Huge thanks to Ryan Holiday for taking the time to chat! I’d def recommend adding Courage Is Calling to the top of your reading list! 👍 amzn.to/3K207XF
I learned a fast way to improve my memory of books in college. Instead of highlighting phrases, sentences or paragraphs I would highlight only one word in an important section. The key was to highlight a word that would make me question why I had underlined that word. For example, in the sentence "Studies show aspirin use to be associated with reduced risk for a number of cancers including prostate, pancreatic, and rectal" (Source: "Surviving Cancer Covid-19 & Disease, The Repurposed Drug Revolution" by Justus R. Hope, M.D.) I would highlight one word like "risk" so that when I scan through the book later my curiosity makes me ask "What's this about risk?", or I might underline "aspirin" so that when I see it later I think "What's this about aspirin?" This way I can quickly reinforce the key points by scanning the book several times until I can recall all the important points.
“Imperfect Action is better than Perfect Inaction” Most important takeaway is to just get started, make it a regular habit, and you will discover what works for you well, whether it be highlighting stuff, keep a journal, or just re reading those books again 🙂✌🏼
This quote has actually a lot of meaning. Many people nowadays tend to not get started with something because they try relentlessly to have the perfect system before they start. Don’t chase perfection, chase action, perfection will come with time. That’s the takeaway here
@@raunopisa6832 It makes complete sense to me. I'm definitely guilty of 'perfect inaction' and tend to get discouraged from even starting things I fear I'm not going to do perfectly. That fear can feel almost paralyzing and becomes extremely self-limiting.
True. Don't kill yourself for experimenting. It should be a form of playing or toying, not destroying yourself if you don't reach perfection or progress.
Yep, it's like "paralysis through analysis" - you get so caught up analysing the different ways to do a task or project that you NEVER start the task or project itself. A baby doesn't wait until it can walk perfectly before walking... it falls down many, many times, but each time it get just a little better at it, then suddenly it puts two or three steps together, then four, then five... and it's walking!
i found a similar quote from Atomic Habits: "A habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can't learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to standardize before you can optimize."
Memory is derivative of necessity. It's similar to learning a language (either your first or a foreign language) -- we don't learn by passively absorbing what others say, but by feeling a need to speak in a way that's understood by others. Same with retaining information in books. Memory is created not when you passively receive some idea, but when you feel a need to explain it to someone else. Read every book as though you intend to be able to teach the same ideas to others.
The more connections between neurons the stronger the memory. Envision a mind map that spreads out from this one keyword. "Apple"--> Tree, plant, fruit, tasty, red, green, round, tart..etc etc ... The more networked the idea, the more it sticks. When I try to remember someone's name, I ask for also their family name. Rather just "Tony", its "Tony Montana". Two neurons connected to each other. Tony and Montana. It is twice as likely to stick.
Babies acquire language by chunks and memorise the ones that make sense to them. Time to go to bed ( five words) but because a baby has no clue what a word is and because he only hears sounds, he hears : timetogotobed ( one chunk). Hearing a perfect prononciation with intonation, swa etc. And of course he realises that the same things happen immediately after, he goes to bed. So in his brain association between what is said and what happens after. This repeats every day during one, two or more years explain how babies start to speak. Chunks and repetitions are the solutions.
@@aquarius4953 The best, most accurate scientific research shows that memory and learning (especially when it comes to acquiring language proficiency) is more a matter of the desire to be understood than to understand. It's less about receiving, and more about transmitting. That's how the brain works.
Language isn't learnt through memory like the way you describe. It's an acquired skill that is subconsciously acquired much like learning martial arts. And we only learn language through passive listening and reading.
Great video: 1. Read a book. Analog is better than digital. 2. Don’t be scared to take notes in the book, Highlight, book mark. You’ll have to build a system. 3. When you’re done, go through all the notes that stood out to you and write them on flash cards. 4. Digest the information, think of ways to use it. 5. Enjoy the process!! Take your time. 6. ORGANIZE ALL YOUR NOTES. File them in separate boxes.
There's a better explanation to this, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING: ✍ write it - the 🧠 physical process 👀 analyze/critique/organize Vocalize it out loud - record it - listen 👂to your recording Does it sound correct? Share it - 🧍♂️ 👨👧 - 🧠 "I need to recall what I wrote and vocalize it to another person, will they understand it?" "Do I need to rephrase it?" (This will force you to teach and to see if you are missing anything.) This entire process works wonders, the practice creates different path ways making it easier to recall the same information. Now, there's other techniques supported by science like pomodoro technique and at what times is our brain plasticity and elasticity at best condition to learn.
When you want to retain what you learn while you're learning: 1.) Take conscious time in taking down key notes you want to remember. 2.) When done, Review your notes, revise when necessary. 3.) Apply what you have learned in the real world (In this case, its the organizing and categorizing into a box). 4.) Repeat. You get better at it and can develop a system that suits better for you.
Also, read same chunks again couple of times and try to repeat them out loud to yourself after each reading if its something you want to stick with you
@M43K you do you, but it has been shown it is better to do it out loud, you memorise it better and (not always important but quite often) you learn to project it way better since you are actively projecting it
Eh..... not so fast. When you are talking about experiences perhaps, but when it comes to studying and understanding that's another story. You can be present but barely remember facts from recent reading.
What about those of us who are attacked with traumatization as adults ? Jerks know stress impairs memory. When you gain assets, they use stress to STEAL them! John 10:10.
As any university student knows, using Holiday's technique is definitely the most effective route but by far the longest. I tried his technique a year ago in university, and it worked great. By the mid-semester test, I nailed it - a 50% increase in grade from all previous tests for my courses. However, come the end of semester test, not only was I unprepared but my knowledge and notes were five whole weeks behind. Obviously this is a skill worth practicing, but just be aware that it's not easy to develop straight away. I still find myself over-highlighting and taking too many notes because almost every sentence has value. A 30 page anthropology reading quickly turns into a 3 hour expedition, and there goes my day. It's far better to accept prior to reading that, when time is on your shoulder, you won't remember everything. I'd say that it's more about reading less books but with more intention. There's often more knowledge to be learnt in a single book than the knowledge gained by reading 100 books without intention.
I agree, this system seems a bit too time consuming, and you may still not have full retention of everything you've highlighted in the book after the process is over. I feel like this is good for if you read a book and later on want a summary of key points / lessons / takeaways, then you can just go to your filed index cards to get that information. If you really want to be able to read a book and have retention from memory this method isn't for that... you need to find a way to relate information in books relative to your life or things you've already learnt. I guess this is where the "intention" you mentioned comes in, reading without any intention on what you want to get out of book will give you poor results, you need to have a purpose for information in order to retain it.
@@hanguistic This is because the system was made by authors who have nothing else to do except gather knowledge like this so time is a resource they have plenty of
I have a similar problem. Studying musicology, need to read and respond to lots of articles. I’m a slow reader. I spent 3 hours on 5 pages of dense text, simply trying to comprehend what I was reading. Granted I was trying to get as much to say about it as I can for my essay, but I can’t find any other method that helps me remember and understand what I read without delving intentionally into each paragraph and how it ties with the next. Then ofcourse 3 pages later everything makes sense and is in reference to eachother…. THEN I am meant to compare it to another article who has a different perspective on the matter… Like, what do I do?
When I was a kid I was to be able to read any book and summarize almost everything in it. My teacher ask me to summarize all the points we read yesterday for a student who missed class. Almost word for word I said everything that happened and finished exactly where we left off, my teacher accidently blurted out you so smart. I laughed because I though see was over exaggerating but turns out to be very hard for most adults to do this . After a decade of tik- tok I find myself finding it hard to remember what I did this morning let alone a book I read I month ago. I'm hoping after a social media detox I get my brain back to that exact point.
This conclusion is definitely one of the solutions to these problems!Try this!If we can give years to social media, we can definitely give a month to this idea and evaluate ourselves to see the result.And I'm 💯 sure it will bring a positive outcome only because this is realtime work than elusion of social media!
