When I read fiction, i don't see words, i watch a movie inside my head. Non fiction books are different though. I always imagine myself sitting in a classroom and Dumbledore is teaching the content of the books to me. Weird but work wonders
I love these perspectives!!! And was thinking the same about reading non-fic. The tip he gave about reading 'with your eyes' instead of having an internal monologue sounds just like watching a movie!
@@andrewbond8187 Well you need nutrients for the brain, and that nutrient is giving the brain books to read expanding knowledge for the brain, making it grow. Just like how you need food to grow.
As a kid, I used to have multiple books on the go at a time and I felt like people constantly told me that was really weird, so I stopped. As an adult (also diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in recent years), I constantly was struggling to get through books UNTIL I decided to go back to having multi books on the go again. I realized it was not that I didn't want to read, it was that I didn't want to read THAT book right NOW. So having like 6 books on my nightstand (of different flavors and genres) means I can grab whichever one I'm in the mood to read. Doing it like this, I went from struggling to get through mayyybe 5-9 books a year if I was lucky and the books were short, to now this year I'm already up to 16 books and it's not even September. Absolute game changer and I wish I'd never listened to the people who said reading more than one book at a time was weird!
This is quite helpful cos I do the same thing. And no I've never been diagnosed with ADHD or anything for that matter. Some of us just have brains that move at kilometres per hour
Personal summary: - Cut the inner monologue - Read with the finger - Don't keep reading a book u don't like - Schedule your reading time - make a habit of it - Read more than one book at a time - Use the stuff u read
Good stuff! Thanks! I’m not sure how many I’ve read so far... maybe 7? My absolute favorite was “The Choice” by Dr. Edith Eva Eger... I really think most people who find you interesting would like it. Because of that book, I’m now reading Viktor Frankl’s Man’s search for meaning... wow! I’ve got 2 or 3 others (lighter reads) on the side!
1) what helped me read more often and/or have more fun while reading is stop sticking to chapters. especially with fiction i used to think when i put down the book i have to end at the end of a chapter so i would always check how many pages are left in the chapter and then get really demotivated and frustrated if it’s a lot. but then i stopped caring about the chapters and stopped reading whenever i felt like it 2) for remembering information from non-fiction books: tell people about what you read. especially with complicated concepts you’ll notice if you understood it when explaining it to someone else who doesn’t know have a clue about it
I don't know what happens to people who wants to "memorize" the book. For me, the best thing that may happen is forget a book. I forget it and I can read it again, as it was new again. Bang! A new free book. You save money and enjoy it all again.
@mansvini totally agree with you. This is how one can enjoy reading. Additionally just summarise the chapter in couple of lines and write a key takeaway. Distil what you read.
@Onouphrios I don't want to apply anything, I just want to enjoy the book. If you forget it, probably that wasn't very useful anyway. Don't worry about it
I have a notebook where I write down phrases and paragraphs of the books I read that I find interesting or just beautifully written. That`s something I really do come back to after I finished a book and I absolutely love my already 100 handwritten pages full of random citations.
most people "don't like" reading because they were forced to read books they didn't like at school. The moment people start reading books about things they're actually interested in then.... bam, they become a serious reader
That's actually very true for me. I thought reading was stupid because I thought every book that I read in school is the same, boring. But how wrong I was after I discovered some beautifully written books with a great story and a great world building. I'm a reader now and I strive to read more than last year. I'm happy I discovered books. Like, in a proper way.
It happened to all of us, as kids we were programmed in our back then fragile minds to hate books and stuff we didn’t like to read. Which is why most of us don’t read now or dislike the idea of reading. It’s all mental.
@@bianquita1 I used to read 3-4 thick books a month as a child. After school, where they forced me to read things I didn't like, I stopped reading completely for 5 years. Only now I'm slowly overcoming it and getting back into reading.
One more thing to add : There is no rule like you cant read a book twice. Most of the time you'll get better understanding when you read the book second time, which also increases to remember ideas in the book.
Thank you for this comment! Sometimes I read the book again and my perspective the second time is completely different as compared to the previous time.
When I was 14-15, I used to read around 60-70 books a year. Now I am 20, and I got into watching good movies and TV series. Watched this video, gonna start reading again. Reading is a good habit. Thanks, Mark Manson!
@@norbertdikany9753 yes, you find new words that u never seen before and try to use them in your regular life. Remember be yourself. Dont try to look smarter. Also you are more interesting to talk to than some person who only reads them when someone tells him. Be YOU.
For those of us with children (more than one complex growing human you are responsible for) I “highlight” heavily since as the kids grow up and start actually picking out books from papa’s library ….. they note “hmmm papa found that interesting” and that’s an amazing ❤moment ………. Further no one is guaranteed tomorrow ………. I am so content I’ve been highlighting all my books for the past 25 years ……. they will speak to my children on my behalf in some distant future 📚 ……….. lastly I enjoy your content very much 😊 lightens my day
My thought exactly. I read a lot of books I hated as it was required reading for my college degrees. But for pleasure reading, I’m 100 pages into this and I hate it. Good bye literary adventure I can do without!
The ''no need for highlighting '' smashed me! I started like 2 months ago reading and taking notes like Ryan Holiday(notecards) and you make me second guess the way I have read every book until now!
Thank you for sharing! As someone with ADHD, I've been following every one of these tips my entire life but felt kinda guilty about them because I thought I was doing it wrong. I listened to the weirdos who said I had to read each word aloud in my head, highlight, take notes, read every page of every book, and not to start another book until I finish with the one I'm currently reading. I prefer reading 3-4 books at once, skimming through the bullshit, slowing down for the parts that matter, and not commit to the books I don’t like.
I thought the exact same thing. If I ever become an English/Literature teacher or professor, I think I'd employ that rule for my students - let them choose what's interesting, and if they start to lose interest, see why, and find if something else will strike their interest. Co-operate and focus on getting them toENJOY reading - instead of trying to dissect every little thing. Get the main principles of the book first, the main story, and choose to analyze it after.
@@goodstudd2972 this is not a realistic goal. There are strict rules for literature teachers, you can't just break them because the books are "boring".
If you really want to learn but don't like reading then set a discussion with people who are knowledgeable about the subject and ask them the right questions. It's better than relying only on your own understanding.
True and false at the same time. You don’t search for things you don’t know exists, and everyone is very ignorant in things were he doesn’t know shit. Reading will keep you a sense of how much you don’t know, so you will be better at knowing when you feel confident that you shouldn’t. This is basically story of humanity till like 200 years ago, “yeah, we have already figured out how the world works and what to do, why bother Looking if it really works out in reality.” Well, obviously that is stupid and wrong
fun fact, if you speak multiple languages you have to train yourself to turn off the inner monologue with each individual language; I speak 3 languages, no inner monologue with my mother tongue but the other 2 definitely needs training.
How do you keep the information you read without the inner monologue? I really struggle with that even in my native language, words just seem to vanish from my mind the moment I go to the next line, and I can't remember what I just read...
That’s true, I find it extremely difficult to turn off my inner monologue. It’s not simple. I don’t know how long it may take for me to do that but maybe it won’t ever turn off as I am still learning more languages
Reading 2 books at the same time really works for me! I’ve been doing it since I started loving books because I both love reading fiction and nonfiction. It really helped me read more than sticking into 1 book at a time.
I do the same thing. I'm always bouncing between podcasts, books, articles etc. I find that a variety of ideas and opinions helps to keep my mind open.
I’m pretty notorious for bouncing between a few books. It’s not a problem as long as I don’t let too much time pass before picking up a particular book. Then I have to start from the beginning since I may have forgotten certain details that may be crucial in understanding what is going on. Probably not as important with non fiction but in fiction I feel you could forget key plot points or characters.
I used to read Mark's books during 2017-2018. I never thought that he could become a youtuber. Now that he is, I must confess that his videos are as insightful and as unique as his books.
So you’re saying authors don’t like libraries? I doubt that. Most authors get the ideas they write about from the library. Not many people can afford to BUY every book they want to read.
As an author I like people to read my books. It doesn't matter if they buy them or not. Of course it's helpful for the author, but if a person likes what I wrote next time they see my name on a book they might be willing to actually buy the book. I usually end up buying the book, if I really liked it, because I want it as part of my collection.
I do not have anything against skipping, but you cannot say you have read a book when you actually read some chapters... It is like saying you watched a movie when you just watched the trial.
Just found your channel! Thank you so much for questioning the importance of finishing a book. I'm trying to impart the love of reading to my kids and I'm haunted by the traditional public school mentality to finish reading what you have started. We should read for interest. Not every book is worth finishing. Just take the pearls of wisdom and insights and move on.
