Chapter Content
Okay, so, like, learning to really love reading, that's...that's a game changer. I mean, with the right guidance and just, you know, cultivating that love, the sky's the limit. We're living in, like, this amazing time where, basically, any book, any knowledge, it's all right there at our fingertips. It's, like, we have so many ways to learn. The thing we're missing is just, like, that burning desire to actually learn, you know?
Reading was my first love, seriously. I remember being at my grandparents' house in India. My grandpa, he only had *Reader's Digest*. And I'd just lie on the floor and, you know, just devour every single *Reader's Digest* he had. Now, we're in this era of, like, information overload, you know? Anyone can read anything, anytime. But back then, reading was way more limited. So I'd read comic books, storybooks, whatever I could get my hands on, really.
I've always been super into reading, and, honestly, I think it's because I'm kind of an introvert. I'm not the most social person, and I just like being at home with a book. From a really young age, I was just, like, totally immersed in the world of language and ideas. And part of why I love reading, too, is because I had a pretty relaxed upbringing. No one was forcing me to read specific stuff, you know?
Parents and teachers, they often, like, steer kids towards certain books or away from others. I mean, some of the stuff I read as a kid? By today's standards, it would probably be considered complete junk, you know? But whatever.
So, read what you love until you, like, *love* reading.
The only reason to read should be because you enjoy it. No other reason needed. Don't make it a chore. Just read because it's fun, you know?
Lately, I've been rereading a lot of books, actually spending more time rereading than reading new stuff. I saw this tweet that said, "I don't want to read all the books, I just want to read 100 good books over and over again." And I was like, "That makes total sense!" Finding those good books for *you* is key, 'cause everyone's different. You'll get so much out of it, honestly.
Don't try to race through books, either. The better the book, the slower you should read it, you know, to really soak it all in.
I don't know about you, but my attention span is, like, terrible. I skim, I speed-read, I skip around, and I don't even remember specific passages or details. But, you know, it doesn't really matter. The important thing is that, on some deeper level, I'm absorbing the essence of the book. It becomes, like, a thread in the tapestry of my mind, woven into my soul.
I bet you've had that feeling where you pick up a book and you're like, "Oh, this is really interesting, really good stuff." And then, as you keep reading, you get this sense of, like, *deja vu*. And halfway through, you realize, "Wait a minute, I've already read this!" But, hey, it's okay. If you've forgotten most of it, that just means you're ready to read it again, right?
I don't, like, deeply read a ton of books. I skim a lot, but there are only a few that I really dive into. And those few form the foundation of my knowledge, you know?
Actually, I don't read as much as people think. I probably read an hour or two a day, which, you know, is enough to put me in the top, like, 0.00001% of readers worldwide. And reading is where all my success, both material and spiritual, comes from. Most people don't read for an hour a day. The average person probably reads for, like, a minute a day, maybe less. Making reading a habit is the most important thing.
The subject matter doesn't really matter, either. Eventually, you'll follow your interests and you'll end up reading a ton. And your life will get so much better because of it. It's like, the best exercise is the exercise you enjoy and can do every day. Same goes for books, blogs, Twitter, anything with ideas, information, or learning. The best reading is what you enjoy and can't put down, you know?
You're never wasting time if you have a book in your hand. That's so true.
Everyone's brain works differently. Some people like taking notes. My notebook is Twitter, basically. I read constantly, a lot. And when I come across something that's, like, a real "aha!" moment, something that's insightful or brilliant, I share it on Twitter. But to fit it into a tweet, I have to, like, really think about the wording. I end up trying to distill it down into a concise little saying. Then, of course, you get all sorts of people jumping down your throat, taking your tweet out of context, and just generally being angry. And I'm like, "Why do I even tweet? I never learn!"
Pointing out the obvious flaws in someone's argument? That just means either they're not smart, or *you're* not smart. Think about that for a second.
When you pick up a book, do you, like, browse through it first, find the interesting parts? Or do you just flip to a random page and start reading? How do *you* read?
I start from the beginning, but I read fast. If it's not interesting, I skip around or flip through the rest of it. If the first chapter doesn't have something substantial or insightful, something that grabs me, I'll put it down. Or I'll skip ahead a few chapters and start in the middle.
I don't believe in "delayed gratification" when it comes to reading. Reading a book you hate is just painful. Why bother? There are so many books out there. So many good ones. If you don't like it, just drop it and move on.
Tracking how many books you read? That's just vanity. The more you know, the more independent your thinking becomes, and the more books you realize you *won't* finish. Don't focus on reading a certain number of books. Focus on new concepts that can help you predict future trends.
Generally, I skim and skip around, looking for sections that grab my attention. Most books have a central argument (I'm talking about nonfiction, not novels). The author makes a point, then they use tons of examples to support their argument, and then they use their argument to explain all sorts of things in the world. Once I feel like I understand the argument, I stop reading. There are a lot of those books. I call them pop-science bestsellers. People will ask me, "Have you read this book?" I always say yes, even though I might have only read two chapters. But I get the gist of it.
If a book was written just to make money, don't bother reading it.
How do you process, absorb, and integrate the information you get from reading?
Teach what you learn to others. You learn by teaching, you know?
The difference between people isn't "educated" and "uneducated." It's "loves to read" and "doesn't love to read."
If you want to become a clearer, more independent thinker, what can you do in the next 60 days?
Read the classics in math, science, and philosophy. Don't read bestsellers. Don't watch the news. Avoid any so-called "book clubs." Avoid seeking validation from any community. Put truth above community approval.