Ngl even having the phone around makes a difference it could be a mindset thing, i had trouble sleeping but when i sleep without my phone around me i sleep much better
Such an inspiration for someone who thinks himself of being a perfectionist but this thought always keeps him away from getting into the work...life-saving I must say😅😊
Until I was twenty, I hated reading, and I thought I was stupid. I started reading at the age of 21, when I started studying psychology at University. In the past 4 years, I have read about 200 books. My recall of the books I read is very good; I can usually remember not just the main points, but also the arguments, stories, case studies and jokes. When someone talks about a psychological theory, I can usually remember the name of the theory, the name of the author and the name of the books or articles. I think the most important things that work for me are (1) I only read something when im really interested in it. If I'm not interested in it, I try to get back my curiosity by reminding myself why I wanted to read the book in the first place. If the emotion is not there, there's no point in reading, so I do something else until the desire is back. (2) I highlight everything I find interesting. Not just the interesting facts or theories, but also interesting stories or funny jokes. (3) I make sure that there is some kind of output; I write papers (for myself), I talk about it with others, or I teach workshops about it. Recall is like a muscle, you can train it, and get better at it. Now, I can read for hours without pause and remember everything that I read. But interest and curiosity are always driving the learning process. (Also, I have a book instagram called mind.readr, where I review and summarize books on psychology, philosophy and psychotherapy)
This actually describes me well. I started reading close to the age of 21 and not because of revision but out of fun. Me and this friend chatted about books and characters and we would give them realistic powers. I started to hit the books and read articles or watch videos on it. I started to get into science. I was already familiar with it due to taking it on my A levels (sadly I failed and gave up never looking back until not long ago). But all of a sudden my comprehension levels increased and the points would stick after several days. I started to up a notch and pick up physics books. I only did philosophy, bio and chem. But phys wasn't my specialty. I hadn't done it in a while still I absorbed the info as if watching my favourite series or listening to an audio of a preferred book. Now im starting to take it more seriously since I never thought I was capable of this. I dont want to stick to one subject but maybe 10 or even 40 haha. But its good to have a friend around. He wants to become an engineer so its easier to explain the scientific details to him. Right now he isnt invested.... YET. As for me I am I just have to convince him. So I can show him the beauty of reading. Of trying and giving yourself a chance.
Well done 👏 If you like knowing facts and understand yourself and why we are here...u can read Quran.. I guess your reading skills will be good in reading Quran and understanding it.
@Trinity M Highly doubt the Emerson quote was used in any way to undermine the video. Most likely it was used as an example of a very successful academic who seemingly, from the statement, achieved a lot while simultaneously not retaining everything. I think it fits the aim of the video quite nicely.
@Trinity M mesmo que você não consiga se lembrar de tudo que leu no seu consciente, tudo que você consome, comida, notícias, livros vão fazer parte do que você se tornará.
i was about to comment this! for some kind of non fiction books, I do use a system close to the one matt showed here. but for the most part, I get some comfort in this quote and don’t actually do all of that
@Trinity M wanted to highlight that we often underestimate our unconscious memory, which can sometimes be even more powerful than conscious memory. Not at all to undermine the video
The guy remembers all that stuff because he is probably telling people those quotes day in and day out. That's his life. You remember stuff you talk about and think about all the time.
Exactly...! This what i shared in a different comment... There's a better explanation to this, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING: ✍ write it - the 🧠 physical process 👀 analyze/critique/organize Vocalize it out loud - record it - listen 👂to your recording Does it sound correct? Share it - 🧍♂️ 👨👧 - 🧠 "I need to recall what I wrote and vocalize it to another person, will they understand it?" "Do I need to rephrase it?" (This will force you to teach and to see if you are missing anything.) This entire process works wonders, the practice creates different path ways making it easier to recall the same information. Now, there's other techniques supported by science like pomodoro technique and at what times is our brain plasticity and elasticity are at best condition to learn.
Yeah, when you read something you really can not remember it instantly, but when you share that with your friends or family, or students, anyone around you, you will be good at telling it, it's like you are practicing how to tell people who are not yet reading the book, so you will really remember what you shared.
Exactly. I was a philosophy major and it’s become a huge part of my life. That being said, I remember very little about existentialism simply because I don’t talk about it much and don’t keep up with the modern discourse. However, I’m constantly talking about ethics with friends, so I remember most of what I read about the topic.
I used to also think I have forgotten everything I have read from the self-improvement books, but then I realized that my brain have kept them and is using the informations that I need according to the situations I go through in life, so yes if someone asks me what did you learn from a specific book I cannot tell them, but I know that my brain retains and uses the information from the books in my life🥰
I agree with this and have found this to also be true in my experience. What I have also believe is happening is when you read things that your mind has no attachment to, no previous experience, no prior reference to that knowledge or insight it goes into your memory somewhere but it's loosely attached in your mind. That somehow becomes harder to recall, reference that knowledge somehow. It's still in there, but it has no real attachement to any prior memory, experience or anything else. It becomes harder to remember or recall. However, when that knowledge as you read oir learn it can be tied to an experience, some prior knowledge, pain point in learning, some other things in your mind that it can correlate that info or map it to that thing, i find for me i have much easier time recalling that information or remembering it. It would seem that the mind has mapped the info to many other things for referencing and thus out the blue you can recall it, remember it, or not find it hard to retrieve when you think about it. At least in my experience that is what it seem is somewhat happening.
“You’re better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or delusion of perfection” well said and great advice for just about anything goal in life
Honestly, the information being provided by the fellow viewers in the comments section is no less than a book in itself. Thanks for sharing such good quotes and ideas. I appreciate it. We all appreciate it.
Recently finished 'Wealth's Loyal Companion: The Uncharted Path to Prosperity,' and it's an eye-opener. It brilliantly goes beyond finances, offering insights into a well-rounded life. The book's blend of true success stories and actionable advice is fantastic. It really drives home the importance of discipline and continuous growth. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enhance their life in a meaningful way!
1- Take conscious time in taking down notes you want to remember. 2- When done, Review your notes. 3- Apply what you have learned in your life i.e. real world 4- Repeat. You get better at it and can develop a system that suits better for you. EDIT:Thanks for the likes
@@azca. everybody works for money, this is a capitalist system we live under after all, nonetheless his content is great - and this video does help people
My favourite is the Feynman technique, named after the physicist Richard Feynman. To summarise, when you come across a quote you like, close your eyes for 30 seconds and try to recall what you've just read as many times you can. You'll find that you may not be able to recall every single word accurately but you'll get the gist of what the author was saying.
A wise saying once said, “Repetition is the mother of learning” The way our brains & neurons work are very similar. By learning new things, we establish new neural links in our brain, & with repetition we consolidate these neural links to become stronger & and easier to remember when we want to retrieve what we learned. This doesn’t apply just to things we read, but to almost every activity we have ever done or learned since birth. By repetition over and over again, we consolidated it to become a part of us.
"Awaken Giant within " by Tony robbines , part 6 : neuro association conditioning . I just finish this chapter he explains deeply about how our nervous system work and how we controll our neurons empowering or desempowering. Thanks 😊
I recently learned that from Atomic Habits which I recently read. That was actually one of my favorite tidbits I got from the book! Repetition is more important than time or general effort or willpower.
" How To Read a Book " was a great help and very informative. It dismissed some of the tips made here, for example, immediately taking notes from the beginning. It suggested you read everything about the book initially, that is the blurb on the cover, the preface/ introduction, the index. Once you begin, read quickly through the book and get a general "feel" what it's about and being said. Then go on to a second reading where you read more carefully and take notes, but not heavily annotated. A third and subsequent readings will be much more in depth & you will have conversations with yourself about the book as if you were describing the work to another person. This method really does work, I've applied it for nearly 30 years and my efficiency for reading is so vastly improved. I'm not disappointed.
That seems like a great way to attain the knowledge, but at the same time it makes sense that reading the book 3 times would allow you to remember it than just reading it once!