It’s obvious but worth saying: you get better at reading by reading. Don’t give up if you’re slow and poor at it to start. It’s true for the short and long term. In one sitting you will settle into a book after 15 minutes or so and find it easier from there. And like any skill in the long term simply reading every day will show huge improvement. I used to be a horrible reader now I have months where I do two or three a week. Keep at it
You don't need to read fast, I used to hate reading because our education system thinks that you need to be reading at a certain speed. It wasn't until I decided to read on my own at my own pace without pressure of a book report or assignment that I really started enjoying it. I would give book reports on books I had already taken my time to read and they were perfect.
Why do ppl care about it? Fuck it read with the inner monologue is part of the reading process to understand and interpret the caracter feelings to make it enjoyable and to like the time you spent reading. I hate those tips that “teach how to read more” you don’t need that. Read 6 book a year dgf is about the quality you’ve spent on it and the connection. Like when a caracter you really like died so you stop and process and feel the pain is part of the process. Reading shouldn’t be about the amount of books you’ve read. But how cool they were. Sometimes I’ve spent two weeks reading a 200 pages book because it was dense and amazing so I needed to read carefully and more then once so I could understand properly and the writing style was amazing I’ve been analyzing the phasal formation and just be there with my mouth open about the crazy genius that was and sometimes I’ve spent 2 days reading a book with a 400 pages. Everything depends on the type of book you are reading, your intentions as a reader and the type of literature you like. Don’t fall for that shit. If ppl want to read because “that’s good for you” it won’t work ppl read because they enjoy the process and don’t care abou the time spent. Just like getting into the gym you want to go to the gym bc you want a certain type of body not because you like physical activity so… guess what. You quit bc that won’t work because you are doin it for the wrong reason.
@@gabrielstalindo7567 Some people like me know that there's a lot of information and knowledge to be imparted on the internet. Thus they find ways to make it quicker. Most of the people looking for how to read faster are most likely also watching videos at 2x, 3x speed.
I've read 65 books so far this year! My goal was 52 but smashed that by July. I have a full time job and exercise around an hour or more per day, do normal life/social things and am still able to make time. If it's a priority, then you will have time for it. Maybe not 80 books a year, but give yourself the goal to read 1 a month, then 2 a month and so on. That's how I did it.
The inner monologue is important when reading fiction I find, both during dialogue and when reading a narration of events or places, as an inner voice can really add to the beauty of the story you are experiencing, almost letting you enter the story yourself.
Man. I was surprised by that point. I read action Fantasy novels and love this inner voice of mine in the process. I kindaa never realised I can turn it off. I tried it in comments here and it seems to take considerable effort. I am gonna put in the effort but I ain't sure it will work on those education books I am planning to read that have great depth and wisdom in each sentence. Edit: also, I am surprised how less this topic is talked about in comments here.
So guys, I was trying to bypass/compress this voice but found myself kindaa unable to do so. It seems this voice is necessary for me to actually understand what I am reading. I also measured my reading speed. If you don't know, average is 250words per minute. 150 is considered slow. etc. My result was .. somewhat less than 150. English isn't my first language but I plan on start reading a lot. Any suggestions please?
I'm a bit of a daydreamer and love to imagine scenes as I'm reading fiction, or even how the characters must feel. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the story, but it is slow. Sometimes I get stuck on one page for ages if the scene is particularly complex. So I totally get why, if your aim is to read faster, you should suppress this habit. For me I end up doing it for every book, and every page within it, and that's why it takes me forever to read anything!
I kinda have always been reading with an inner monologue...if it's books, boards, exam papers... i triedn to read without it and it feels like i am just overflowing the parts
When I read without my inner voice, I read faster but I can't understand anything Edit: thank you for the likes peeps! I'm reading Twilight series rn by stephanie meyer and yeah, couldn't just off my inner voice because i'm reading fiction. Tho i'm trying to lessin it when i'm reading acad papers
It’s not enjoyable either . I’ve always been a good reader , but the super speed doesn’t apply to all the genres . Some require absorbing the sounds , the meaning takes meditation on what you’re reading , etc.
Yeah the inner voice is called “subvocalization” and most reading gurus and shit will tell you to suppress it but it’s BS. Don’t do it. You obviously don’t have to sound stuff out like a child but subvocalization helps you process the info and follow the ideas.
Just dont subvocalize words like "and", "or", "I" and subvocalize difficult words. That should help you reduce your subvocalization but you will still understand the text.
My goal for this year was to read 12 books. It's only mid-Aug and I've read 14 books this year! I'm really proud of myself because I haven't finished a book in years and I managed to achieve this during my exam seasons. Now I bloody love reading and am sad I wasted all those years.
Im a diagnosed dyslexic, I’ve always struggled massively with reading. I watched this video on Saturday (it’s now Monday) and now I’m starting to think I’m not dyslexic and that just nobody ever taught me to read properly 😂 I’m actually not even joking. My last measured reading speed was about 63wpm. I stopped sounding everything out in my head on Saturday after watching this video and I’ve just read two chapters in half an hour. This is mind blowing to me. Life changing even. It usually takes me 1-2 months to read a full book / not just because of speed but because I get tired quickly. I feel like I could read a book in a week at the moment. I actually think my comprehension is better as well. This is wild like I honestly can’t thank you enough for this video. Seriously, thank you so so much.
I have read cira 50 books this year. I wish I could read at least 100 books. I had a goal of 35 at the start of the year. Goals for 2024!! Thanks for sharing this video, Mark. This is the second time I am watching it!
When I read fast I just feel like I'm not reading properly and that I'm just getting a gist of what the writer wants to say. Thus, me thinking I'm not getting all of the content makes me panicky and anxious.
Yep,same here. Most of the time I read classical works and while those are mentally draining and painfully slow to go through, its worth the effort even though I can only manage 10+ of those books per year.
Note taking is actually a wonderful way to retain what you've read. Specifically, hand written notes. I recommend looking up common place books or the Zettelkasten. The truck is to take effective notes, and that's all about contemplation, not copying the information. It's no different than having a conversation with yourself.
I agree, only need few sentences per page - if this is a basic summary of the content you are having to process the information and you naturally are better at remembering it. I did this on a book on the crusades and it made me probably enjoy the book more. Yep works for me.
Yea compression of information with notes is not even that difficult, I think of it as having a personal summariser; it's not a summary of the book, it's a summary of the books imprint on your mind and the journey of reading it. (almost) Everyone intuitively hates the idea of reading 20 books and not being able to say anything at all about them, in my opinion it is either laziness or its own form of 'look I'm powering through all these books, I won't tell people at parties but I could if I wasn't afraid of appearing uncool'
exactly thats what I did for university. I would read through the main areas and try to understand the concepts first instead of copying word for word (which is so useless as a practice), then try to paraphrase and explain what I learnt in my own words. If im struggling to write down those notes, then I haven't understood what I have read. so read again to understand and then try writing again. for this reason I was able to actually remember things which was super helpful for presentations where I could just have bullet points to jog my memory of something (like cognitive shifting) and then ramble on about that point.
I know I have a bad memory. What helped me score really high marks in school and overall remember what I read was just reading the source material multiple times. You keep coming back to it and you understand it better and deeper. You connect to it better as well. I did not make notes, and I did not highlight shit the same thing that Mark says. You just need to read and read and read. It is habit, it is making your brain familiar so that your thoughts can go deeper as you start to understand things better. It is the same as exercising your muscles. You will understand each muscle better and in depth the more you exercise them. As simple as that. But thank you Mark for giving my way of studying and reading validation. I thought I was some weird guy with a problem and this is how I solved it. Thank you!
It's called subvocalizing and the recommendation to eliminate it to increase reading speed has been around for decades. Manson is merely repackaging it without identifying this fact to make you think he came up with it. His one innovation is to say f*ck while telling you about it. Google "speed reading subvocalization" and read all about it. Also keep in mind that completely stopping subvocalization is probably not all it's cracked up to be, for various reasons.
pretty much this, when I pay 20-30 bucks for a book I gonna read not only the highly interesting parts, but also the medium ones, only the ultra crap gets skipped what is opinionated.
being honest with myself... I Read a whole book that I didn't like just to see how much patience can I have until I finishing the whole book, just to think I had discipline or someshit. after this video, I don't think I'll ever want to do that shit again, it's torture. I want to read for fun and to learn and If I see it repeats itself over and over I'll just skip it and say "guess what, I know what this book is about and I already finished it" and just move on.
Wow More than me. I don’t read a lot, but I want to read at least read a book once a month. If I like the story I don’t want it to end so I take my time. Lol
@@P4fashion I get you, happened to me a few months ago while reading a novel by Sidney Sheldon "Tell me Your Dreams", it was amazing, totally drowned into it
I wouldn't ditch inner monologue completely. It's necessary in critical reading, where you really need to reflect on not just the paragraph or the sentence, but on a single important word therein that could determine the proper or precise understanding of a sentence or even an entire paragraph. Cutting inner monologue might work with novels or some books, but it's definitely crucial in certain materials that require critical reading i.e. law or certain sciences or social sciences
No, cutting the inner monologue will make you not understand everything completely. It doesn't work for me. I think doing it is killing a natural part of you. Specifically, the brain.