Learn logic and math. Once you understand logic and math, you won't be intimidated by any book, honestly.
No book in the library should intimidate you, whether it's math, physics, electrical engineering, sociology, or economics. You shouldn't be afraid to read anything on the shelf. Some of it might be a little hard, but that's okay. Just keep reading it, over and over again, whenever you get the chance.
The confusion you feel when you're reading is like the muscle soreness you feel after working out. Reading is exercising your mental muscles. Exercising is exercising your physical muscles. Learn how to read books, really.
The problem with just saying "Don't think too much, just read" is that there's so much garbage out there now, you know? Not all writers are good. A lot of people put out a lot of crap.
I've met people who seem to have read everything, who have tons of knowledge, but they're not really that wise. And that's because they read a lot of the wrong stuff, in the wrong order. They started their reading journey with things that didn't have much substance or truth, and those things became the foundation of their worldview. So, when new things come along, they judge those ideas based on that foundation. And their judgment isn't very insightful, obviously. So, building a solid foundation for your reading is super important.
Most people have a natural fear of math. They can't independently assess data. So, when they come across ideas that are supported by math or pseudoscience, they tend to overestimate the value of those ideas.
Building a high-quality reading foundation is crucial. That's how you can stand tall, go far, and better distinguish between truth, falsehood, good, and bad.
The best way to build a good foundation? Stick to science, stick to basic theories (you might not like that answer, but that's the truth). Generally, there aren't many undisputed truths, but math is one of them. There's very little disagreement in math. Almost no one disagrees that 2 + 2 = 4, right? Math is a very rigorous discipline, and it can provide a solid foundation for your reading.
Likewise, natural sciences and microeconomics can also provide a solid foundation. Once you get away from that solid foundation, that's when you run into trouble, because you'll have a hard time telling what's true. I try my best to build a solid foundation for my reading.
Being good at arithmetic and geometry is way more useful than getting into advanced math. So, I recommend spending more time reading microeconomics β start with an introductory course.
Another approach is to read original works and classics. If you're interested in evolution, read Darwin's work first. Don't start with Richard Dawkins (even though I think he's great). Read Darwin first, then Dawkins.
If you want to learn macroeconomics, start with Adam Smith, von Mises, or Hayek. Start with the earliest economic philosophers. If you're into communism or socialism, you can start with Karl Marx's works. Don't read interpretations or commentaries. Those are just other people telling you how you should do things, how the world should work.
With a foundation of original works and classics, you'll gain a complete worldview and a deep understanding. You won't be intimidated by any book. You can start your own learning journey. If you can become a perpetual learning machine, you'll never lack ways to make money. You'll have the ability to understand the essence of social phenomena. You'll find where the real value and needs are, and then you'll keep up with the times through learning.
To think clearly, you need to understand the basics. If you just memorize complex concepts without being able to integrate them, without being able to apply them, then no matter how much you remember, you're clueless.
We're in the age of Twitter and Facebook. We get these fragmented bits of wisdom that are really hard to absorb. Reading is really hard for modern people because our brains have been trained in a specific way. Our brains are being trained in two conflicting ways, actually.
On the one hand, our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter because there's just so much information coming at us. We want to skim quickly, summarize the key points, and get straight to the point.
Twitter has hurt my reading ability, but it's greatly improved my writing ability.
On the other hand, we're taught from a young age that you have to finish one book before you start another. Books are sacred. In school, your teacher gives you a book and you *have* to finish it. Over time, we forget how to read. Everyone I know is stuck on some book. They have a hard time starting the next one.
I bet you're stuck on some page in some book right now, and you feel like you should finish it. What do you do? You might just stop reading altogether.
For me, giving up on reading would be a tragedy. Reading was with me all the way growing up. After I was an adult I got into blogging, and later, Twitter and Facebook. Then I realized I wasn't learning anything online. Every day online I was just eating dopamine snacks, each snack being 140 characters. All I was doing was tweeting, and then seeing who retweeted me. It was fun and interesting, but it was just a game.
That's when I realized I had to go back to reading.
I knew it would be hard to go back to reading, because my brain had been trained to just spend time on Facebook, Twitter, and other fragmented content.
So, I came up with a trick. I started treating books like collections of blog posts or tweets. That way, I didn't *have* to finish the book. If someone mentions a book to me, I buy it. Now I read, like, 10 or 20 books at the same time. I skim them, I devour them.
If part of the book is a little boring, I skip it. Sometimes I start reading in the middle of a book, because some passage catches my eye. And then, I read as much as I want. I don't feel like I have to read it from cover to cover. Suddenly, books were back in my reading treasure chest. It was amazing, because books contain ancient wisdom.
When you're solving problems, the older the problem, the longer the solution has existed.
If you want to learn to drive a car or fly a plane, you should read some modern guides, because that problem originated in modern society, and modern society can provide good solutions.
But if it's an old problem, like how to stay healthy, how to stay calm and peaceful, what value system is good, how to run a good family, things like that, then the old solutions might be better.
Any book that's been around for two thousand years has been vetted and filtered by many generations. The general principles in it are more likely to be correct. I want to start reading books like that again.
Do you ever have a song stuck in your head that you just can't get rid of? That's a memory trace. All thoughts are really the result of memory traces. So, choose your reading material carefully.
A calm mind, a healthy body, a loving home. These things can't be bought with money. You have to work for them.