When I was younger, I devoured pretty much every work of fiction I could get my hands on. Fantasy, sci-fi, action adventure, westerns, whodunnit, romance, it was all good. As I got older, the idea of escapism held less and less appeal, and I got more into non-fiction. Hard core stuff like computer programming textbooks and history, but also self-help. Reading non-fiction is a VERY different experience, and to really _benefit_ from it, I found I had to approach it with a different _attitude._ As in, _expect_ to learn something. But more than that. Whether for real or just in my head, what really helped was diving into the book with the expectation that I'm going to be _teaching_ this stuff. Whether it's a class, a book of my own, or even just a RUclips video about the book doing a review or a synopsis, bottom line is, I'm not just reading it for _me._ Two tools/techniques that have proved to be an _incredible_ resource in that regard... (1) Mind Mapping, and (2) Photoreading. Plenty of content about Mindmapping already so I won't dive into it here, but basically it's doing an outline, but with pictures and doddles as much as words, and connected not in a structured way we're taught in school, but more like a neural network. You know, how your brain _actually_ works. This really gets the mental juices flowing. Photoreading, when you just look into it lightly, almost seems like an esoteric occult-like how is this even possible technique, and that's part of why it's probably not gotten as much attention as mindmapping. But regardless of that, the useful technique that can be learned here is the _preparation._ Unlike fiction where you _want_ to be surprised and entertained, with non-fiction it's a good idea to do a thorough _preview_ of what you're about to read. Thoroughly examine and meditate on the table of contents, scan the index and glossary if there is one, do a quick page flip and get an overview of the contents of each chapter _before_ you dive in and read the thing word-for-word. Train your brain on _what to expect_ before you take the deep plunge and bury your nose in the pages.
@@rodrigocamacho8834 Off the top of my head in no particular order... Clive Cussler, Larry Niven, Michael Crichton, Raymond Feist, P.N. Elrod, Tom Clancy, Stephan King, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, John Grisham, Robert E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Michael Moorcock, Isaac Asimov, Robin Cook, David Eddings, Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weiss... many more
I use the rubber duck method for pretty much anything. If you can instruct it - you understand it. Well, at least when learning new principles, ideas, philosophies etc, not as a general rule of a thumb for the most efficient method.
@@vectorsahel5420 A fellow poet once used to get really annoyed with me when he ran across a word in my verse that he didn't know, and then couldn't find in the dictionary. Hey, I'm a wordsmith and artist. If I can't find a word that suits me, I'll make it up. Some of them have even found their way into the dictionary. :-)
As a writer, I was attracted to the idea of “a book a day,” 5 books a week. But I never did this. Instead I read challenging books, taking notes and underline but most importantly not rushing a book for the sake of pride but engaging with it critically. Inputs to outputs of unconscious is an AMAZING thing. When I’m like “ok recall” it’s “crickets” but when my pen hits the page the recall from the unconscious has been life changing and motivating. VERY rewarding. As I mature I have been much more focused on the substance rather than mere appearances that because you read a ton of books quickly I will somehow be a stronger intellect. “Atta boy” on behalf of pride and ego, no thanks! The notecard filing system is a brilliant nugget to aid this process of recall and critical thinking.
@@ThePowerninja101 - Yes! How I engage with a book critically is something like analyzing it through the lens of historical significance and why? Why? What big ideas are present here and why? Why? What about philosophy? How would I view this through a psychological lens? Through the lens of phenomenology in what phenomenon are observable to me and how? How would I view this through a literary lens? Through the lens of faith and myth. Logos. Something like this, etc… It’s about thinking. I underline. I write what I think in regards to what I read when it intrigues me, when. How does it map into my current “work?” And my current world view? Henry Ford emphasized the power of thinking as well as Einstein. Why aren’t all of those jeopardy winners running the world? Oh yes! Because wisdom is not about memorization but real time thinking as regards to current situation. This has been massively helpful to me in actually becoming the “man.”
@@johnnyroycerichardsoniii3273 I agree with this wholeheartedly! One can read a thousand books and still know nothing. It all depends on how you use that knowledge and think about different perspectives and frameworks. ´Why?' is essential.
Same. I tried to do a monthly reading list so I could fly through my endless TBR pile, but found I enjoyed reading less due to my self-imposed deadlines. Taking time to read is definitely a better way to digest everything!
I think the best way to recall what you learn is to use the data as soon as possible, even if its just jotting stuff down and discussing it with friends...playing around with it in as many ways you can think of, so you create "doingnesses", which solidify things in your mind.
I think I have an interesting perspective on this as a physics student who does a lot of reading for research and personally, so here's a quick take on how to remember things. I think the most important way to remember is not to view it as a fact that is an individual byte of data to be memorized. Almost everything is related, and together you can put things into this giant tapestry thay becomes much easier to decipher the more you add to it. It's almost like the more you read, the easier it can be to remember, because the ideas already been seen before, and it relates to another 5 or 10 ideas that are known. I know personally this has been helpful while I learn about more complex things, ie Compton scattering, and then am able to slowly relate it back to things I've seen, and now that concept is comfortably stored, and used to reinforce other concepts.
Charlotte Mason, a British educator of 100 years ago, called this the Science of Relations and that facts should not be learned apart from ideas. 🙂 I followed her philosophy for homeschooling my children.
I was going to make this same point as someone who went through a physics degree! No one cares if you’ve memorized the formula for the circumference of a circle or Newton’s Laws or the Pythagorean theorem if you can’t apply them to things. Memorization is not something the brain is designed for. It’s designed to solve problems (which is what actually makes people “smart”) and the only way you’ll memorize things is by putting them all together in a way that holds meaning.
You're right, but it takes a bit to get there. For example, if you don't know calculus, then deriving the equations for motion may be difficult. So you just memorize them. However if you know calculus, then as you suggest, you can tie the tapestry together. Good luck with studies by the way.
That is very similar for me as a historian. Information needs to connect to other information. Historic events or people are connected to others in the same time, or to causes and consequences before and after. During university, I only ever memorized dates for my two gib oral exams - most of them just stuck because I knew things about them. Very different from the mindless memorizing they wanted at school. ;-)
For those who like digital, there's a whole world of what's called Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). With apps like Obsidian, you can keep a "second brain" with things you've learned and notes from books you've read. This is even easier if you read digital because there's a plugin to import all your kindle notes. However, like this video mentioned, there's a different between note taking and note making. Note taking consists of things like highlighting and writing in the margins. Note making is putting what you're learning about in your own words and relating it to other knowledge you have. Note making is far more effective for retention. The Linking Your Thinking (LYT) channel has lots of content on both Obsidian and "note making."
This is the Zettelkasten Method from the book How to Take Smart Notes by Sonke Ahrens. The purpose is not necessarily to recall but to categorize the individual notes so that they will resurface when you need them. There are several good ways to do this digitally by using Notion or Obsidian.
The ZK is actually a step forward from what has been described here. It's not only about taking notes, but most crucially about linking them. It is this process of linkage that gives you deep understanding, because real operational knowledge is not about reciting facts, it's about the connections structure on top of them.
• better off starting imperfectly ~ than being paralyzed by the hope / delusion of perfection • systems evolve and theyll keep evolving. youll do better as you go. • you dont remember things by accident. the info must be organised into different categories and buckets for easy navigation for the brain. • books are supposed to take you on a journey and leave you with something. • organising info from books into 1) take notes, 2) review and revise, 3) categorize and file • prioritized info -> frequently used, recently used, likely needed when taking a decision
Try to relate concepts with each other, and imagine how they interacts with common scenarios in life. Information + emotion = Memory. Be healthy both in your mind and body, and that will allow your body to truly feel the positive emotions without any hindrance. Improve your physical well being because our cognitive abilities greatly depends on the health of our brain and heart. Sleep! Cut the alcohol and caffeine! Exercise! Eat healthy and consistently! Stay positive!
Hey I remember the same thing, my father told me once about his friend who was a professor at a university and has an enormous library of cards he has more than 10k or so categorised under different topics, and whenever he has to prepare for a lecture or any public event he just takes the cards he needs with him it has all kind of stuff written in like quotes short stories diagrams of ideas with the name of books to which that idea originally belongs to and he told my father that he never had to refer to thick books again in his life as all the knowledge he gathered throughout his life is in those cards, which are his most prized possession. he did not categories them by books but by general topics.