@@NottMacRuairi So glad someone mentioned something like this. I tried to reduce the prevalence of my inner monologue and lost pretty much all reading comprehension. Felt like a complete moron
I'm glad it's not just me. I'm a voracious reader, but I absolutely need that inner monologue. For me, I learned to speed it up so I don't always finish saying a word in my head, but I read enough to know the word and understand how it fits in that sentence
One more tip: *It's ok to take a break from reading.* Sometimes it's best to just take a week to watch shitty tv and youtube, then come back to reading with a refreshing reminder of how much better books are.
Absolutely. I actually stepped back from reading when I felt like I was doing it as an obligation. The break took 2 years and now I'm back, more excited for reading as I've ever been.
I grew up in a household with books and dictionaries and it drove me mad that my dad always looked things up when we were discussing something. Now I’m 55 and I do the same, both on internet and find info in all the books I have. And my friends call me and ask about things they could google themselves on subjects I might or might not know about anything about. But, it triggers my curiosity and I find the info they want and learn in the process. When I ask them why they ask me when they could do it themselves they reply that I find relevant and trustworthy information faster. And I do the same when it comes to some questions that I want the answer to and I know that some of my friends have more expertise than most. Some of my teachers is school emphasized the importance of knowing where and how to find information and being able to assessing accuracy over learning stuff by heart. And also going back and fact check and read newer developments on things I “know”. That has stayed with me and is a way of approaching life. Always curious, always learning and relearning.
I think that this is more for books that he chooses to read. If you have books that you have to read, you can't always skip them. You may be able to read other stuff when you tire of the content of the book you hate. In addition, the more you read, likely the faster you will read and you will be able to get through that book you hate quicker.
I installed goodreads and went for a challenge of 48 books this year. So far I’ve read 9 and I’m 6 behind schedule... but I’m reading 4 at a time easily.
I want to say that not always cut the inner monologue is a good choice. If you read really hard nonfiction book and you want to all thinks from this book being stored in your mind the inner monologue helps not only understand better, but if you do monologue about what you read after reading, it helps to remember things.
I agree with so much of what you said, except the highlight/underline part. I agree that its doesn't help me magically recall the material BUT its super helpful for when I go back to a book and want to remember what I thought, or felt, or what stuck out when I was originally immersed in the author's argument. When I've read books and don't underline/annotate and I need to go back to them, I find I have to reread large bits just to jog my memory about the flow of thought. But instead, if I need to go back and grab a book, I can see what my previous self considered significant or worth noting.
I absolutely love the inner monologue while reading great fiction. It's so much more immersive, especially reading (or hearing in your head?) dialogue in a way that fits the character and situation. I don't know if I'm the only one doing this, but if there's something like a person holding their breath and pausing for a moment, I will actually stop reading for the amount of time, before I continue with the next sentence. If a person is talking very slowly, I will read it slowly, if a person is all antsy, I will rush through. Or in hectic scenes I read faster and if everything's chill, I will go slower. If I'm reading to immerse myself into the world of the book and enjoy the atmosphere, taking everything in and literally watch a movie inside my head, I don't see any benefit in reading faster. It's like watching movies at 1.5 x because then I can watch more movies in one day. You can still understand the dialogue and follow the plot, so it's totally viable in theory. But who would want to do this? Only because it's more efficient?
Being an English language learner, I feel inner monologue not only helps in comprehension but also in better understanding of senetence structure with a bonus of better speaking skill
Yeah, when I find myself drifting off or losing focus on something I'm reading, I'll read it with that subtopics mentally for a paragraph until I feel back on track.
Same with dyslexia, it’s impossible to understand what’s written by just looking at the words. I used to think reading was something I’d never be able to enjoy, but through developing that inner voice it allowed me to make sense of the words and they stopped getting mixed around so much and I could actually comprehend what was written, and instead of just seeing the words it allows me to act out the scenes in my head and it becomes much more concrete.
I read 18 books this year so far. I wish I read 50 books. I have this thing that I should complete a book once I started, maybe I should not do that and mix in some fiction books in my reading list. This is an awesome video Mark. Thanks for sharing
I kind of disagree with the “highlighting is worthless” part, because highlighting a book doesn’t specifically mean: I am going back to the highlighted parts to remember the book. It increases your focus during reading and it had been a special way for me to read and actually understand and FEEL the book. After all, Great video !!! So many useful tips 👍🏻
Yeah, I'm getting used to read on kindle app, so highlighting is very easy, you can quickly change color and add notes, then see all of them together later
Damn this guy, taught me really how to read like an adult and not like a kid.. My parents or teachers didn't teach me all this, probably they don't know these themselves...
Reading is fun. That’s my number one personal discovery about books. That’s the idea that has motivated me to be a life-long reader. When I was a schoolboy I put my current book inside my school book and read my book as the class droned on. I had fun, and I’ve never regretted paying more attention to my book than to the schoolbook. The five tips Mark Manson has given us should become basic rules for all us bibliophiles, but let’s not forget the fun factor. BTW, I’ve read only about a dozen books this year cover-to cover, but I have bought 30 or more. If I don’t like a book I do stop reading it. Do not ever regret the money spent on books you haven’t read completely. Not everything in life turns out to our liking, just roll with it.
@@christianleifhold6013 not exactly the case for people rich enough to watch content like this which this is way above the basic needs. So, for people who watch this, it's more like "I am lazy motherfucker who don't want to read other pages". So yeah.
This was very helpful! I read 2-3 books a year, only when needed. This year I made a goal to read 21 books. I’ve gotten frustrated through the process and these tips will definitely help!
Yes! This makes me feel so much better! I have 5 books on the go and 1 of them I didn't want to finish, so now I realise, I don't have to!! How good is it when you let go of what you think you "must" do. I'm cheering
Love this! Reading more than one book at the same time also helps with retention (interleaving effect VS. blocked learning). Have been doing it for years with notable improvements in number of books read but also remembering what I've read!
Reading is the best thing that has happened to me (yes, I'm single). EDIT: F***! Never got so many likes. Keep it up, guys! We readers will rule over the world someday.
I watched this a year ago and completely forgot that I watched it! Half way through rewatching it, I had an “ahh ah” moment like wow I can tell what he’s gonna say next.
If you are talking about fiction, you need to read the whole book to say that you read it. The man said it in the video. You skip boring and repeating shit only in non-fiction. Also, you don't HAVE to say that you read a book lol. It's a massive flex, yes, but the main purpose of the book is to entertain/educate you.
Mina Urgan: You cut the watermelon. Look, rotten. Will you still eat that watermelon by force? After this sentence of my dear Fethi Naci, I decided to leave whatever I started where I didn't like it. The book and the person.
@@t111ran3 i feel like its more of a flex to say u read like over 80 books a year. Reading a book all the way through is much more of a personal choice for yourself.
I disagree. Its like a movie and song. Your mind skips around or recalls a cool lyric mid-song. Meaning you arent actively listening. Looking down in the movie theater to search for your popcorn and you miss 3-6seconds? and you do it multiple times? Laugh with your eyes closed, check your phone? You havent watched that movie. Just like going to the bathroom. I def see your point though. I just think its a bit more fluid than that
The first point about an inner monologue is, I've never felt like I have it reading English things, but after Mark mentioned it, I suddenly become hyper aware of it and I have to put down my book for now to just calm down and try not to think about it. How ironic.
When I read fiction I will enunciate every word in my head. I read fiction to chill and take my time to immerse myself into the story and savor the prose. I make up different voices for each of the characters and the narrator. They just add to the immersion and it's completely fine. For non-fiction though, I just skim through the texts.
@Iancarlo Cortez I get it and I agree with it by the way. I just don't think you should put in the pile a book that you read just 20%. Probably you will read more if you skip the "boring" ones, and it is fine. But if you just read 20% of Moby Dick, you can't say that you read it.
@@gstoaldo you totally got it! I seriously don't understand this obsession with speed and bragging about "how many books I've read" when clearly the term "read" is subjective and that's how you've got people "reading" 20% of a book, putting it aside, moving on to the next and keep counting. I ready in many different languages and need time to process what I read, so reading fast is something that never even crosses my mind. I'll take quality over quantity anytime.
@@gstoaldo you clearly did not pay attention to the video lol stop being obsessed with bragging how many books you read and think about what you can get from reading
Thank you Manson, this is the most useful video I’ve seen on how to read more. I’ve been reading like everybody else until one day I realized the number of unread books I’d bought had become too many, that I need a new strategy. Thanks for the tips especially not finishing the boring books.
