love of reading and not pay attention to the weather outside matching the book, the perfect cozy afternoon to open a book, or reading a book because it got some rave reviews, not necessarily because I want to actually read it in the first place.
I’ll talk about this in the next video but the same happened to me too. I was so burnt out after writing my Honor’s thesis that it took a long time to re-develop my inner reading compass and return to reading for the sake of it. Now I’m just happy that I get to read every day and love every second of it.
@@RCWaldun I'm glad! This seems like a common problem. It makes sense. Any time you're forced to do something you used to love, it becomes a chore. I'm glad you've found the love of it again!
@RCWaldun my husband was the same way, he completed a grueling master's program and did not read then. It's wonderful when you rediscover reading for joy again, like reconnecting with am old friend!!
Totally agree! Reading is pretty simple if you think about it. Just open a book and, well...read. But all those people romanticising reading makes it harder than it is. You need your perfect shelf, your perfect reading spot and cute little annotating tools. And you need to read 100 books a year to be a real reader... All of this made reading pretty hard for me because I always wanted to romanticise is like the people on bookstagram, booktok etc. I think it's time to go back to "vintage" reading. Just sit down, open a book and read.
You see, this is very weird to me, because I had/have this exact problem with video games. Yes, its not something that will always make you a better person, its entertainment mostly, but I've been doing it for as long as I can remember, and I love it, so I try to play the latest games, try to get better at the ones that have an online rank, etc. But I never got caught up in the reading whirlwind that is booktube/booktok, because I read to get AWAY from video game youtube discourse and work, so I just pick whatever I find cool, and most of the time I won't read two books in the same genre back to back (unless its a series). That got me to read a lot of different stuff, and I love it. I will never be the person to finish 50-100+ books a year, but I'll make sure that the ones that I choose will be what I want to read.
But that is the irony of actual learning / reading : it makes you feel dumb and stupid and confused, when it's actually making you smarter, sharper, and surer. (And I like how you brought up working out, cause it's actually the perfect example: a good workout makes you feel weak, when it's actually making you stronger).
When I discovered booktube, I was excited to expand my reading hobby to watching bookish content and soon picked up habits like annotation, making tbr lists and setting reading goals. The notion of living like a reader and looking like a reader really attracted me. It's funny how my entire life I have been one but now after turning my hobby into a perfomance of sorts and immensing myself in the aesthetic, I became a reader. Or not really because I actually stopped reading books and spent my time watching booktubers and scrolling through instagram posts about books. I only needed to pick up a book and just read but I got caught in the aesthetic.
I love how you compared the habit of gym with the habit of reading. I am currently getting back into the gym to help me gain the habit of reading again. This was a great video. Thank you!
Just yesterday I was conversing with my husband, and we were thinking about ways to get bored more often. He thought it would help us go towards doing more meaningful things and even improving our relationship. And this video is the cherry on top of that idea. I relate completely to the scenario you described (that makes people quit meaningful things rather quickly). I want it to be perfect, and then when it’s not, I give up entirely. You’re making me think that I do need to indulge more on this feeling of boredom and frustration, and accepting that I’m supposed to feeling this way often, so that those good days can, from time to time, appear.
Earlier, when i went to the gym after a long time I would always feel energized but by the end of the month I would've lost all motivation, and i was left looking for that inspiration that came upon me in the first place. Same with reading, i read a lot and after a while I'd quit. But the point here is, neither gym nor reading is the ultimate goal of the day, it's a part of the day and though the importance varies, it is a part still. And if you want it to be a habit you have to stop treating it like it's the ultimate thing of a day. The key to consistency is making it a habit rather than treating it as a colossal goal of the day. Been a while since you posted a video like this Robin! Loved it! Miss these ones!
THIS! You just summarized my next video maybe you should run this channel. 😂 Thanks man! Made the decision to go back to what makes my heart sing after a few years of doing what didn’t work. Glad it worked!
Many other things to do that have priority and you lack dicipline. Back when my computer broke I had nothing to do so I read the entire day weeks straight.
Robin, you may not know how helpful you’re to me. I finally got a rational person on the internet that makes my use of social media productive + quenching my thirst of knowledge and lessons.