@@mustafasarac Hey thanks for letting me know about him that way I was able to find out more about the zettlekasten method [ ruclips.net/video/rOSZOCoqOo8/видео.html ] but what I found out is that this is more appropriate for people relating to the academic profession or research as a student I find a normal note taking much more practical or maybe what I do is I write a daily journal for all my learnings for that day but still thanks again if you have any more thoughts share them as well
Forgetting things might be bad but it's kinda like necessary. Remembering everything is a nightmare. The ability to leave the past behind and not having to worry about it is a gift you've gotta embrace.
Spaced repetition (at around weekly intervals) of active recall (answering own questions designed to trigger recall of essential facts). Completed all 3 of my emergency medicine board exams in under 12 months that way.
lol yes I do this too. Also watching video clips on information and topics you know nothing about in a book you are reading or researching and asking someone who knows about the topic a little to talk about it and Starting a conversation with them about it lol.
Time is the most valuable thing in one's life. Things that we spend our time on become valuable thus become important and eventually for brain, they evolve to things to remember. The essence is to spend proper time on those we want to remember. Nice video!
For years, I’ve been taking notes, highlighting, and folding pages. I recall more than I give myself credit for. This system takes it a step further. I’m going to try it. ❤
I also forget alot about the non-fiction books I read. The content of fiction-/fantasy Books, however, stays with me far longer. I feel like a lot of lessons could be more memorable if they are embedded within a captivating fictional story.
Actually the code to everything is Consistency . Be consistent to be perfect. Hard work is not enough , a consistent hard work is needed to achieve it. ~Correct me if I'm wrong
@@malikbishop9798 one must make sure about the hardwork they be doing & where it might lead them. after setting targets, Goals, ect; people would get started with all their efforts, giving whole 100% of them onto completing it and reaching out where they want themselves be.(the Goals be accomplished)
@@malikbishop9798 dont talk like fool!! Work hard but smart!! Or dont work either😅 As I said be consistent to be perfect!! First you will do the things wrong but slowly you will learn things to do precisely
I have done a similar system, but instead of using notecards I use journals. For instance I have a journal related to mysticism/ spirituality/ Buddhism, and another to more science spiritual readings. I find it a little easier than having notecards everywhere. A key point is to make highlights and notes while going through the book, then going back to re-read and re-write what is important afterwards. Time consuming, yes, but future self is like, "BLESS." Must obliterate short term gratification! One book at a time.
I do that too! I have a notebook for Stoicism/Eastern Philosophy and another for Science and other topics. But only the very, very best quotes go in there, the ones that are to help me go in my direction, that affect and improve my life. And I love rereading it.
This really is a best technique, after 7 months of learning English once my English teacher told me to use this technique, and the way it added in my obsession with reading books was insane. like reading books wasn't only reading for me. but it was really fun, this would be my 100% suggestion for everyone.
I do two things: - assign a why? / use case for when I would use this knowledge - summarize the core essence + practical takeaways on paper/digital file and file it away in my Obsidian Folder This works for me - cause frankly over-memorizing and remembering useless things is equally a problem. I don't need to remember how to do one process that I'll use once in 180 days. I wanna remember the important things in life - not books.
@@hellopleychess3190 try the chemistry bonding steps from your high school chemistry class. How to dissect a frog. Reading Frankenstein or some other classic. For most people. These topics are one and done/something to get through.
"You're better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection". This quote sums up what this video is really about.
Hey Matt! I've been marking highlighting and page-folding my books since I was a kid (to the chagrin of my teachers) so this is wonderful knowing I wasn't the only one who does this to their books. But, most of us haven't yet come to the realization that we are physical creatures and we learn best when we're engaged in something physical; turning pages and focusing on what's on your hands will make the brain participate and remember the activity more than passively looking at kindle. Plus, there's just something satisfying and comforting knowing that if I forget what's in that book I can just take it out of the shelf and refer to it again. No shame in doing that. I also recommend reading "Remember: the Science of Memory" by Lisa Genova. Great book explaining the functions of the brain and why we forget and how we can remember what needs to be memorized.
As a self learner that have read and used several techniques about this subject, it is my opinion that this video offers a couple of good and simple ideas worth of follow. Congrats!
Debater here-what helps me read and retain things quickly is connecting what you just read to other things you already know-soon enough when you think about the concepts in the book you think about in relation to other things which also increase critical thinking as well. It may take a little bit longer but you get pretty good at it the more you read.
@@uwu.-.5873 I read a lot of critical theory i.e postmodernism and political theories like Biopolitics. Not only does it require a lot of thinking, its also really cool. First reccomendation is to start out with articles: test what you like before diving straight into a book 1. "Authoritarianism and the Cybernetic Episteme" -- Irmgard Emmelhainz is a good website to start out on to get used to this type of writing, but also dont be afraid to look up a YT video explaining something. Some books or Essays could be: 1. Discipline and Punish --Michel Foucalt 2. Thus spoke Zarathustra --Nietzche 3. Homosacer -- Giorgio Agamben 4. Watch some videos online about hyperreality, transhumanism, and marxist thought. You dont have to agree with everything, (I most certaintly dont) but the goal is critical thinking. these books all pertain to "theories of power" and "ontology/epistemology" so if none of those books seem interesting search those terms up and you might find something you like. Its all about thinking and expanding your knowledge. These books and essays are NOT your stereotypical Socrates like philosophy, so dont be surprised when you feel mentally exhausted after reading a paragraph, because there is so much going on. Also as a caviat: just reading normal literature and magazines and extrapolating how that pertains to patterns of certain things is still inherently valuable. It doesnt have to be sophisticated to get a result. Just ask the question WHY?
I don't know how many will read this, but what I do after a chapter or important fact in a book is that I slow down and think: How can I apply this to the real world? How is this different from what I have learnt before? And how important is this in any situation (in situation a it may be more important, but in situation b this other thing is more important)? This way I actively use my brain, I process the information I read and then organise it in my brain (aswell as remembering it). I promise you, if your able to do this automatically then you'll be able to remember things much easier when you read. It is about connecting the dots while you read and make it relevant for your brain to remember!
@@dw7922 I recommed that you search up bloom's taxonomy. It is a model that describes how well one understands a subject. In short, if you are able to evaluate, analyze or apply what you read or just learnt, then you will have a much easier time learning it.
i really appreciate the level of creativity, attention to detail and effot that goes into your videos. everytime i click one i can watch comfortably knowing its goign to be good
One way I’ve done utilized this is after I’ve finished reading, I go back to every chapter and summarize in a statement or two the most impactful message(s). Like Ryan said, books are a conversation and I like to complete them before I take away the best parts
I just try to focus on the overall concepts that appear in the book and make up a context to give the book a sort of "joint idea". After that i write what i understood and was impactful from the book in a notebook as writing helps us put ideas together and memorize better. It works better for me than going through all that was described in the video. Understanding is different from memorization, going around memorizing ideas that fit nowhere in your life, because you thought they were quirky at one time is stupid. Whether you like it or not you're gonna forget it later on if it's not contextualized.
"You're better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection" That line struck me for good, every time I write essays or produce music, I get stuck in the feeling that it sucks and therefore I shouldn't finish the job, when it's better to just continue, finish whatever idea you got and then focus on doing it better next time instead of mourning how amateur your final product is. This is the first time I hear about Ryan Holiday, but I can tell he carries a lot of wisdom from ancient authors but there's a good chance that his first essays probably weren't really good compared to what he does now, we're only human after all.
Something which has always been effective for me is teaching someone the material afterward. The hard part is finding someone able to have a long-form conversation.
Have the conversation with yourself. Just pretend to teach an imaginary person out loud. I do it all the time when I'm driving somewhere alone. Ask yourself questions about the book and then answer them. Works for me.
I felt dumb throughout my school amd high school years because i just had terrible memory but that changed when I took a course named "Learning how to learn". Felt dumb to take that course at that time (when i was 20-21) but glad I did, it helped me form systems to learn and realising i liked to learn when i applied those systems, otherwise i used to just dread by imagining to open that book or textbook and start learning. Similarly just like this video says, when I read a book...I highlight the parts I like (I reread the highlights b4 starting the next chapter) and I keep a a huge notebook thats literally just "Quotes i like and interesting insights" i read the book once in a while. Now i noticed just like Ryan Holiday, Im able to recollect the quotes by other inspiring authors/individuals because of that Highlighting, Writing, Organising and Skimming. Its fixed in my Long term memory now. In the end its all about noting down (colourfully 😉) and rereading often.