The finger tip is really good one for reading faster! I personally find that I can only maintain reading two books at a time as opposed to three, I have one that I do as an audiobook through Libby for when I'm driving to and from work and one as a physical copy to wind down with at the end of the day.
You just shattered my preoccupations about reading. I've been normally ignoring inner voices that tortally same as your advices. Now I realized that I must follow your tips. Thanks for the video and great ideas.
I feel like people read their books from start to finish even if they don’t like it because they care less about the contents of the book, and more about being able to say they read another book
Additional tips (that at least worked for me): 1st For those who are a bit more conscious regarding the price and the general waste of accumulating books youd inevitably end up not liking or even reading, just make sure to buy the ones that you're certain youll find value in, if not, find a pdf first (there are a lot of "illegal" sites out there where you can get them for free) then if you like that book, buy the real copy so you can support the author. This leads to a bookshelf with books that you actually care about. 2nd Just copy-paste those lines/paragraphs/ideas that you really find valuable in a book and save them on your notes app. This gives your memory tiny anchors so when you want to remember what those particular books were about etc you could just read those small snippets you gathered while reading it. Its also more fun than just rereading the entire book after a few months because you've forgotten pretty much all of it. Hope this helps!
I've never watched any of your videos, but your realist approach about reading is something we need more of! People are so pretentious about reading sometimes when in reality it's like not that deep bro we're all humans lol.
Just when I started becoming an advent reader and I wanted to learn how to speed up my reading and keep the retention of what I read this drops into my RUclips feed. Defiantly going to try and implement them into my reading skills.
That's a good habit because that helps you to understand the contents better plus explaining anything to anyone will also improve your communication skills
Go for 50. If you’ve blown away 2020 from 4 that easily. I just discovered how fast I can read and retrain information. This is invaluable knowledge, which is only potential power.
WHY WAS THIS VIDEO THE MOST USEFUL THING I'VE LISTENED TO IN A LITERAL MONTH???!!! Man, thank you so much for your work! I want to get back into reading and your video has really, really helped! Hope you have a great day!!
When I read fiction, i don't see words, i watch a movie inside my head.
Non fiction books are different though. I always imagine myself sitting in a classroom and Dumbledore is teaching the content of the books to me. Weird but work wonders
I love these perspectives!!! And was thinking the same about reading non-fic. The tip he gave about reading 'with your eyes' instead of having an internal monologue sounds just like watching a movie!
😂😂 This is so weird, but fair play man ✌️
Sounds interesting!
Wow! I'll put this to work for non fiction
@Sebastian Smith If Snape's teaching, I'm going off sick 😅
1) Quiet the inner monologue
2) Read with your finger
3) Stop reading books you hate
4) Schedule time to read
5) Read more than one book at a time
Tq
tell no.3 to goddamn schools man
Ty for saving my time for reading.
Thank you🧚♀️
#4 alone will get you pretty far
“I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Great quote.
Wow, that's a good one.
Love that quote
The meals, obviously. To build the body nutrients are required.
@@andrewbond8187 Well you need nutrients for the brain, and that nutrient is giving the brain books to read expanding knowledge for the brain, making it grow. Just like how you need food to grow.
As a kid, I used to have multiple books on the go at a time and I felt like people constantly told me that was really weird, so I stopped. As an adult (also diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in recent years), I constantly was struggling to get through books UNTIL I decided to go back to having multi books on the go again. I realized it was not that I didn't want to read, it was that I didn't want to read THAT book right NOW. So having like 6 books on my nightstand (of different flavors and genres) means I can grab whichever one I'm in the mood to read. Doing it like this, I went from struggling to get through mayyybe 5-9 books a year if I was lucky and the books were short, to now this year I'm already up to 16 books and it's not even September. Absolute game changer and I wish I'd never listened to the people who said reading more than one book at a time was weird!
Ahh great idea. Thanks bunches 💐🎉
This happens to me too! Perhaps this is my traditional public school mentality, but shouldn't I finish what I read?
I don't have ADHD but I relate to this so hard
This is quite helpful cos I do the same thing. And no I've never been diagnosed with ADHD or anything for that matter. Some of us just have brains that move at kilometres per hour
Yep! Same here🤓
How to become a better reader: stop watching RUclips videos about reading and just pick up one of those 25 books you bought last week.
Dang u rly got me there
I dont have any money, i dont whant to touch any boogers.
I'm in this comment and I don't like it
@@nicospeaks4646 how did you get into this comment
@@iforget6940 magic
Personal summary:
- Cut the inner monologue
- Read with the finger
- Don't keep reading a book u don't like
- Schedule your reading time - make a habit of it
- Read more than one book at a time
- Use the stuff u read
Good stuff! Thanks! I’m not sure how many I’ve read so far... maybe 7? My absolute favorite was “The Choice” by Dr. Edith Eva Eger... I really think most people who find you interesting would like it. Because of that book, I’m now reading Viktor Frankl’s Man’s search for meaning... wow! I’ve got 2 or 3 others (lighter reads) on the side!
Thanks
There is a deep irony present within this comment.
“Don’t read a book that is not dense with information and keeps repeating itself” repeated for 5 minutes.
Thanks for saving me 12 min
Went from never reading a book for myself to finishing 5 of them this year alone. I’m planning to double it in 2021
That’s awesome!
same
congratsss
Good work!!
Amazing 🌹
1) what helped me read more often and/or have more fun while reading is stop sticking to chapters. especially with fiction i used to think when i put down the book i have to end at the end of a chapter so i would always check how many pages are left in the chapter and then get really demotivated and frustrated if it’s a lot. but then i stopped caring about the chapters and stopped reading whenever i felt like it
2) for remembering information from non-fiction books: tell people about what you read. especially with complicated concepts you’ll notice if you understood it when explaining it to someone else who doesn’t know have a clue about it
Love these tips!
Read slow, reflect and internalise. No need to remember every word, just make it make sense for you.
As long as you can visualize the words !!!
I don't know what happens to people who wants to "memorize" the book. For me, the best thing that may happen is forget a book. I forget it and I can read it again, as it was new again. Bang! A new free book. You save money and enjoy it all again.
@mansvini totally agree with you. This is how one can enjoy reading.
Additionally just summarise the chapter in couple of lines and write a key takeaway. Distil what you read.
@Onouphrios I don't want to apply anything, I just want to enjoy the book. If you forget it, probably that wasn't very useful anyway. Don't worry about it
It's hard when you have a school deadline so reading slow isn't an option 😔
I have a notebook where I write down phrases and paragraphs of the books I read that I find interesting or just beautifully written. That`s something I really do come back to after I finished a book and I absolutely love my already 100 handwritten pages full of random citations.
That's actually a really good idea. Will adopt this habit. Thanks!
This is dope
Yeah I’m gonna implement this 💯
You’re a fucking genius
Love it!
most people "don't like" reading because they were forced to read books they didn't like at school. The moment people start reading books about things they're actually interested in then.... bam, they become a serious reader
Yeah, but if you weren't forced to read certain books, how would you know what you like or dislike?
That's actually very true for me. I thought reading was stupid because I thought every book that I read in school is the same, boring. But how wrong I was after I discovered some beautifully written books with a great story and a great world building. I'm a reader now and I strive to read more than last year. I'm happy I discovered books. Like, in a proper way.
Yup, that's my case
It happened to all of us, as kids we were programmed in our back then fragile minds to hate books and stuff we didn’t like to read. Which is why most of us don’t read now or dislike the idea of reading. It’s all mental.
@@bianquita1 I used to read 3-4 thick books a month as a child. After school, where they forced me to read things I didn't like, I stopped reading completely for 5 years. Only now I'm slowly overcoming it and getting back into reading.
I cant turn my inner monologue off, anyone else struggling as well?
Me too
I can't. Please how can i
Try doing a sound in your mind like "nnnn" so you dont waste time repeating and completing words you already read
@@Andy_sls This is really helpful!
Concentrate on your breathin , it helps me
One more thing to add : There is no rule like you cant read a book twice. Most of the time you'll get better understanding when you read the book second time, which also increases to remember ideas in the book.
I agree with this! I have a lot of books that I love and it felt like I was watching a movie, Im definitely not gonna never watch that movie again!
I agree. I’ve read countless playboy magazines numerous times.
There's far more value in read a great book many times. Especially, when compared to reading many poor books.
True
Thank you for this comment! Sometimes I read the book again and my perspective the second time is completely different as compared to the previous time.
When I was 14-15, I used to read around 60-70 books a year.
Now I am 20, and I got into watching good movies and TV series.
Watched this video, gonna start reading again.
Reading is a good habit.
Thanks, Mark Manson!
couldn’t relate any more if i tried 😭 i miss reading
How do you guys think reading so many book changed yourself and your perspective on things
Same. I hate the fact that i don't read a lot as i was back then
@@norbertdikany9753 yes, you find new words that u never seen before and try to use them in your regular life. Remember be yourself. Dont try to look smarter.