I've been off my reading lately and just today picked back up "Beyond the Pyramids, Travels in Egypt." I was two chapters in when the weeks got away from me. I decided today to just plop in my chair by the window and read for pleasure. I'm so enjoying Kennedy's ironic humor and turns of phrase that make following his travels and meet-ups so engaging. This video hit home for me. Btw, I think I'll take a walk for pleasure tomorrow. Maybe I'll jump back on my fitness one small bit at a time. Cheers
love love love this guy. your videos are very informative and cozy. he's interesting, funny and entertaining. may the Lord be with him and his art, keep him safe and protected in Jesus name amen.
I think I was still in my undergrads when I started following you and I just completed my Master's this year... it's been a long time and I've seen how your thoughts and ideas have evolved with the passing years... it's amazing. P. S. You scared me off Derrida
The video u did a while back on reading books slowly rly positively impacted me, I don’t race through big classic anymore, I read a little a day and it’s so much better
Yeah you have a really good points - firstly I've been following you for a while and think your content has vastly improved, this format is great! I've found that other than visual - I am kind of overly focused on collecting books. Specifically ebooks as they are so easy to download and add to a reader. I need to just read - my problem is I want to read EVERYTHING at once and flit between books. I don't see a problem with this but it takes away some of the gravity and I kinda don't always get to the end of a book.
Oh man I’ve struggled with this for the longest time, but then I realized that I was probably chasing the dopamine of starting something new rather than enjoying the book I’m reading. This is why I purposefully “under-read” everyday (if I feel like I want to read 30 pages I’ll do 25) in order to sustain my attention on one book at a time. Keen to talk about it in a new video!
This is something I've been processing for a while but have struggled to be able to put into words! Truly an enlightening discussion, despite being a new video format
you're legit my favorite YT channel. you bring me a peace i can't explain and i love reading while listening to you. you're amazing, my brother. keep on keeping on, will ya?
I’ve been a fan for years now and what you said is really spot on. I tend to read just a book a month or maybe 2 if one of the books is small, and I believe that’s a reasonable reading pace imo. Again lots of love from Egypt ❤️
I really enjoyed this video. The lighting looks great and the content seems to be just what I needed to hear. Keep making these wonderful videos. I hope you talk more about writing/ journaling, creative writing and you fountain pens as well. Thank you
Like the free-flowing style-but I’m a Romantic, in love with Spontaneity and Instinct, with what is natural and ‘the free play of the imagination’, so that is my bias; nonetheless, I think good speakers are lacking nowadays and it would be excellent if you could make yourself into (more of) one. Emerson wrote it best: “The vice of our public speaking that it has not _abandonment!_ … Every man should let out all the length of all the reins; should find or make a frank and hearty expression of what force and meaning is in him.”
Stendhals theory of cristallistion m8 be interesting here. He uses it to explain love in "de l'amour" i believe. In short: The symbol of cristallisation in his example is a twik in a salt mine. If left in the mine the twik gets covered by salt cristals. Now its more beautiful but you cannot see it for what it is anymore. Its more complicated than this ofc but this image stuck with me. Too often you see the cristals but not the real thing.