"You are better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection", that's my takeaway of this video. What a phrase!!!
Loved this. I am a physician who also has several business ventures, and I work with mental health. That being said I have a huge library at home, and I tell people I have read half of all those books, “Half of each one!!” This summary of summarizing is perfect, I have tried it to some degree and you have pushed me to really get to it. Thanks!
One of my friends in graduate school never wrote down notes in class even when the professor asked him to take down, he would say yes I am taking down notes in my head, and everyone laughed and he smiled too. And, he was the best student. In one of the classes which happened to be the toughest, almost everyone dropped the course, he was one of the few left. I believe using mind properly needs training, skill & experience just like writing or any other skill. I also believe anchoring the details with some title or subject while reading keeps u focused and u improve your retention every day. Also, I believe regularly listening and relating to what u retained earlier even if it is fogged keeps u motivated to use your knowledge, specially when u write it down, your opinion. I believe reading & writing go hand in hand. You lose interest if u don't write. Writing is the motivation and improved reading and retention.
I like to re-read academic papers, I fall asleep while reading (low blood pressure) so I record (audio) what I read. I summarize each paragraph, decide if it is useful and add or discard it from my notes. I tried sticking to speed reading course, but demands of jobs are making it hard.
I used a system of summarizing hard facts onto one page - 10 sentence, circled key words and scribbled a logo for each in order to enlist both spatial and linguistic functions of my brain
@@GabrielCazorlaPersson1 That's so true. I used to not taking notes in one of my lecture, just actively listened and got a 93% on that course. When I start to take notes for everything the prof says, I lose focus in the lecture and have to make up for that time by trying to understand the material by myself when I study. The only reason was because the professor never post any slides for his students so the only thing I could do was trying to take notes during lecture. The class average on the midterm was 57% 😢
Im a visual learner, I get sleepy just reading boring black n white books, but I get excited if it has colorful pictures. I remember better that way because I am enjoying what I see at the same time learning it.
The best book I've ever read on the subject of memory is appropriately titled The Memory Book by Harry Loraine and Jerry Lucas. It is based on a few key principles. Two of which are described below. 1. Original Awareness. You have to be consciously involved in or aware of the new information to be learned. This principle seems to be at the core of the method in the video. You read, highlight, take notes on the material. But this is only one key step. 2. Make an association of the new information with something you already know. But do it in as ridiculous, outlandish, and silly kind of way. Say you have a shopping list you want to remember. First thing on the list is chicken breast, second on the list is grapefruit. Make a picture in your mind associating the chicken with the grapefruit. Maybe you picture millions of chickens with big pink grapefruits on their breasts. The sillier the better. And exaggerate. Then do the same for the grapefruit and the next thing on the list, etc. Here's a list I memorized from the book. Mind, I haven't opened or even had a copy of the book in years. Airplane, envelope, tree, earing, nose, salami, basketball, and star. Or a number. Numbers are very difficult unless you know the system taught by Lorraine and Lucas. I can recall this number anytime I want. 91859521639092112 I highly recommend getting the book, the original Memory Book, by Harry Lorraine and Jerry Lucas.
@@AHeroWith1000NamesIt was Aristotle or Plato, I believe, who used the loci method. He associated parts of a building, like a house, to the main ideas of a speech or other things to be remembered. This too is mentioned in The Memory Book.
memorising wont help you its a isolation , you just memorisation random thing using association i easily remember 100 words in 10 min but it will not help me if someone asked what is 50 word ? what is it means etc ..then you again start with 1 and find 50 th word .... mostly we should learn information like we give interview , if someone asked us we ready to say ....than taking more time to find words inside thats how memorisation and learning i use survey about topic , questions a lot of questions to develop curiosity , later after understanding well and analyse deeply and apply that information where it used , now i compare information with similar one what are the difference etc ...after all note taking and teach someone well and revision ........ any suggestion will help me , thanks for reading
i thought the memorising a number was cool (that someone else did memorising as well): i can recall 29041151983567 which is an old library card barcode that i had in 2nd grade
Top tip, the post it book marks being so close to the spine are going to be really hard to access. Better to place them on the vertical margin, so they pop out of the right hand side when the book is closed.
One of the most wonderful aspects of getting old (I'm 74) is that you can read a book and 2 years later read it again without thinking you've read it. I have so many "new" books.
This is called Reframing. Intellectuals have been doing this since the dawn of time. Reframing ideas in "your own words" (or storage system, with context) is the basis for all learning (just as metaphor is the basis for all thinking.) In fact, the fundamental core for reframing informs many things, from learning/remembering simple facts [from a book], to learning a new language. If you can't make something your own-by reframing it in terms you understand personally-it will be difficult to remember. This is why "immersion" is powerful when learning languages; everything you do-especially if you are forced to speak the new language despite your misgivings-creates personal context for each interaction. The same applies to reading, except you have to turn "passive reading" into an event-i.e., the "take action" method described in this video that has you retaining the knowledge you've just learned by inserting it into a "personal storage framework". BTW- the tactile "event" (of going analog) is much more powerful (and, I would argue, necessary) in creating personal context. I've also noticed that people who only read digital books simply do not retain anything they've read; the personal attachment to the book and/or ideas is not there. I can look at any book in my library and easily tell you the first words of every chapter, key arguments, ideas, etc. because I have a kinesthetic attachment to the event(s) (active learning) I assumed while reading the book. You simply cannot achieve this with digital reading or "internet research".
Amazing. Loved the part where Ryan shares that his system has been changing in the last three years and is continuing to change - might even become digital, he adds. It is so nice to see the quality of allowing the process and imperfection of things, rather than trying to find an absolute answer or method right now.
I started doing this a while ago for exactly this reason. I was reading so much and getting so much inspiration I didn’t know where to put it all. For me, I use a Miro Board. It not only helps me keep my minimalism 😅… but helps me to make cross references as well. Totally transforming for knowledge. 🙏
Omgosh! I highlight the books I read. A temporary experience in college, I would use index cards as well to recall info. Thank you. I'm happy to see this reminder in this channel.
I see your next video is already about it, but for anyone wanting to “study ahead” you should check out either Obsidian or Notion for digital notetaking. Really great digital systems to organize your notes and connect them thematically. Unsure whether its as good for memory retention as physical writing, but some things don’t need to be instantly recallable either. Just having your own encyclopedia of ideas to look up can be extremely valuable.
Yes, digital note taking is more convenient. I love the feel of pen and paper but there's no denying practicality. Especially for people who do not like too many stuff in possession and/or move around the world.
I like to write on every page of my books, put a sticky note heading on pages that move me deeply, and then take anywhere between 2-10 pages of notes after completing the book (depending on how valuable I deemed the material). It's a very slow method of reading, but it's active and allows me to practice how I might talk about what I've learned in the writing process.
I literally just started my masters program and I’ve been looking for ways to retain the extensive info. Thank you for this video and thank you to Ryan.
I have tons of glossaries and put words in categories in order to learn languages. I speak six languages and have worked as a professional interpreter for 30 years. I have to instantly come up with equivalents for words and expressions while simultaneously interpreting. Knowing lots of synonyms is essential. Through the process of writing words down, finding equivalents in two languages and organizing them into categories, I memorize them. I also try to use them in sentences.
Can you share the most important tips that you have so far? I'm struggling a lot with grammar and rules and even though I know is not necessary to know them, almost everyone says it its important to really become kind of fluent
@@paolaguzmanjimenez581 Learn in context. Seek out all of the words and phrases you need to express your thoughts. When you read, watch videos or listen to people be aware of the phrases and write down anything you want to remember. Use phrases as patterns to internalize structures. Write out the things you want to be able to talk about (political views for example) and seek out the expressions you need. Memorize the keywords and phrases and then try to spontaneously talk about the subject. Record your voice and then evaluate what you said. It's all about discovering the language and then practicing it. The more you talk about the same subject, the easier the words will come. Speak with native speakers as much as possible. www.lingqcom.com is great because it has tons of content (audio and text). You will discover vocab, phrases and pronunciation. Keep a glossary of the things you learn. www.youglish.com is amazing for verifying pronunciation. Use www.wordreference.com for your bilingual dictionary, conjugator and many other things. Try to think in the language and talk to yourself throughout the day. You'll start to discover which things you don't know and that way you will be able to look them up. It's really about being proactive and seeking out the language. The more passionate you are, the easier it will be to make it a lifestyle.