Also you are more interesting to talk to than some person who only reads them when someone tells him. Be YOU.
Spider man into Spider verse 🤪
i became truck driver just to listen to audiobooks .. i love my job because of books
If this is true, this is very interesting lol
@@mibbyk1636 yea its true , most calming feeling in the world i become one with myself while driving and listening to books
Joseph Carstensen if you have a library card, you can rent audiobooks on an app called Libby!
@@josephcarstensen7450 try Audible. Helped me a lot. Not sure if they have free stuff though.
Lol read the War on Normal people by Andrew Yang
For those of us with children (more than one complex growing human you are responsible for) I “highlight” heavily since as the kids grow up and start actually picking out books from papa’s library ….. they note “hmmm papa found that interesting” and that’s an amazing ❤moment ………. Further no one is guaranteed tomorrow ………. I am so content I’ve been highlighting all my books for the past 25 years ……. they will speak to my children on my behalf in some distant future 📚 ……….. lastly I enjoy your content very much 😊 lightens my day
bro, if i read 2 books at the same time, i feel like im cheating on my characters from the 1st book
HHHHHHHHHHH relatable
YES
I don't read novels doh
Bro, If that is the case, I am a fucking professional cheater. I read 2-3 book at the same time, 10-13 anime at once and 2-3 tv shows.
Haha Lmao, its true what you said.. But I sometime, I read more than one book at the same time
You don't have to read 81 books a year. You just have to enjoy what you read.
You don't have to read 81 books or enjoy what you read. You just have to remember and apply what you read :)
@@hugolaan1563 true
@@hugolaan1563 no. Sakthi said right
And remember and apply what you read
🤝
"Don't read books you don't like"
But, that Bachelor's degree though...
Oh boy....
My thought exactly. I read a lot of books I hated as it was required reading for my college degrees. But for pleasure reading, I’m 100 pages into this and I hate it. Good bye literary adventure I can do without!
:)))
Ahahahahahaha
Hello literature books with way too old English a non-native English speaker is required to read. Thank God for cliff notes. #Beowulf
The ''no need for highlighting '' smashed me! I started like 2 months ago reading and taking notes like Ryan Holiday(notecards) and you make me second guess the way I have read every book until now!
did the Ryan holdiay method help u?
I just completed 50 books this year. And that's a lot compared to 5 last year... Covid was good for me...❤️
@@chillie000 letting a comment in case the answers appears in my youtube feed haha
@@jenesaisvraimentpasquoimet8473 well, good idea, lemme listen what would people say either hahaha
@@chillie000 haha we're waiting for a more developped answer!
I did 73, it was amazing 😊 COVID was good in terms of reading but everything else was... well not good.
❤❤❤
Thank you for sharing! As someone with ADHD, I've been following every one of these tips my entire life but felt kinda guilty about them because I thought I was doing it wrong. I listened to the weirdos who said I had to read each word aloud in my head, highlight, take notes, read every page of every book, and not to start another book until I finish with the one I'm currently reading. I prefer reading 3-4 books at once, skimming through the bullshit, slowing down for the parts that matter, and not commit to the books I don’t like.
Mark Manson: “Stop reading a book you don’t like”
Me: *proceeds to fail all my classes
I thought the exact same thing. If I ever become an English/Literature teacher or professor, I think I'd employ that rule for my students - let them choose what's interesting, and if they start to lose interest, see why, and find if something else will strike their interest. Co-operate and focus on getting them toENJOY reading - instead of trying to dissect every little thing. Get the main principles of the book first, the main story, and choose to analyze it after.
@@goodstudd2972 that would be really smart you can have a lot of really meaningful discussions over the books they actually liked
@@goodstudd2972 this is not a realistic goal. There are strict rules for literature teachers, you can't just break them because the books are "boring".
Why not? Go go Just break/bent rules, why not?
If you really want to learn but don't like reading then set a discussion with people who are knowledgeable about the subject and ask them the right questions. It's better than relying only on your own understanding.
it’s kinda crazy how nobody’s talking about Antozent, they are selling 250 self help books for the price of one
3.2k likes in 42 minutes? Not this time, Diddy.
Bot alert ⚠️
Not a bot
It’s a scam
Intelligence is not memorizing knowledge, intelligence is knowing where to find knowledge.
-Albert Einstein
RUclips 😎
@@Kritagya2007 maybe 😂
transactive memory c;
Love this.
True and false at the same time.
You don’t search for things you don’t know exists, and everyone is very ignorant in things were he doesn’t know shit.
Reading will keep you a sense of how much you don’t know, so you will be better at knowing when you feel confident that you shouldn’t.
This is basically story of humanity till like 200 years ago, “yeah, we have already figured out how the world works and what to do, why bother
Looking if it really works out in reality.”
Well, obviously that is stupid and wrong
fun fact, if you speak multiple languages you have to train yourself to turn off the inner monologue with each individual language; I speak 3 languages, no inner monologue with my mother tongue but the other 2 definitely needs training.
How do you keep the information you read without the inner monologue? I really struggle with that even in my native language, words just seem to vanish from my mind the moment I go to the next line, and I can't remember what I just read...
@@feliper.150 try to read slower, but without monologue
@@davidbai4218 Thanks, I'll try that out. But maybe I'm a slow reader afterall
That’s true, I find it extremely difficult to turn off my inner monologue. It’s not simple. I don’t know how long it may take for me to do that but maybe it won’t ever turn off as I am still learning more languages
@@feliper.150 i don’t even have an inner monologue and i still forget what i’ve just read. it sucks
Reading 2 books at the same time really works for me! I’ve been doing it since I started loving books because I both love reading fiction and nonfiction. It really helped me read more than sticking into 1 book at a time.
I do the same thing. I'm always bouncing between podcasts, books, articles etc. I find that a variety of ideas and opinions helps to keep my mind open.
I read 5 books at a time but they mess up in my head... So I don't really like it...
I’m pretty notorious for bouncing between a few books. It’s not a problem as long as I don’t let too much time pass before picking up a particular book. Then I have to start from the beginning since I may have forgotten certain details that may be crucial in understanding what is going on. Probably not as important with non fiction but in fiction I feel you could forget key plot points or characters.
I accidentally did this because I want to start a boom before I'd finished another.
And it was wonderful!
Now, time to read!
@@catherine0515
Cuz that is too much
I used to read Mark's books during 2017-2018. I never thought that he could become a youtuber. Now that he is, I must confess that his videos are as insightful and as unique as his books.
It’s not about how many books you go through , it’s about how many books go through you.
That ain't making no sense
@@SlouchyBike It does make sense. It's not about the number of books you read. It's about the impact the books made on your life.
Truth
@@SlouchyBike neither does your sentence
This felt like a slap to my face. Been trying to finish books I no longer have interest in just for the sake of finishing it. Ugh
Another tip: go to the library, that way if you don't like the book, you didn't waste any money (ppl that write books don't like this tip)
So you’re saying authors don’t like libraries? I doubt that. Most authors get the ideas they write about from the library. Not many people can afford to BUY every book they want to read.
@@scwinget8528 He said the author don't like that tip, not the library.
As an author I like people to read my books. It doesn't matter if they buy them or not. Of course it's helpful for the author, but if a person likes what I wrote next time they see my name on a book they might be willing to actually buy the book. I usually end up buying the book, if I really liked it, because I want it as part of my collection.
Apparently libraries pay more for the book than end-user would to compensate for the lost sales.
This what I was thinking when he dropped 81 books on the desk and said he didn’t even read half of it
"You don't have to read all of it - if it's shit, put it down." what a simple but liberating idea!
I do not have anything against skipping, but you cannot say you have read a book when you actually read some chapters... It is like saying you watched a movie when you just watched the trial.
Just found your channel! Thank you so much for questioning the importance of finishing a book. I'm trying to impart the love of reading to my kids and I'm haunted by the traditional public school mentality to finish reading what you have started. We should read for interest. Not every book is worth finishing. Just take the pearls of wisdom and insights and move on.
In summary: school has ruined everyone's reading experience
i 1000% agree. it takes all the fun out of reading
Totally!
Yep haven’t genuinely enjoyed a book since middle school and I’m about to graduate high school
Along with language learning and music...
yeah exactly, but I knew the answer to that one specific stock video footage was mitochondria :D
It’s obvious but worth saying: you get better at reading by reading. Don’t give up if you’re slow and poor at it to start. It’s true for the short and long term. In one sitting you will settle into a book after 15 minutes or so and find it easier from there. And like any skill in the long term simply reading every day will show huge improvement. I used to be a horrible reader now I have months where I do two or three a week. Keep at it
You don't need to read fast, I used to hate reading because our education system thinks that you need to be reading at a certain speed. It wasn't until I decided to read on my own at my own pace without pressure of a book report or assignment that I really started enjoying it. I would give book reports on books I had already taken my time to read and they were perfect.