New to your channel. I think you’re a very effective and clear speaker. Your accent kinda reminds me of the “Standard American” accent - you have very nice enunciation and your voice sounds classic, in a great way. As for the point of your video, I agree with you and would like to share my weird story - it may be helpful to some. Get ready, this is about to be an essay, but I’d like to think it’s well worth it! I was actually taken out of public school to be homeschooled in 5th grade because of bullying, however, my mother was unable to educate me due to severe mental health issues. After a few years of floating around (due to a chaotic upbringing), I stumbled upon a subject I absolutely loved - psychology! I studied psychology everyday and never stopped, it truly fulfills me. My passion led me down a well-rounded path as well, eventually studying neuroscience and then chemistry, math, programming, etc. I felt like everything was interconnected and that I had all the time in the world to learn it, so I just learned out of pure passion and love. That was the best thing I ever did for my life - if I hadn’t studied any of those subjects, I would certainly not be alive today. What saved me from a practical standpoint, too, was that I got to dual-enrolling in a local community college in the last four years of my homeschooling. Through good performance, I made it to a nice R1 university with financial support. I graduated in May with a B.S. in Psychology and Statistics with five years of research experience, which I am very happy about! However, no story is perfect unless someone is hiding a lot… Which brings me to the downsides: I certainly faced a lot of struggles and experienced, I would say, more failures than average along the way. I never relied on deadlines or external evaluations, which is fantastic for building knowledge in a subject on your own. However, it is terrible for actually performing within an institutionalized setting. How ironic, right? Fortunately I’ve gotten slightly better at conforming over time, but I still struggle everyday with deadlines and being too… outside the norm, frankly. Yes, this is mainly because I was a child and never got to learn these things from a teacher or parent - but this leads to a greater point. I think that the journey of self-education is the purest pursuit of knowledge one can embark upon and it is worth the world to gift yourself the opportunity. However, there are certainly problems you will face when you get into the reaaalll “freethinker” territory, lol. People are ultimately going to judge you in accordance with their own world view, and sadly, it will rarely line up with perspective… Frankly, why would they align? Once you’ve been on this journey for long enough, it’s hard for the average person to understand you… but there are a good few who respect the path, too. The problem is with authority figures, i find… Often they seem to be confused (and likely jealous) by(/of) your intellectual freedom. I think it’s easy to see why. We can use academia as an example - if you aren’t relying upon an institution for acceptance and knowledge, you become a threat to those upholding it (not all, but many - you’ll never be truly alone). I’ve faced this my whole life, as the world is full of power struggles, so I’d like to warn anyone to brace for the pushback. All of that to say, the emotional and social aspects will be difficult but well worth the truth and liberation you find. Despite all odds, I’m still here doing what I love and taking graduate classes in psychology. I am preparing to apply for PhD programs and no matter what happens this year, I’ll never give up on my dream. Resilience and conviction, my friends. Godspeed!
this was really helpful thankyou also the new kind of video is nice didn't think i'd prefer it but actually i was way more focused on what you were saying instead of being distracted by transitions
What I’ve found works best for me is almost the opposite. Making myself do something every day has never worked for me. Giving myself the grace to recognize when I’m not in the mood and not guilting myself for skipping a day that has helped me so much. I read about 5 days a week, mostly on my lunch break. Some days I don’t read on my lunch break if I don’t feel like it. About once a week I try to dedicate a longer period of time to reading so that I don’t feel like I’m stuck on one book for too long. On the days where I do read for a long period of time, I do tend to romanticize it just a little bit since I am in the mood to read. This way takes me so much longer to read than when I was a kid and reading was my only hobby, but now I’m reading about 2 books a month when for years I read like 2-3 books a year. And I can keep other hobbies too and still enjoy reading
GReat video! In my opinion, I think the main question is "Why do you want to read consistently?" For exemple, for me reading fiction, really relaxes me. Allways. Not only that but it looks to me like a vacation. So i have 0 effort in reading, really effortless. It wasnt allways the case, when i was on school, i felt pressured to read, so, since i didnt have a good reason to read, i almost never read. To read we need a reason that we see as really benefitial to us, so in my opinion is the first think that we should looking for.
Getting comfortable with boredom is the biggest struggle for me right now. I can see how it prevents me from establishing so many healthy habits. But I'm glad to say I haven't stopped trying.