Look, there's no need to complicate this. Ask anybody from medical school (I'm a doctor) and they can tell you how to memorize textbooks. The key here is just rote learning, and I did it and was able to memorize not one but several textbooks, and I did it all digitally. Here's how: Step 1: Store an interesting/important fact on a card (physical or digital). Step 2: On the opposite side of the card, ask yourself a question that stimulates your brain to recall the answer. Step 3: Turn the card around if you cannot remember the answer, but make sure you revisit the same card again relatively soon (i.e. 10 minutes later). Step 4: If you can remember the answer, then revisit the card again relatively further in the future (i.e. 24 hours later, 1 week later, 1 month later, etc) Step 5: Rinse and repeat until you memorize the entire book Non-fiction books do not present information the way textbooks do, because the authors tend to beat around the bushes to 'bring you on a journey'. But you can still apply the same method if you want to memorize it. The real question(s) is this: Do you want to treat your favourite non-fiction book like a textbook? Why are you reading this? What is the information used for? To impress yourself or a guest at a dinner party? To pass exams? I've read countless non-fiction books and believe me when I say this. There is a reason why you can remember some facts while others you can't - that's because some facts are just interesting, but not meaningful to you. More is not always better, and not remembering everything you read is not a bad thing.
Cant agree more. There is difference between reading textbook and non-fiction book. I think many of the reader want that to impress others. There should be certain things left for pleasure rather than making everything a burden.
We learned this stuff in school. You focus on the subject singularly, pay attention knowing you MUST understand what is being taught, take notes so that you retain the information for review, and then actually review it. That should essentially help program what you learned out of a textbook into your brain. That's how we learn math, science and everything else in school. That's what schools teach us how to do, maybe without realizing, but I believe that is the fundamentals behind being schooled by teachers on any given subject (I understand the things they choose to teach us are often useless out in the real world, but the bigger lesson to take away is that you were taught the fundamentals of how to absorb information and retain it). Why would it be any different when it comes to reading books of your choice rather than a textbook? The problem is that people have a tendency to be casual with their readings knowing they're not necessarily going to have to write an essay on it or get quizzed about it. Your attention level would increase by several notches if you thought you'd get tested on whatever book you're reading. Follow the steps you learned in school if you truly want to remember what you read. Just know that it requires you to behave as if you're in school but voluntarily. Most people don't have that kind of discipline. I do agree, though. Learning a single life lesson out of a book is a powerful thing. You don't have to focus so intensely because you'll still tend to get value out of good books, but if you DO have the desire to remember what you read at a student's level, the option to be laser-focused is available and it is proven to work. Looks like you learn a lot in school after all.
I liked your comment. When I read nonfiction books I actually take notes on a separate note pad that would correspond to that book and learn the book exactly how I learned in school! I also use colored highlight pens and I like to be able to refer back to my notes when I want to recall some thing more specific. If I was a writer like Ryan Holiday, I would love to transfer my notes onto note cards and file them in themes -which would further strengthen my recall, but I don’t write for a living. Good idea though. His system is called a “common-place book”.
To a certain degree yes. Even this method failed many of us in school thought. The key is engaging w the material, the more concrete de engagement the better. That's why places like Singapore have better educational results because instead of just reading and taking notes the actively engage w concrete material. Those types of experiences have given me the longer term memory of things then the notes I took.
@@Rafa-nn3zw alright…. However, in Singapore HOW do they discern what the concrete part of the material they are studying is? Even more so… how do they engage with said concrete material? What do they do exactly?
Amazimng comment, I loved it. I always thought it like you, and I love to take notes in the margins of the books that I read, but ur comment and this video made me think about it that I can do it even better like exactly when I was in school or university. Greetings from Argentina my friend !
When I use a highlighter I don't highlight entire lines of text. That takes more time and uses up more of the highlighter. Instead I just use parentheses or brackets around the text I want to set apart. And I never use yellow because it fades away over time. I also dog ear very important pages. I don't rewrite that stuff onto cards - that would take forever. I just reread my favorite books more than once, especially the highlighted parts. If I were going to create some kind of system like this I would probably do it on the computer using voice to text software so that I don't have to write or type it all out. Which would save a lot of time. You could then have a different document or file for each topic and save them to the appropriate place. Then you wouldn't have to take up a bunch of space with actual cards and a file system.
It's a great idea at uni when you often have over 16 chapters to read on one subject in just one semester from different books, but when it's about reading books more for yourself I prefer let's call it - older system
Just started reading 3 months ago. After every chapter I read, I like to write 3-5 bullet points on my takeaways from the chapter. I also write in the margins on pages with great info/research. And lastly, I use a sticky note for something really key, and I try to limit it to 5 per book. Maybe I can minimize my process, but it works for me!
I started my commitment to this system when Ryan said, "You're better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection". I always feel my system has to be perfect from the start and it has paralyzed me for the last time! Thank you for the content.
Well this system is what I've used from university and it all came to me all of a sudden, I took notes and then found our my visual memory can always remember my notes, whether I go back to those notes or not I would remember them for a long time but having this system taken to a next level would even help more I guess. There are also ways to take digital notes as well like keep notes from Google :) . Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge with us Matt :) .
This notecard method is exactly how I was taught to write research papers in high school, but for some reason I never thought to apply it to my personal reading.
I tried it. I went at it with a few books - using a pen and a highlighter, and made notes in the margin. The library fined me the replacement cost of the books.
I used his exact system to make it through my undergrad with flying colors. Now I’m in graduate school and I’ve been struggling, well it’s because it’s 100% online! I forgot about index cards!! This is finals week for me and I swear I feel like I hit a gold mine with this video. Going to start making my cards now! Thanks!!
I am lucky enough to be able to retain masses of information I have read. This comes in real handy for my job, as I constantly have to absorb masses of information and keep up to date. I do it by explaining the paragraph or page to myself. Literally talk my way through it and if I can’t I’ll recap it. Arguably this is what you’re doing, however I bypass the note cards. If you could hear what is going on in my head you’d probably think I was mad. It takes quite a while to read a chapter in this way too. That’s the downside. This comes in handy for passing exams as well which I do a lot of.
I am a pharmacist and I remember using nearly the same system to remember stuff. It was a huge lot of stuff. And anyone in any medical school will say the same. Either you remember it all or you flunk. Noway out. So I say the above is tried and tested. It's works out real great. And I did my studies in 4 years with an average memory.
@@alison3356 that's a subjective thing.. I highly recommend explore yourself... Go and see how pharmacist works.. This method worked for me in deciding what I want...
I like to jot a little summary of each chapter onto the TABLE OF CONTENTS page (if there's space.. usually there is) Writing the summary helps me remember, because I am WRITING and SUMMARIZING. Then, when I re-visit the book - all the information is available at one glance - on one page - with my writing. And, it's very easy to remember and refresh my memory.
I personally use Anki Universal. It’s a system that you can install in your computer or mobile device. Basically it’s a flash card and it helps to recall the information faster than before
There's really something to be said for the physical action of writing something down with pen and paper when it comes to memory. Back when I was in college, studying theatre, when I needed to memorize a monologue I would basically sit and write it out in a notebook over and over until I could do it without looking at the text. I've always retained more information from things I have physically written down rather than typed up on a computer, even if I never look at those notes again just the act of writing it is enough to make the information stickier in my brain.
The way that I haven't read due to the indecision of going analog or digital. Love the message that it doesn't have to be perfect and to just start. Will definitely start working on a system that is best for me and actually start reading more. Another banger of a video.
a treasure trove of valuable insights! The human mind is a magnificent tool, and understanding how memory works is key to unlocking its full potential. The techniques shared here resonate deeply, and I especially appreciate the emphasis on active engagement with information. Sending blessings of clarity and focus to everyone reading this. May your learning journeys be filled with joy and discovery!