Why do ppl care about it?
Fuck it read with the inner monologue is part of the reading process to understand and interpret the caracter feelings to make it enjoyable and to like the time you spent reading. I hate those tips that “teach how to read more” you don’t need that. Read 6 book a year dgf is about the quality you’ve spent on it and the connection. Like when a caracter you really like died so you stop and process and feel the pain is part of the process. Reading shouldn’t be about the amount of books you’ve read. But how cool they were. Sometimes I’ve spent two weeks reading a 200 pages book because it was dense and amazing so I needed to read carefully and more then once so I could understand properly and the writing style was amazing I’ve been analyzing the phasal formation and just be there with my mouth open about the crazy genius that was and sometimes I’ve spent 2 days reading a book with a 400 pages. Everything depends on the type of book you are reading, your intentions as a reader and the type of literature you like. Don’t fall for that shit.
If ppl want to read because “that’s good for you” it won’t work ppl read because they enjoy the process and don’t care abou the time spent. Just like getting into the gym you want to go to the gym bc you want a certain type of body not because you like physical activity so… guess what. You quit bc that won’t work because you are doin it for the wrong reason.
@@gabrielstalindo7567 Some people like me know that there's a lot of information and knowledge to be imparted on the internet. Thus they find ways to make it quicker. Most of the people looking for how to read faster are most likely also watching videos at 2x, 3x speed.
I mean, why did you even look for such video if you do not want to improve reading speed😅
Same here, until I started read on my own without any controls and realize that it isn’t a task it’s made it enjoyable for me
@@gabrielstalindo7567 I really like ur comment thx I guss
Such a refreshing video and a lot more practical and realistic than a lot of other reading tips I've seen
I've read 65 books so far this year! My goal was 52 but smashed that by July. I have a full time job and exercise around an hour or more per day, do normal life/social things and am still able to make time. If it's a priority, then you will have time for it. Maybe not 80 books a year, but give yourself the goal to read 1 a month, then 2 a month and so on. That's how I did it.
awesome, thanks!
BRAVO 🙌
Did U win the gold medal at the book reading OLYMPICS?! Bully 4 U.
@@harrychapin808 I did actually :)
Do you have a relationship?
Man, reading without the voice is fuckin hard
Try Scribd. They have a bunch of audiobooks for $9.99/month. I like it, especially when I'm cleaning.
breaking entrenched habits is never easy. it's like riding a bicycle against the wind, but it slowly gets easier.
@@heartofsteel8808 do you realise you just gave your no. To the whole internet?
I usually speaks gibberish or "blah blah blah" while reading with my hands 😉 this helps me to focus on the visual image than the sound in my head
@@intentionn4205 and, ? whats the worst that could happen, get text from trolls
The inner monologue is important when reading fiction I find, both during dialogue and when reading a narration of events or places, as an inner voice can really add to the beauty of the story you are experiencing, almost letting you enter the story yourself.
Man. I was surprised by that point. I read action Fantasy novels and love this inner voice of mine in the process. I kindaa never realised I can turn it off. I tried it in comments here and it seems to take considerable effort.
I am gonna put in the effort but I ain't sure it will work on those education books I am planning to read that have great depth and wisdom in each sentence.
Edit: also, I am surprised how less this topic is talked about in comments here.
For fiction it’s important when a character speaks to imagine the voice. For nonfiction it can be bypassed.
So guys, I was trying to bypass/compress this voice but found myself kindaa unable to do so. It seems this voice is necessary for me to actually understand what I am reading.
I also measured my reading speed. If you don't know, average is 250words per minute. 150 is considered slow. etc.
My result was .. somewhat less than 150.
English isn't my first language but I plan on start reading a lot. Any suggestions please?
I'm a bit of a daydreamer and love to imagine scenes as I'm reading fiction, or even how the characters must feel. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the story, but it is slow. Sometimes I get stuck on one page for ages if the scene is particularly complex. So I totally get why, if your aim is to read faster, you should suppress this habit. For me I end up doing it for every book, and every page within it, and that's why it takes me forever to read anything!
I kinda have always been reading with an inner monologue...if it's books, boards, exam papers... i triedn to read without it and it feels like i am just overflowing the parts
I read 5 books for this year and I will work with your advice to see if I will increase my recollection of what I read
When I read without my inner voice, I read faster but I can't understand anything
Edit: thank you for the likes peeps! I'm reading Twilight series rn by stephanie meyer and yeah, couldn't just off my inner voice because i'm reading fiction. Tho i'm trying to lessin it when i'm reading acad papers
It’s not enjoyable either . I’ve always been a good reader , but the super speed doesn’t apply to all the genres . Some require absorbing the sounds , the meaning takes meditation on what you’re reading , etc.
@@laubowiebass it's probably really useful for research purposes and absorbing all the information as quickly as possible
Yeah the inner voice is called “subvocalization” and most reading gurus and shit will tell you to suppress it but it’s BS. Don’t do it. You obviously don’t have to sound stuff out like a child but subvocalization helps you process the info and follow the ideas.
Just dont subvocalize words like "and", "or", "I" and subvocalize difficult words. That should help you reduce your subvocalization but you will still understand the text.
@@ninaramezani4667 nice suggestion thought. I'll try it
My goal for this year was to read 12 books. It's only mid-Aug and I've read 14 books this year! I'm really proud of myself because I haven't finished a book in years and I managed to achieve this during my exam seasons.
Now I bloody love reading and am sad I wasted all those years.
Wonderful but u don’t have to be sad for previous years. Finally u understood benefit of reading and u still have times to read
@@lundaabaasanjav909 thank you, you're right!
Im a diagnosed dyslexic, I’ve always struggled massively with reading. I watched this video on Saturday (it’s now Monday) and now I’m starting to think I’m not dyslexic and that just nobody ever taught me to read properly 😂 I’m actually not even joking. My last measured reading speed was about 63wpm. I stopped sounding everything out in my head on Saturday after watching this video and I’ve just read two chapters in half an hour. This is mind blowing to me. Life changing even. It usually takes me 1-2 months to read a full book / not just because of speed but because I get tired quickly. I feel like I could read a book in a week at the moment. I actually think my comprehension is better as well. This is wild like I honestly can’t thank you enough for this video. Seriously, thank you so so much.
I have no idea how to shut that reading voice. Sad.
@@7spiritualcompass706use your finger and sort of skim over the words
I have read cira 50 books this year. I wish I could read at least 100 books. I had a goal of 35 at the start of the year. Goals for 2024!! Thanks for sharing this video, Mark. This is the second time I am watching it!
When I read fast I just feel like I'm not reading properly and that I'm just getting a gist of what the writer wants to say. Thus, me thinking I'm not getting all of the content makes me panicky and anxious.
Exactly 🤍
Yep,same here. Most of the time I read classical works and while those are mentally draining and painfully slow to go through, its worth the effort even though I can only manage 10+ of those books per year.
@@acyh4097 one good book and understanding each and every aspect of it is so worthy
@@IshaSharma11 yeap sometimes its about the quality of the book that you read not how many books you can read 😊.
@@acyh4097 exactly, so true sir
Note taking is actually a wonderful way to retain what you've read. Specifically, hand written notes. I recommend looking up common place books or the Zettelkasten. The truck is to take effective notes, and that's all about contemplation, not copying the information.
It's no different than having a conversation with yourself.
i love note taking by hand on specific parts of books that ideas i get and will come back too for more
I agree, only need few sentences per page - if this is a basic summary of the content you are having to process the information and you naturally are better at remembering it. I did this on a book on the crusades and it made me probably enjoy the book more. Yep works for me.
Yea compression of information with notes is not even that difficult, I think of it as having a personal summariser; it's not a summary of the book, it's a summary of the books imprint on your mind and the journey of reading it.
(almost) Everyone intuitively hates the idea of reading 20 books and not being able to say anything at all about them, in my opinion it is either laziness or its own form of 'look I'm powering through all these books, I won't tell people at parties but I could if I wasn't afraid of appearing uncool'
exactly thats what I did for university. I would read through the main areas and try to understand the concepts first instead of copying word for word (which is so useless as a practice), then try to paraphrase and explain what I learnt in my own words. If im struggling to write down those notes, then I haven't understood what I have read. so read again to understand and then try writing again. for this reason I was able to actually remember things which was super helpful for presentations where I could just have bullet points to jog my memory of something (like cognitive shifting) and then ramble on about that point.
2019: 0 books
2020:52 books
Thank you, quarantine!
True 👏🏻
So you managed to read a book per week?
Good for you!
@@vonksummer9099 Pretty much but in the span of 7 months. In June, when I was really bored in quarantine, I read 13 books!
Somehow I ended up reading less in 2020 than I did in 2019 😅 I hope 2021 will be better, but at least January was not it.