I have adhd and im really bad at being consistent. I'm getting back to reading and the easist way I've been finding to do it is TTS (text to speach, or audiobook if you have access). I'm really bad at reading comprehension after so many years without practicing it, I was such an avid reader as a preteen, and I'm really struggling now and a Young Adult. And what I'm doing is: I'm not going back to books I used to read, I'm trying to read stuff that I'm interested right now, I'm trying to improve foward, not look back, (and I also don't like ya anymore, find it so annoying), and I'm not forcing myself to really understand the book, I'm just reading them. Put the TTS, while also reading the words (cuz I'm bad at auditory processing) and I'm just reading. I was able to finish 3 books like this in a span of about a month (2 in the same week btw) after years of nothing, and I was able to comprehend most of what I read (mind you, I did not pick very hard books -was a cosy fantasy saphic romance, communist manifesto and another book on socialism in brazil that are very short just cuz those are subjects I'm interested in and know a little bit about, so I knew it wouldn't be a hassle to go throw them-). Now I'll start the next books, and I'll introduce note taking. I picked another "easier book", something I'm also interested in and doesn't feel like homework, Hank Green's 2nd novel, I read the first months ago, and that was the first book I read after so many years, then I took a break because I'm still a retail workee who has online college dutties, but I know Hank Green is able to save me again. I'm just doing this very slowly, it doesn't need to be pretty or optmize, I just want to have fun and learn. I'm trying to built this habit of reading and comprehension because I'm finishing college and I definitely didn't absorbed much, but I intent to study for concourses and you just need a big brain for that, and for now, I would say my brain is big, but full of unusual "fun facts" that are fun just for me
kinda true. I was myself going on in loop of thoughts about the same thing. I was facing a difficulty in my love life. And after a lot of looking into the topic I realized, the only thing killing everything in it is romanticism. Romanticism in love, in career about going into the office in your first day, etc etc. The list just can not stop. The further I go, the more I see is its the mind. The mind we have to control. Not exactly control, but to not react to every thought because our attention is the fuel. Its kinda not even our fault as such. We were fed into this loop by the marketing guys. The marketing guys had to do their job by letting us towards the wows and the limelight and the fantasies of (a job, a car, a love, anything.. you name it, there is already a fantasy there). I think I and we have lost the appetite to take some risk and get bored in the mundane life which actually used to be the "normal" life before eruption of mobile phones, social media and what not. I have personally taken this step to de-stimulate my mind, by using a dumb phone and by just looking at long videos and do things which actually matter and I feel like doing. Not just randomly scroll and go about doing things which I don't know why I am doing! Cheers mate.
This is an interesting video, I feel like I read a lot more than I do anything else and always feel that I should do other things as well. I never have a page aim and I certainly don't have I should of read more but wondering if I said 50/100 pages a day would give me a chance to do other things. I get that I am probably looking at this the wrong way but I think if my reading was more stringent that I would take more in and read deeper. I am not sure if that would be good for me as I feel I have other interests like movies, video games etc.
I've always felt that the training montage in popular cinema/TV is something that developing persons should not be exposed to early in life. It's probably just me. >.
Speed reading used to kill me. I would watch these videos on how to read 50,000 words a day and I would feel bad. Now I set a timer for 25 minutes. That will get me through 10 to 20 pages. And that is enough.
Well it seems you completely falsified what all you taught before, now you are directly turning to the passions you have. And i believe passions also changes with time for each human being.😅
I like this unedited version, more natural. So 1 chapter a day is what you're suggesting ? Also, do you recommend reading 1 book at a time or multiple, so focus is not all over.
So for gamers: stop building your godamn PC rig and start playing, or stop piling up games and wasting more time on your game room and freaking play.... a
This is all so true!! I've been a life long reader, I sometimes get caught up in the asthetic of reading, due to following certain booktubers. In the last year or so I've started to go back to the simplicity of just reading for the sake of reading. It has been so wonderful to rediscover my love of reading and not pay attention to the weather outside matching the book, the perfect cozy afternoon to open a book, or reading a book because it got some rave reviews, not necessarily because I want to actually read it in the first place.
I’ll talk about this in the next video but the same happened to me too. I was so burnt out after writing my Honor’s thesis that it took a long time to re-develop my inner reading compass and return to reading for the sake of it. Now I’m just happy that I get to read every day and love every second of it.
@@RCWaldun I'm glad! This seems like a common problem. It makes sense. Any time you're forced to do something you used to love, it becomes a chore. I'm glad you've found the love of it again!
@RCWaldun my husband was the same way, he completed a grueling master's program and did not read then. It's wonderful when you rediscover reading for joy again, like reconnecting with am old friend!!
Totally agree! Reading is pretty simple if you think about it. Just open a book and, well...read. But all those people romanticising reading makes it harder than it is. You need your perfect shelf, your perfect reading spot and cute little annotating tools. And you need to read 100 books a year to be a real reader... All of this made reading pretty hard for me because I always wanted to romanticise is like the people on bookstagram, booktok etc.
I think it's time to go back to "vintage" reading. Just sit down, open a book and read.
