Journey to become well read?

[Daydreamer]

I've been a bookworm since I was a kid, always reading fantasy novels and science encyclopedias about marine life. However, ever since I got my phone and got addicted to the accursed apps of social media, I've scarcely touched a book since then.

I've been interested in mystery novels and I want to read agatha chrissie's novels since she makes the best whodunnit novels. Jane austen also seems like a good author her books are also on my reading list. right now i'm gonna focus on finishing 'The alchemy of Happiness' by Ghazali and 'Outplayed: how game theory is used against us in our daily lives'
@Sophisticate @The alchemist do you guys got any recs on philosophy or any book you think benefitted you

 

[Do]

I like to read articles from The Conversation, it's an Australian media outlet filled with opinion pieces strictly written by university-level academics on whatever's new and exciting, from politics to pop culture.

https://theconversation.com/au

It helped me get a handle of all of these fancy-schmancy intellectual topics in a shorter amount of time than reading several long-form books that delve too deeply into unfamiliar topics that would have intimidated me and left me more overwhelmed than I was at the start. If I'm particularly interested in something, then I start reading full books on whatever it is, forcing it isn't good imo

I apply the same principle when it comes to the Culture and History section here. Somali history/politics is still hard for me, so I read superficially on their respective Wikipedia/Britannica pages before logging back on, so I have a simple framework to navigate what the SSpot professors are teaching on here.

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[Omar del Sur]

I love reading also and I've been into it since I was a kid but I really urge people... if you want to be well read... of course I can't control what you do or whatever... but I really urge focusing on Arabic. you already know English. if you know English and you read something in English- where is the challenge?

I really urge ppl not emphasize much the English books... and focus on Arabic.

I myself am trying to learn Arabic, I'm not all the way there yet... but what they have in English is nothing compared to what they have in Arabic.

so if someone spends their life reading all the stuff that's in English... this is nothing as compared with what you can read in Arabic. I think it's reading in Arabic that's the real accomplishment.

 

[The alchemist]

I was never a bookworm growing up, maybe only reading one book exclusively outside school until my adulthood.

I am going to demystify the learning process by telling you that learning has ups and downs, and it is supposed to be challenging.

In terms of philosophy, you can start anywhere. If you want to know about any topic of Western philosophy and the respective philosophers you can Google search and write "Standford article" after. They usually have the core ideas written down, and from there you can expand upon them in greater depth if you want to get books.

 

[NidarNidar]

I love reading sci-fi/fantasy books, I am currently reading The Way of Kings by Brendan Sanderson, and I highly recommend it.

 

[Do]

POV: The smartest SSpot user finds your post 'Informative'

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[The alchemist]

POV: The smartest SSpot user finds your post 'Informative'
View attachment 325685

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

You're doing too much. I am a man with plenty of ignorance similar to the next man.

 

[Apostle]

I've been a bookworm since I was a kid, always reading fantasy novels and science encyclopedias about marine life. However, ever since I got my phone and got addicted to the accursed apps of social media, I've scarcely touched a book since then.

I've been interested in mystery novels and I want to read agatha chrissie's novels since she makes the best whodunnit novels. Jane austen also seems like a good author her books are also on my reading list. right now i'm gonna focus on finishing 'The alchemy of Happiness' by Ghazali and 'Outplayed: how game theory is used against us in our daily lives'
@Sophisticate @The alchemist do you guys got any recs on philosophy or any book you think benefitted you

Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[DR OSMAN]

I always sleep with audio books. But it's better to read legit books and increase your knowledge then waste it on the internet full of commercialized rubbish. Do you know .com is business domain? I want to expend my energy where the return in benefits is greater. Your not getting any return on investment reading online crap.

 

[Tiyeglow]

Sources of information & 'enlightenment': Books > Articles & Papers > Audiobooks > Podcasts > Newspapers (specifically high brow ones, someone with self-respect doesn't go near Daily Mail) > Tiktok (lowest form of intellectual medium in existence imo, its only rival being Instagram but at least that isn't quoted as a source nearly as much as TikTok).

 

[abdi_]

I empathise with you, I was very much the same. As a kid I used to love reading Wikipedia pages on historical figures but in my case, video games slowly seeped into every waking hour of my teen years. We are fortunate in that, at least we did not succumb to much worse vices.

I would say make reading convenient for you. Right now, the "apps" are extremely convenient for you, so do the same for reading. It wont be easy and you will naturally have a revolting reaction against it. It may turn out to be a straight forward process or as it was in my case, a long dragged out engineering process.

I am almost always in front of a PC, whether it's at work, home or at my aunts but when I "had" to read I was doing it just like it is passed on to everyone else; paperback in bed. This made it feel like a chore, something I had to do and to put away, to never think about until I had to do it again.

So I resolved to integrate it in to my daily life. Now I have my own reading and note taking system that I am very happy, it is easily accessible and searchable, which is something I did not like about paperback books

So in short: Make it convenient for you, and if you had to go further understand what makes being on your phone so coinvent and sabotage it, certainly do not seek to make it any more convenient for you..

Another thing as well, a lot of people do want to read but they really set themselves up for failure, they choose the most dry, life sucking genres to get "into reading", which is of course some lame self help book.

Pick a novel, something light and interesting. Something that you will be reflecting on throughout your day and will make you want to come back to it. Heck, it could be the latest slop like Martins Game of thrones.

Also, if you are the extroverted kind, seek out reading groups. Its nice to have others to talk to about a characters motive, the authors intention etc and they will keep you accountable to a common task.

Jane Austin is as good as a starter as any. Good luck.