The most important thing is everyone is different. For me writing something down that I just read would bore me to death and my mind would wander off of topic. I take notes when being spoken to and just visualize what I read and when recollection is needed I go back to the visualizations and remember what I read or wrote.
Inside all the books I've read that are on my shelves u will find 1 to 2 pieces of paper tucked into it with the books highlights scribbled on them. Kind of like that books spark notes. I've always done this since college, and i have found even if I don't precisely remember EVERYTHING in a book, i can always grab it from my shelf, open the cover, grab that folded sheet, and immediately recall 80% of that book. It's insane how well this works, and I've always stuck to it.
Very great video. It's interesting to me that we're at a point in time where the once most basic and common way of reading and retaining information read in a book has apparently almost been forgotten and is being reintroduced to society. I came here expecting some new trick or technique but found it was the same thing I was taught in elementary school decades (several *cough cough*) ago. Sometimes the old ways still work, as demonstrated here. I think one of our shortcomings as a society is that we've focused so much on the whats, we've stopped teaching the hows and whys. The older generations have stopped imparting these types of things to the newer generations and then get frustrated.
Huge thanks to Ryan Holiday for taking the time to chat! I’d def recommend adding Courage Is Calling to the top of your reading list! 👍 amzn.to/3K207XF
Sure
May all the good, happiness, mercy, blessings and prosperity of both worlds be your destiny
Miss theses videos
@@mohamedkotb2153 The highlighter Matt's using looks like a Uni Promark View but you can also get Sharpie Clear View which is similar.
thank you so much for all your videos Matt! i love you bro!
I learned a fast way to improve my memory of books in college. Instead of highlighting phrases, sentences or paragraphs I would highlight only one word in an important section. The key was to highlight a word that would make me question why I had underlined that word. For example, in the sentence "Studies show aspirin use to be associated with reduced risk for a number of cancers including prostate, pancreatic, and rectal" (Source: "Surviving Cancer Covid-19 & Disease, The Repurposed Drug Revolution" by Justus R. Hope, M.D.) I would highlight one word like "risk" so that when I scan through the book later my curiosity makes me ask "What's this about risk?", or I might underline "aspirin" so that when I see it later I think "What's this about aspirin?"
This way I can quickly reinforce the key points by scanning the book several times until I can recall all the important points.
bro sited his sources, respect
thank you for sharing! ❤
That’s honestly really smart thanks for this advice
thank you for sharing something profound
this is really useful, thank you so so much for sharing this :D
“Imperfect Action is better than Perfect Inaction” Most important takeaway is to just get started, make it a regular habit, and you will discover what works for you well, whether it be highlighting stuff, keep a journal, or just re reading those books again 🙂✌🏼
Well said. I am definitely saving that quote
@@Gruso57 How does "Perfect inaction" make sense to you? 😀 I think this quote tries too hard to sound really good when it actually has no meaning
This quote has actually a lot of meaning. Many people nowadays tend to not get started with something because they try relentlessly to have the perfect system before they start. Don’t chase perfection, chase action, perfection will come with time.
That’s the takeaway here
@@raunopisa6832 It makes complete sense to me. I'm definitely guilty of 'perfect inaction' and tend to get discouraged from even starting things I fear I'm not going to do perfectly. That fear can feel almost paralyzing and becomes extremely self-limiting.
True. Don't kill yourself for experimenting. It should be a form of playing or toying, not destroying yourself if you don't reach perfection or progress.
“You are better off starting imperfectly than being paralysed by the hope or delusion of perfection”
Loved this statement and it hit deep
Same!
Yep, it's like "paralysis through analysis" - you get so caught up analysing the different ways to do a task or project that you NEVER start the task or project itself.
A baby doesn't wait until it can walk perfectly before walking... it falls down many, many times, but each time it get just a little better at it, then suddenly it puts two or three steps together, then four, then five... and it's walking!
i found a similar quote from Atomic Habits: "A habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can't learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis.
You have to standardize before you can optimize."
Another thing is many people get caught up in the numbers game.
"Oh , I read 10 books last month. "
Instead focus on one or two great books a month!
Im learning chinese
So easy to forget in 5 min
Hope i remember this video
i remembered the video but forgot the content 🥹
you got it king,unlike me who has to figure out how to memorize bible
@@zhanucong4614ask God for help
😂😂
😂😂😂
Memory is derivative of necessity. It's similar to learning a language (either your first or a foreign language) -- we don't learn by passively absorbing what others say, but by feeling a need to speak in a way that's understood by others. Same with retaining information in books. Memory is created not when you passively receive some idea, but when you feel a need to explain it to someone else.
Read every book as though you intend to be able to teach the same ideas to others.
The more connections between neurons the stronger the memory. Envision a mind map that spreads out from this one keyword. "Apple"--> Tree, plant, fruit, tasty, red, green, round, tart..etc etc ... The more networked the idea, the more it sticks.
When I try to remember someone's name, I ask for also their family name. Rather just "Tony", its "Tony Montana". Two neurons connected to each other. Tony and Montana. It is twice as likely to stick.
@@1WhoConquers nice recommendation champ, thank you for the effort
Babies acquire language by chunks and memorise the ones that make sense to them. Time to go to bed ( five words) but because a baby has no clue what a word is and because he only hears sounds, he hears : timetogotobed ( one chunk). Hearing a perfect prononciation with intonation, swa etc. And of course he realises that the same things happen immediately after, he goes to bed. So in his brain association between what is said and what happens after. This repeats every day during one, two or more years explain how babies start to speak. Chunks and repetitions are the solutions.
@@aquarius4953 The best, most accurate scientific research shows that memory and learning (especially when it comes to acquiring language proficiency) is more a matter of the desire to be understood than to understand. It's less about receiving, and more about transmitting. That's how the brain works.
Language isn't learnt through memory like the way you describe. It's an acquired skill that is subconsciously acquired much like learning martial arts. And we only learn language through passive listening and reading.
Great video:
1. Read a book. Analog is better than digital.
2. Don’t be scared to take notes in the book, Highlight, book mark. You’ll have to build a system.
3. When you’re done, go through all the notes that stood out to you and write them on flash cards.
4. Digest the information, think of ways to use it.
5. Enjoy the process!! Take your time.
6. ORGANIZE ALL YOUR NOTES. File them in separate boxes.
If you connect all idea.. Will be perfect.. You czn t remember whzt you can’t connect
@@nextgroup8262 that is the point is build mental map to conect the ideas
2. Don't be scared to take notes in the book
The book is from the library 💀
There's a better explanation to this, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING:
✍ write it - the 🧠 physical process
👀 analyze/critique/organize
Vocalize it out loud - record it - listen 👂to your recording
Does it sound correct?
Share it - 🧍♂️ 👨👧 - 🧠 "I need to recall what I wrote and vocalize it to another person, will they understand it?" "Do I need to rephrase it?" (This will force you to teach and to see if you are missing anything.)
This entire process works wonders, the practice creates different path ways making it easier to recall the same information.
Now, there's other techniques supported by science like pomodoro technique and at what times is our brain plasticity and elasticity at best condition to learn.
thanks
When you want to retain what you learn while you're learning:
1.) Take conscious time in taking down key notes you want to remember.
2.) When done, Review your notes, revise when necessary.
3.) Apply what you have learned in the real world (In this case, its the organizing and categorizing into a box).
4.) Repeat. You get better at it and can develop a system that suits better for you.
Also, read same chunks again couple of times and try to repeat them out loud to yourself after each reading if its something you want to stick with you
@M43K you do you, but it has been shown it is better to do it out loud, you memorise it better and (not always important but quite often) you learn to project it way better since you are actively projecting it
Thank you so much
Thank you for that. You are so cute
Also, teach it. Teaching something is fullest way of “re-membering” something.
The key to remembering anything is BEING PRESENT IN EVERY MOMENT. When you are present, the memories create themselves organically.
underrated comment
Eh..... not so fast. When you are talking about experiences perhaps, but when it comes to studying and understanding that's another story. You can be present but barely remember facts from recent reading.
What about those of us who are attacked with traumatization as adults ? Jerks know stress impairs memory. When you gain assets, they use stress to STEAL them! John 10:10.