You see, this is very weird to me, because I had/have this exact problem with video games. Yes, its not something that will always make you a better person, its entertainment mostly, but I've been doing it for as long as I can remember, and I love it, so I try to play the latest games, try to get better at the ones that have an online rank, etc.
But I never got caught up in the reading whirlwind that is booktube/booktok, because I read to get AWAY from video game youtube discourse and work, so I just pick whatever I find cool, and most of the time I won't read two books in the same genre back to back (unless its a series). That got me to read a lot of different stuff, and I love it. I will never be the person to finish 50-100+ books a year, but I'll make sure that the ones that I choose will be what I want to read.
But that is the irony of actual learning / reading : it makes you feel dumb and stupid and confused, when it's actually making you smarter, sharper, and surer.
(And I like how you brought up working out, cause it's actually the perfect example: a good workout makes you feel weak, when it's actually making you stronger).
Well put. :)
Really good point, thanks.
But have you not ever felt like pure excellence, when you both feel able and are able. I have felt it a couple of times in my life.
When I discovered booktube, I was excited to expand my reading hobby to watching bookish content and soon picked up habits like annotation, making tbr lists and setting reading goals. The notion of living like a reader and looking like a reader really attracted me. It's funny how my entire life I have been one but now after turning my hobby into a perfomance of sorts and immensing myself in the aesthetic, I became a reader. Or not really because I actually stopped reading books and spent my time watching booktubers and scrolling through instagram posts about books. I only needed to pick up a book and just read but I got caught in the aesthetic.
I love how you compared the habit of gym with the habit of reading. I am currently getting back into the gym to help me gain the habit of reading again. This was a great video. Thank you!
It is one of the most obvious and cliched analogies for intellectual habit formation out there.
I like the stream of consciousness approach. We appreciate genuine creators here on YT :)
Just yesterday I was conversing with my husband, and we were thinking about ways to get bored more often. He thought it would help us go towards doing more meaningful things and even improving our relationship. And this video is the cherry on top of that idea. I relate completely to the scenario you described (that makes people quit meaningful things rather quickly). I want it to be perfect, and then when it’s not, I give up entirely. You’re making me think that I do need to indulge more on this feeling of boredom and frustration, and accepting that I’m supposed to feeling this way often, so that those good days can, from time to time, appear.
I always prefer less edited videos. It makes things feel less like you're being "read at" and more like a conversation with a real human.
I'm glad you keep your old videos up. Still a lot of value there. Love the improvements though.
Earlier, when i went to the gym after a long time I would always feel energized but by the end of the month I would've lost all motivation, and i was left looking for that inspiration that came upon me in the first place. Same with reading, i read a lot and after a while I'd quit. But the point here is, neither gym nor reading is the ultimate goal of the day, it's a part of the day and though the importance varies, it is a part still. And if you want it to be a habit you have to stop treating it like it's the ultimate thing of a day. The key to consistency is making it a habit rather than treating it as a colossal goal of the day.
Been a while since you posted a video like this Robin! Loved it! Miss these ones!
THIS! You just summarized my next video maybe you should run this channel. 😂
Thanks man! Made the decision to go back to what makes my heart sing after a few years of doing what didn’t work. Glad it worked!
@@RCWaldun Can't wait for that video 😂 Keep up the good work!
Many other things to do that have priority and you lack dicipline. Back when my computer broke I had nothing to do so I read the entire day weeks straight.
Robin, you may not know how helpful you’re to me. I finally got a rational person on the internet that makes my use of social media productive + quenching my thirst of knowledge and lessons.
I've been off my reading lately and just today picked back up "Beyond the Pyramids, Travels in Egypt." I was two chapters in when the weeks got away from me. I decided today to just plop in my chair by the window and read for pleasure. I'm so enjoying Kennedy's ironic humor and turns of phrase that make following his travels and meet-ups so engaging. This video hit home for me. Btw, I think I'll take a walk for pleasure tomorrow. Maybe I'll jump back on my fitness one small bit at a time. Cheers
Learned so much from your older youtubes! Nothing embarassing about them. Glad you are back.
love love love this guy. your videos are very informative and cozy. he's interesting, funny and entertaining. may the Lord be with him and his art, keep him safe and protected in Jesus name amen.