I know I have a bad memory. What helped me score really high marks in school and overall remember what I read was just reading the source material multiple times. You keep coming back to it and you understand it better and deeper. You connect to it better as well. I did not make notes, and I did not highlight shit the same thing that Mark says. You just need to read and read and read. It is habit, it is making your brain familiar so that your thoughts can go deeper as you start to understand things better. It is the same as exercising your muscles. You will understand each muscle better and in depth the more you exercise them. As simple as that. But thank you Mark for giving my way of studying and reading validation. I thought I was some weird guy with a problem and this is how I solved it. Thank you!
Okay, now you gotta make a video on how to stop the inner monologue!
right!!! its just impossible for me to not sound out the words in my head.
It's called subvocalizing and the recommendation to eliminate it to increase reading speed has been around for decades. Manson is merely repackaging it without identifying this fact to make you think he came up with it. His one innovation is to say f*ck while telling you about it. Google "speed reading subvocalization" and read all about it. Also keep in mind that completely stopping subvocalization is probably not all it's cracked up to be, for various reasons.
Just say in your mind 1,2,3,4 repeatedly again and again while you're reading
I think that people reads the entire book, even they aren't liking it, because they pay for it 🤣
Crazy how people prefer wasting time over wasting money...
@@casanovadiscoqueen everyone isn't rich man, they cannot buy a lot of books every week, so when they buy a book, they read it, it's simple
@@casanovadiscoqueen and it's not wasting time, every knowledge is useful
pretty much this, when I pay 20-30 bucks for a book I gonna read not only the highly interesting parts, but also the medium ones, only the ultra crap gets skipped what is opinionated.
being honest with myself...
I Read a whole book that I didn't like just to see how much patience can I have until I finishing the whole book, just to think I had discipline or someshit.
after this video, I don't think I'll ever want to do that shit again, it's torture. I want to read for fun and to learn and If I see it repeats itself over and over I'll just skip it and say "guess what, I know what this book is about and I already finished it" and just move on.
I have read 7 books this year which is a huge jump from only 1 or 2 per year. So, hell yeah, looking forward to hit 40 or 50 in 2021
go smash it lad 💪
I wish u good luck on this exciting trep !
Wow More than me. I don’t read a lot, but I want to read at least read a book once a month. If I like the story I don’t want it to end so I take my time. Lol
@@P4fashion I get you, happened to me a few months ago while reading a novel by Sidney Sheldon "Tell me Your Dreams", it was amazing, totally drowned into it
@@hichamababou188 I’m going to check that book out. Good reviews on it. Thanks
0:13 in 2020... That makes sense. 😢
I wouldn't ditch inner monologue completely. It's necessary in critical reading, where you really need to reflect on not just the paragraph or the sentence, but on a single important word therein that could determine the proper or precise understanding of a sentence or even an entire paragraph.
Cutting inner monologue might work with novels or some books, but it's definitely crucial in certain materials that require critical reading i.e. law or certain sciences or social sciences
No, cutting the inner monologue will make you not understand everything completely. It doesn't work for me. I think doing it is killing a natural part of you. Specifically, the brain.
100% agreed
Research has shown that subvocalisation (inner monologue)is actually very beneficial for reading comprehension, and remembering what you read.
@@NottMacRuairi So glad someone mentioned something like this. I tried to reduce the prevalence of my inner monologue and lost pretty much all reading comprehension. Felt like a complete moron
I'm glad it's not just me. I'm a voracious reader, but I absolutely need that inner monologue. For me, I learned to speed it up so I don't always finish saying a word in my head, but I read enough to know the word and understand how it fits in that sentence
One more tip: *It's ok to take a break from reading.*
Sometimes it's best to just take a week to watch shitty tv and youtube, then come back to reading with a refreshing reminder of how much better books are.
yeah you're right....
Not only to books, but life in general, it's okay to take a break but never quit
I feel bad doing that, I’m just so addicted
Absolutely. I actually stepped back from reading when I felt like I was doing it as an obligation. The break took 2 years and now I'm back, more excited for reading as I've ever been.
Absolutely agree 👍
This man is an international treasure. Protect him at all costs🙏😎
I grew up in a household with books and dictionaries and it drove me mad that my dad always looked things up when we were discussing something. Now I’m 55 and I do the same, both on internet and find info in all the books I have. And my friends call me and ask about things they could google themselves on subjects I might or might not know about anything about. But, it triggers my curiosity and I find the info they want and learn in the process. When I ask them why they ask me when they could do it themselves they reply that I find relevant and trustworthy information faster. And I do the same when it comes to some questions that I want the answer to and I know that some of my friends have more expertise than most. Some of my teachers is school emphasized the importance of knowing where and how to find information and being able to assessing accuracy over learning stuff by heart. And also going back and fact check and read newer developments on things I “know”. That has stayed with me and is a way of approaching life. Always curious, always learning and relearning.
'stops reading books i hate'
FAILS IN ALL MY EXAMS
You should fail in that subject if you hate reading it so you can move on to reading what you actually like, it's a good thing to fail sometimes
I think that this is more for books that he chooses to read. If you have books that you have to read, you can't always skip them. You may be able to read other stuff when you tire of the content of the book you hate. In addition, the more you read, likely the faster you will read and you will be able to get through that book you hate quicker.
just do the exams bro
@Creatotron A lot of interesting fields have less interesting courses with uninteresting books, unfortunately.
You're a legend!
I installed goodreads and went for a challenge of 48 books this year. So far I’ve read 9 and I’m 6 behind schedule... but I’m reading 4 at a time easily.
'I'm not convinced I know how to read, I've just memorized a lot of words"
- Nick Miller
i love new girl so much 🤍
I want to say that not always cut the inner monologue is a good choice. If you read really hard nonfiction book and you want to all thinks from this book being stored in your mind the inner monologue helps not only understand better, but if you do monologue about what you read after reading, it helps to remember things.
Of course, on some fiction stuff that method's working great. But the most important to have a joy while reading.
I truly believe people only dislike reading because they haven't found their type of book yet. I love to read, but not when I am forced to.
Yeah and because school forced them to read what they don't like, which often has discouraged them from reading altogether.
I agree with so much of what you said, except the highlight/underline part. I agree that its doesn't help me magically recall the material BUT its super helpful for when I go back to a book and want to remember what I thought, or felt, or what stuck out when I was originally immersed in the author's argument. When I've read books and don't underline/annotate and I need to go back to them, I find I have to reread large bits just to jog my memory about the flow of thought. But instead, if I need to go back and grab a book, I can see what my previous self considered significant or worth noting.
Book i read in 2018 : 0
Book i read in 2019 : 12
Book i read in 2020 : 103
FeelsGoodMan
How many page you've read each day?
GratsBoyo
That’s awesome homie!
2021: 1037
My god how?
I absolutely love the inner monologue while reading great fiction. It's so much more immersive, especially reading (or hearing in your head?) dialogue in a way that fits the character and situation. I don't know if I'm the only one doing this, but if there's something like a person holding their breath and pausing for a moment, I will actually stop reading for the amount of time, before I continue with the next sentence. If a person is talking very slowly, I will read it slowly, if a person is all antsy, I will rush through. Or in hectic scenes I read faster and if everything's chill, I will go slower. If I'm reading to immerse myself into the world of the book and enjoy the atmosphere, taking everything in and literally watch a movie inside my head, I don't see any benefit in reading faster. It's like watching movies at 1.5 x because then I can watch more movies in one day. You can still understand the dialogue and follow the plot, so it's totally viable in theory. But who would want to do this? Only because it's more efficient?
Being an English language learner, I feel inner monologue not only helps in comprehension but also in better understanding of senetence structure with a bonus of better speaking skill
you are correct! and the research supports you. subvocalization is vital for good comprehension.
Yeah, when I find myself drifting off or losing focus on something I'm reading, I'll read it with that subtopics mentally for a paragraph until I feel back on track.
Same with dyslexia, it’s impossible to understand what’s written by just looking at the words. I used to think reading was something I’d never be able to enjoy, but through developing that inner voice it allowed me to make sense of the words and they stopped getting mixed around so much and I could actually comprehend what was written, and instead of just seeing the words it allows me to act out the scenes in my head and it becomes much more concrete.
2019: 5 Books
2020: 15 books
2021 goal: 25 books💪🏼
You go girl
25 books per month ?
@@AllInOne-dq9re lol no per year
U go Glen Coco
Yass queen 👑
Props to Mark for actually filming himself taking a shit to get footage
Really silly imo, but hey he had really good tips.