I think I was still in my undergrads when I started following you and I just completed my Master's this year... it's been a long time and I've seen how your thoughts and ideas have evolved with the passing years... it's amazing.
P. S. You scared me off Derrida
This video makes me feel so seen. No more words needed. Just, accurate.
Very wise ideas! Little consistent steps achieve big goals.
Yes back when you were quirky inquiry great to have this format back
The video u did a while back on reading books slowly rly positively impacted me, I don’t race through big classic anymore, I read a little a day and it’s so much better
Yeah you have a really good points - firstly I've been following you for a while and think your content has vastly improved, this format is great!
I've found that other than visual - I am kind of overly focused on collecting books. Specifically ebooks as they are so easy to download and add to a reader. I need to just read - my problem is I want to read EVERYTHING at once and flit between books. I don't see a problem with this but it takes away some of the gravity and I kinda don't always get to the end of a book.
Oh man I’ve struggled with this for the longest time, but then I realized that I was probably chasing the dopamine of starting something new rather than enjoying the book I’m reading. This is why I purposefully “under-read” everyday (if I feel like I want to read 30 pages I’ll do 25) in order to sustain my attention on one book at a time. Keen to talk about it in a new video!
This is something I've been processing for a while but have struggled to be able to put into words! Truly an enlightening discussion, despite being a new video format
Like the long takes so much more in general, so appreciate you trying to take this approach more.
Thank you for this video! It was really nice to watch a video with its unedited version, it felt like a nice and cozy conversation.
you're legit my favorite YT channel. you bring me a peace i can't explain and i love reading while listening to you. you're amazing, my brother. keep on keeping on, will ya?
You should focus on your reading. Not doing other stuff at the same time
@@samiier3324 you should mind your own damn business.
The video everyone needed. Like the new style and your ideas for the future.
Robin Waldun veteran here! I believe you got into undergrad a year after me and I’ve been following you ever since.
Keep up this uncensored sharing, coming
I’ve been a fan for years now and what you said is really spot on. I tend to read just a book a month or maybe 2 if one of the books is small, and I believe that’s a reasonable reading pace imo. Again lots of love from Egypt ❤️
I really enjoyed this video. The lighting looks great and the content seems to be just what I needed to hear. Keep making these wonderful videos. I hope you talk more about writing/ journaling, creative writing and you fountain pens as well. Thank you
Like the free-flowing style-but I’m a Romantic, in love with Spontaneity and Instinct, with what is natural and ‘the free play of the imagination’, so that is my bias; nonetheless, I think good speakers are lacking nowadays and it would be excellent if you could make yourself into (more of) one.
Emerson wrote it best: “The vice of our public speaking that it has not _abandonment!_ … Every man should let out all the length of all the reins; should find or make a frank and hearty expression of what force and meaning is in him.”
Oh also would love to see this format of video talking about reading retention soon !
Stendhals theory of cristallistion m8 be interesting here. He uses it to explain love in "de l'amour" i believe. In short: The symbol of cristallisation in his example is a twik in a salt mine. If left in the mine the twik gets covered by salt cristals. Now its more beautiful but you cannot see it for what it is anymore. Its more complicated than this ofc but this image stuck with me. Too often you see the cristals but not the real thing.
Noted, thanks! :)
This is explained so well, thank you so much :)!!!!
Love this new way of making videos! :)
New to your channel. I think you’re a very effective and clear speaker. Your accent kinda reminds me of the “Standard American” accent - you have very nice enunciation and your voice sounds classic, in a great way. As for the point of your video, I agree with you and would like to share my weird story - it may be helpful to some. Get ready, this is about to be an essay, but I’d like to think it’s well worth it!
I was actually taken out of public school to be homeschooled in 5th grade because of bullying, however, my mother was unable to educate me due to severe mental health issues. After a few years of floating around (due to a chaotic upbringing), I stumbled upon a subject I absolutely loved - psychology! I studied psychology everyday and never stopped, it truly fulfills me. My passion led me down a well-rounded path as well, eventually studying neuroscience and then chemistry, math, programming, etc. I felt like everything was interconnected and that I had all the time in the world to learn it, so I just learned out of pure passion and love. That was the best thing I ever did for my life - if I hadn’t studied any of those subjects, I would certainly not be alive today.
What saved me from a practical standpoint, too, was that I got to dual-enrolling in a local community college in the last four years of my homeschooling. Through good performance, I made it to a nice R1 university with financial support. I graduated in May with a B.S. in Psychology and Statistics with five years of research experience, which I am very happy about!
However, no story is perfect unless someone is hiding a lot… Which brings me to the downsides: I certainly faced a lot of struggles and experienced, I would say, more failures than average along the way. I never relied on deadlines or external evaluations, which is fantastic for building knowledge in a subject on your own. However, it is terrible for actually performing within an institutionalized setting. How ironic, right? Fortunately I’ve gotten slightly better at conforming over time, but I still struggle everyday with deadlines and being too… outside the norm, frankly. Yes, this is mainly because I was a child and never got to learn these things from a teacher or parent - but this leads to a greater point.
I think that the journey of self-education is the purest pursuit of knowledge one can embark upon and it is worth the world to gift yourself the opportunity. However, there are certainly problems you will face when you get into the reaaalll “freethinker” territory, lol. People are ultimately going to judge you in accordance with their own world view, and sadly, it will rarely line up with perspective… Frankly, why would they align? Once you’ve been on this journey for long enough, it’s hard for the average person to understand you… but there are a good few who respect the path, too. The problem is with authority figures, i find… Often they seem to be confused (and likely jealous) by(/of) your intellectual freedom. I think it’s easy to see why. We can use academia as an example - if you aren’t relying upon an institution for acceptance and knowledge, you become a threat to those upholding it (not all, but many - you’ll never be truly alone). I’ve faced this my whole life, as the world is full of power struggles, so I’d like to warn anyone to brace for the pushback.
All of that to say, the emotional and social aspects will be difficult but well worth the truth and liberation you find. Despite all odds, I’m still here doing what I love and taking graduate classes in psychology. I am preparing to apply for PhD programs and no matter what happens this year, I’ll never give up on my dream. Resilience and conviction, my friends. Godspeed!
Great content as always Robin. Keep up the good work. Love from UK.
I saw someone that looked like you during my trip to Australia. Reminded me about this channel. Great to see another video :)
this was really helpful thankyou
also the new kind of video is nice
didn't think i'd prefer it but actually i was way more focused on what you were saying instead of being distracted by transitions
Glad that the new format worked. :)
What I’ve found works best for me is almost the opposite. Making myself do something every day has never worked for me. Giving myself the grace to recognize when I’m not in the mood and not guilting myself for skipping a day that has helped me so much. I read about 5 days a week, mostly on my lunch break. Some days I don’t read on my lunch break if I don’t feel like it. About once a week I try to dedicate a longer period of time to reading so that I don’t feel like I’m stuck on one book for too long. On the days where I do read for a long period of time, I do tend to romanticize it just a little bit since I am in the mood to read. This way takes me so much longer to read than when I was a kid and reading was my only hobby, but now I’m reading about 2 books a month when for years I read like 2-3 books a year. And I can keep other hobbies too and still enjoy reading
GReat video!
In my opinion, I think the main question is "Why do you want to read consistently?" For exemple, for me reading fiction, really relaxes me. Allways. Not only that but it looks to me like a vacation. So i have 0 effort in reading, really effortless.
It wasnt allways the case, when i was on school, i felt pressured to read, so, since i didnt have a good reason to read, i almost never read.
To read we need a reason that we see as really benefitial to us, so in my opinion is the first think that we should looking for.
You should take a look at ISATT's work, wich is basically a group of academics that research self-study and the education related stuff.
Getting comfortable with boredom is the biggest struggle for me right now. I can see how it prevents me from establishing so many healthy habits. But I'm glad to say I haven't stopped trying.
I have adhd and im really bad at being consistent. I'm getting back to reading and the easist way I've been finding to do it is TTS (text to speach, or audiobook if you have access). I'm really bad at reading comprehension after so many years without practicing it, I was such an avid reader as a preteen, and I'm really struggling now and a Young Adult.