I read 18 books this year so far. I wish I read 50 books. I have this thing that I should complete a book once I started, maybe I should not do that and mix in some fiction books in my reading list. This is an awesome video Mark. Thanks for sharing
Chapter 14 was a real important piece of literature. Absolutely crucial 5:31
The bit about rabbit porn?
yes@@johnblazer7661
Bro really went down that rabbit hole 💀
NAH YOU DIDNT @@nikitapigusov2849
😭😭
I kind of disagree with the “highlighting is worthless” part, because highlighting a book doesn’t specifically mean: I am going back to the highlighted parts to remember the book.
It increases your focus during reading and it had been a special way for me to read and actually understand and FEEL the book.
After all, Great video !!!
So many useful tips 👍🏻
Yeah, I'm getting used to read on kindle app, so highlighting is very easy, you can quickly change color and add notes, then see all of them together later
Damn this guy, taught me really how to read like an adult and not like a kid.. My parents or teachers didn't teach me all this, probably they don't know these themselves...
His advice does not apply to poetry or literary works, as some of them have the sound of the words as an important dimension of the work
@@McSkankydog777 yup, it's primarily for non fiction books..
He only taught you how to pretend you have read.
Reading is fun. That’s my number one personal discovery about books. That’s the idea that has motivated me to be a life-long reader. When I was a schoolboy I put my current book inside my school book and read my book as the class droned on. I had fun, and I’ve never regretted paying more attention to my book than to the schoolbook. The five tips Mark Manson has given us should become basic rules for all us bibliophiles, but let’s not forget the fun factor. BTW, I’ve read only about a dozen books this year cover-to cover, but I have bought 30 or more. If I don’t like a book I do stop reading it. Do not ever regret the money spent on books you haven’t read completely. Not everything in life turns out to our liking, just roll with it.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~ St Augustine.
Nice quote Moses... I like that
Loved thisss
Those who do not travel, can't afford the rest of the book
@@christianleifhold6013 Sikee got emm
@@christianleifhold6013 not exactly the case for people rich enough to watch content like this which this is way above the basic needs. So, for people who watch this, it's more like "I am lazy motherfucker who don't want to read other pages". So yeah.
I don't know why but I find this video so comfortable, like talking with a good friend about the same interestst and share tips.
Omg me too
This was very helpful! I read 2-3 books a year, only when needed. This year I made a goal to read 21 books. I’ve gotten frustrated through the process and these tips will definitely help!
Yes! This makes me feel so much better! I have 5 books on the go and 1 of them I didn't want to finish, so now I realise, I don't have to!! How good is it when you let go of what you think you "must" do. I'm cheering
Love this! Reading more than one book at the same time also helps with retention (interleaving effect VS. blocked learning). Have been doing it for years with notable improvements in number of books read but also remembering what I've read!
Reading is the best thing that has happened to me (yes, I'm single).
EDIT: F***! Never got so many likes.
Keep it up, guys! We readers will rule over the world someday.
do you always fly SOLO?
@@salimalbitar That's about right, mate.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU
😅😅😅
Same here same here...
I read three books last year. Trudged through one, now I realize I could have just put it down. Not finishing books. What a concept, lol.
I watched this a year ago and completely forgot that I watched it! Half way through rewatching it, I had an “ahh ah” moment like wow I can tell what he’s gonna say next.
The internet is the school we never had and it has teacher like Mark
Just a blessing
This is basically the best video that talks about reading and believe me i've watched a lot of them
Yes man, it's the best of the best of the best video on reading advice EVER!
I need to read the whole book; otherwise, I can't say I read it.
Right. I feel like it’s cheating if I didn’t read the whole book.
If you are talking about fiction, you need to read the whole book to say that you read it.
The man said it in the video. You skip boring and repeating shit only in non-fiction.
Also, you don't HAVE to say that you read a book lol. It's a massive flex, yes, but the main purpose of the book is to entertain/educate you.
Mina Urgan: You cut the watermelon. Look, rotten. Will you still eat that watermelon by force? After this sentence of my dear Fethi Naci, I decided to leave whatever I started where I didn't like it. The book and the person.
@@t111ran3 i feel like its more of a flex to say u read like over 80 books a year. Reading a book all the way through is much more of a personal choice for yourself.
I disagree. Its like a movie and song. Your mind skips around or recalls a cool lyric mid-song. Meaning you arent actively listening. Looking down in the movie theater to search for your popcorn and you miss 3-6seconds? and you do it multiple times? Laugh with your eyes closed, check your phone? You havent watched that movie. Just like going to the bathroom.
I def see your point though. I just think its a bit more fluid than that
The first point about an inner monologue is, I've never felt like I have it reading English things, but after Mark mentioned it, I suddenly become hyper aware of it and I have to put down my book for now to just calm down and try not to think about it. How ironic.
When I read fiction I will enunciate every word in my head. I read fiction to chill and take my time to immerse myself into the story and savor the prose. I make up different voices for each of the characters and the narrator. They just add to the immersion and it's completely fine. For non-fiction though, I just skim through the texts.
So, how to read 5x more books? Read just 20% of the book.
@Iancarlo Cortez I get it and I agree with it by the way. I just don't think you should put in the pile a book that you read just 20%. Probably you will read more if you skip the "boring" ones, and it is fine. But if you just read 20% of Moby Dick, you can't say that you read it.
@@gstoaldo you totally got it! I seriously don't understand this obsession with speed and bragging about "how many books I've read" when clearly the term "read" is subjective and that's how you've got people "reading" 20% of a book, putting it aside, moving on to the next and keep counting. I ready in many different languages and need time to process what I read, so reading fast is something that never even crosses my mind. I'll take quality over quantity anytime.
Damn straight, 80/20 rule applies well to books and their knowledge
@@giwooding yeah but he said non-fiction :)
@@gstoaldo you clearly did not pay attention to the video lol stop being obsessed with bragging how many books you read and think about what you can get from reading
Thank you Manson, this is the most useful video I’ve seen on how to read more. I’ve been reading like everybody else until one day I realized the number of unread books I’d bought had become too many, that I need a new strategy. Thanks for the tips especially not finishing the boring books.
The finger tip is really good one for reading faster! I personally find that I can only maintain reading two books at a time as opposed to three, I have one that I do as an audiobook through Libby for when I'm driving to and from work and one as a physical copy to wind down with at the end of the day.
You just shattered my preoccupations about reading. I've been normally ignoring inner voices that tortally same as your advices. Now I realized that I must follow your tips. Thanks for the video and great ideas.
I feel like people read their books from start to finish even if they don’t like it because they care less about the contents of the book, and more about being able to say they read another book
True,they just want that validation
Additional tips (that at least worked for me):
1st
For those who are a bit more conscious regarding the price and the general waste of accumulating books youd inevitably end up not liking or even reading, just make sure to buy the ones that you're certain youll find value in, if not, find a pdf first (there are a lot of "illegal" sites out there where you can get them for free) then if you like that book, buy the real copy so you can support the author. This leads to a bookshelf with books that you actually care about.
2nd
Just copy-paste those lines/paragraphs/ideas that you really find valuable in a book and save them on your notes app. This gives your memory tiny anchors so when you want to remember what those particular books were about etc you could just read those small snippets you gathered while reading it. Its also more fun than just rereading the entire book after a few months because you've forgotten pretty much all of it.
Hope this helps!
I love to forget the books I read, so when I read them again, it is as they were a new book again.
The first advice that he gave was the most lucrative reading method I ever heard!
I've never watched any of your videos, but your realist approach about reading is something we need more of! People are so pretentious about reading sometimes when in reality it's like not that deep bro we're all humans lol.
Couldn’t agree more
Just when I started becoming an advent reader and I wanted to learn how to speed up my reading and keep the retention of what I read this drops into my RUclips feed. Defiantly going to try and implement them into my reading skills.
I pretend I'm teaching someone else what I'm reading. I don't do it on purpose, I just end up thinking about how I would explain this to someone.
That's a good habit because that helps you to understand the contents better plus explaining anything to anyone will also improve your communication skills
Feynman Technique
teaching another person what we read improves learning up to 95%. In your case teaching a fake person or the spirits close by does help tremendously.
Yes! Finally someone looks similar to me! This is how I comprehend my reading since I have ADD it's really difficult to focus to read a book.
I actually do that with my mom😆Its funny bcI can have a good time with her
I do number 1 because it helps me with reading comprehension. Sometimes I even read certain passages out loud.
I have read about ten books this year, most of them not in my native language, so I think of it as a decent result. Aiming for 20 next year!
When I read without reading it to myself I do not retain what I read.
2019: 4 books
2020: 23 books
2021: hopefully 30 or so
Go for 50. If you’ve blown away 2020 from 4 that easily. I just discovered how fast I can read and retrain information. This is invaluable knowledge, which is only potential power.
WHY WAS THIS VIDEO THE MOST USEFUL THING I'VE LISTENED TO IN A LITERAL MONTH???!!!
Man, thank you so much for your work! I want to get back into reading and your video has really, really helped!
Hope you have a great day!!