And what I'm doing is: I'm not going back to books I used to read, I'm trying to read stuff that I'm interested right now, I'm trying to improve foward, not look back, (and I also don't like ya anymore, find it so annoying), and I'm not forcing myself to really understand the book, I'm just reading them. Put the TTS, while also reading the words (cuz I'm bad at auditory processing) and I'm just reading.
I was able to finish 3 books like this in a span of about a month (2 in the same week btw) after years of nothing, and I was able to comprehend most of what I read (mind you, I did not pick very hard books -was a cosy fantasy saphic romance, communist manifesto and another book on socialism in brazil that are very short just cuz those are subjects I'm interested in and know a little bit about, so I knew it wouldn't be a hassle to go throw them-).
Now I'll start the next books, and I'll introduce note taking. I picked another "easier book", something I'm also interested in and doesn't feel like homework, Hank Green's 2nd novel, I read the first months ago, and that was the first book I read after so many years, then I took a break because I'm still a retail workee who has online college dutties, but I know Hank Green is able to save me again.
I'm just doing this very slowly, it doesn't need to be pretty or optmize, I just want to have fun and learn.
I'm trying to built this habit of reading and comprehension because I'm finishing college and I definitely didn't absorbed much, but I intent to study for concourses and you just need a big brain for that, and for now, I would say my brain is big, but full of unusual "fun facts" that are fun just for me
hola mi amigo-today I had to retire our moniker but still it was fun; thanks !!
I borrowed so money books due to romanticizing the idea of reading, now I understand.
kinda true. I was myself going on in loop of thoughts about the same thing. I was facing a difficulty in my love life. And after a lot of looking into the topic I realized, the only thing killing everything in it is romanticism. Romanticism in love, in career about going into the office in your first day, etc etc. The list just can not stop. The further I go, the more I see is its the mind. The mind we have to control. Not exactly control, but to not react to every thought because our attention is the fuel. Its kinda not even our fault as such. We were fed into this loop by the marketing guys. The marketing guys had to do their job by letting us towards the wows and the limelight and the fantasies of (a job, a car, a love, anything.. you name it, there is already a fantasy there). I think I and we have lost the appetite to take some risk and get bored in the mundane life which actually used to be the "normal" life before eruption of mobile phones, social media and what not. I have personally taken this step to de-stimulate my mind, by using a dumb phone and by just looking at long videos and do things which actually matter and I feel like doing. Not just randomly scroll and go about doing things which I don't know why I am doing! Cheers mate.
We waited for SOOO LONG
I'm back!
Wow that's a bummer. Was my comment deleted? I worked hard on that.
Took u long enough!❤❤❤
in fairness last time i read a book was about 3 years, angron: slave of nuceria, from primarch series
Great vid Robin
People will first die of thirst while chasing a mirage
This was so helpful ❤
This is an interesting video, I feel like I read a lot more than I do anything else and always feel that I should do other things as well. I never have a page aim and I certainly don't have I should of read more but wondering if I said 50/100 pages a day would give me a chance to do other things. I get that I am probably looking at this the wrong way but I think if my reading was more stringent that I would take more in and read deeper. I am not sure if that would be good for me as I feel I have other interests like movies, video games etc.
Do make more videos like this
I’ve another one already lined up!
I've always felt that the training montage in popular cinema/TV is something that developing persons should not be exposed to early in life. It's probably just me. >.
Speed reading used to kill me. I would watch these videos on how to read 50,000 words a day and I would feel bad.
Now I set a timer for 25 minutes. That will get me through 10 to 20 pages. And that is enough.
GTSU again!
Well it seems you completely falsified what all you taught before, now you are directly turning to the passions you have. And i believe passions also changes with time for each human being.😅
I like this unedited version, more natural. So 1 chapter a day is what you're suggesting ? Also, do you recommend reading 1 book at a time or multiple, so focus is not all over.
Happy to share my daily routine in the next video and I’ll keep your question in mind.
30 pages a day is A LOT to me 😭
Hell it ain't even this shit. Read for joy
This could've been a 5 minute video max. Wtf
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
So for gamers: stop building your godamn PC rig and start playing, or stop piling up games and wasting more time on your game room and freaking play.... a
No. Sometimes you need to romanticize the process in order to fall in love with it.
What you are saying is not the point of the video. It's when romanticizing it becomes your focus instead of just a way