If you have been PRESENT IN EVERY MOMENT you wouldn’t come to see this video!!!! 😅😅😅
@@Allyza01 This topic fascinates me, so I watched the video purely for fun! 😉
What works for me is to learn or study with the intention of teaching it later on. This gives the brain a real life application to memorize it better.
Excellent advice that works perfect also for me!
I'm going to apply this. Thanks!
Excellent input
i think this method is better
feynman technique
As any university student knows, using Holiday's technique is definitely the most effective route but by far the longest. I tried his technique a year ago in university, and it worked great. By the mid-semester test, I nailed it - a 50% increase in grade from all previous tests for my courses. However, come the end of semester test, not only was I unprepared but my knowledge and notes were five whole weeks behind. Obviously this is a skill worth practicing, but just be aware that it's not easy to develop straight away. I still find myself over-highlighting and taking too many notes because almost every sentence has value. A 30 page anthropology reading quickly turns into a 3 hour expedition, and there goes my day. It's far better to accept prior to reading that, when time is on your shoulder, you won't remember everything.
I'd say that it's more about reading less books but with more intention. There's often more knowledge to be learnt in a single book than the knowledge gained by reading 100 books without intention.
yeah but you're supposed to squeeze it and then write it down, not just write everything valuable down.
I agree, this system seems a bit too time consuming, and you may still not have full retention of everything you've highlighted in the book after the process is over. I feel like this is good for if you read a book and later on want a summary of key points / lessons / takeaways, then you can just go to your filed index cards to get that information. If you really want to be able to read a book and have retention from memory this method isn't for that... you need to find a way to relate information in books relative to your life or things you've already learnt. I guess this is where the "intention" you mentioned comes in, reading without any intention on what you want to get out of book will give you poor results, you need to have a purpose for information in order to retain it.
@@hanguistic This is because the system was made by authors who have nothing else to do except gather knowledge like this so time is a resource they have plenty of
I have a similar problem. Studying musicology, need to read and respond to lots of articles. I’m a slow reader. I spent 3 hours on 5 pages of dense text, simply trying to comprehend what I was reading. Granted I was trying to get as much to say about it as I can for my essay, but I can’t find any other method that helps me remember and understand what I read without delving intentionally into each paragraph and how it ties with the next. Then ofcourse 3 pages later everything makes sense and is in reference to eachother…. THEN I am meant to compare it to another article who has a different perspective on the matter… Like, what do I do?
@@hanguistic and second of all, retention doesn't come from writing things down.
"You better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or delusion of perfection" got me!
Same, it's such a memorable and such a resonating quote, really hit me to the core.
And that quote is what I will remember most from this video.
Love this❤
'It's better to start off imperfectly rather than be paralysed by the hope or delusion of perfection'.
Thank you Ryan.
When I was a kid I was to be able to read any book and summarize almost everything in it. My teacher ask me to summarize all the points we read yesterday for a student who missed class. Almost word for word I said everything that happened and finished exactly where we left off, my teacher accidently blurted out you so smart. I laughed because I though see was over exaggerating but turns out to be very hard for most adults to do this . After a decade of tik- tok I find myself finding it hard to remember what I did this morning let alone a book I read I month ago. I'm hoping after a social media detox I get my brain back to that exact point.
Is it really from the dopamine problem from Social Media, I was thinking the same thing I have to do.
This is what happens if you do anything in excess, leave something to mold-up. Change is always the constant.
This conclusion is definitely one of the solutions to these problems!Try this!If we can give years to social media, we can definitely give a month to this idea and evaluate ourselves to see the result.And I'm 💯 sure it will bring a positive outcome only because this is realtime work than elusion of social media!
Ngl even having the phone around makes a difference it could be a mindset thing, i had trouble sleeping but when i sleep without my phone around me i sleep much better
This is me reminding you to get back on that detox 💪 perseverance is key 🏆
9:58 - 10:04 BEST QUOTE🌟
“You’re better off starting imperfectly, than
being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection”
--Ryan Holiday
Yes, agreed!! The act of getting started is better than being perfect is another way to look at it!! 😊
Such an inspiration for someone who thinks himself of being a perfectionist but this thought always keeps him away from getting into the work...life-saving I must say😅😊
“You’re better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or delusion of perfection.” I love that!
It marked me too
I’m 19 and I honestly feel like a dunbass due to the fact that I can’t simply remember anything I read
Same here bro
Same lol
What did you say?
Until I was twenty, I hated reading, and I thought I was stupid. I started reading at the age of 21, when I started studying psychology at University. In the past 4 years, I have read about 200 books. My recall of the books I read is very good; I can usually remember not just the main points, but also the arguments, stories, case studies and jokes. When someone talks about a psychological theory, I can usually remember the name of the theory, the name of the author and the name of the books or articles.
I think the most important things that work for me are (1) I only read something when im really interested in it. If I'm not interested in it, I try to get back my curiosity by reminding myself why I wanted to read the book in the first place. If the emotion is not there, there's no point in reading, so I do something else until the desire is back. (2) I highlight everything I find interesting. Not just the interesting facts or theories, but also interesting stories or funny jokes. (3) I make sure that there is some kind of output; I write papers (for myself), I talk about it with others, or I teach workshops about it. Recall is like a muscle, you can train it, and get better at it. Now, I can read for hours without pause and remember everything that I read. But interest and curiosity are always driving the learning process.
(Also, I have a book instagram called mind.readr, where I review and summarize books on psychology, philosophy and psychotherapy)
This actually describes me well. I started reading close to the age of 21 and not because of revision but out of fun. Me and this friend chatted about books and characters and we would give them realistic powers. I started to hit the books and read articles or watch videos on it. I started to get into science. I was already familiar with it due to taking it on my A levels (sadly I failed and gave up never looking back until not long ago). But all of a sudden my comprehension levels increased and the points would stick after several days.
I started to up a notch and pick up physics books. I only did philosophy, bio and chem. But phys wasn't my specialty. I hadn't done it in a while still I absorbed the info as if watching my favourite series or listening to an audio of a preferred book. Now im starting to take it more seriously since I never thought I was capable of this. I dont want to stick to one subject but maybe 10 or even 40 haha. But its good to have a friend around. He wants to become an engineer so its easier to explain the scientific details to him. Right now he isnt invested.... YET.
As for me I am I just have to convince him. So I can show him the beauty of reading. Of trying and giving yourself a chance.
Thank you for this im going to try❤
Well done 👏
If you like knowing facts and understand yourself and why we are here...u can read Quran.. I guess your reading skills will be good in reading Quran and understanding it.
Awesome
That's the truth
Wow sure going to try this
"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
@Trinity M Highly doubt the Emerson quote was used in any way to undermine the video. Most likely it was used as an example of a very successful academic who seemingly, from the statement, achieved a lot while simultaneously not retaining everything. I think it fits the aim of the video quite nicely.
@Trinity M mesmo que você não consiga se lembrar de tudo que leu no seu consciente, tudo que você consome, comida, notícias, livros vão fazer parte do que você se tornará.
i was about to comment this! for some kind of non fiction books, I do use a system close to the one matt showed here. but for the most part, I get some comfort in this quote and don’t actually do all of that
@Trinity M wanted to highlight that we often underestimate our unconscious memory, which can sometimes be even more powerful than conscious memory. Not at all to undermine the video
The guy remembers all that stuff because he is probably telling people those quotes day in and day out. That's his life. You remember stuff you talk about and think about all the time.
Exactly...!
This what i shared in a different comment...
There's a better explanation to this, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING:
✍ write it - the 🧠 physical process
👀 analyze/critique/organize
Vocalize it out loud - record it - listen 👂to your recording
Does it sound correct?
Share it - 🧍♂️ 👨👧 - 🧠 "I need to recall what I wrote and vocalize it to another person, will they understand it?" "Do I need to rephrase it?" (This will force you to teach and to see if you are missing anything.)
This entire process works wonders, the practice creates different path ways making it easier to recall the same information.
Now, there's other techniques supported by science like pomodoro technique and at what times is our brain plasticity and elasticity are at best condition to learn.
not always true, when i read something 99,9% of the time i remember it. especially if i can aply it or if i know why im reading it.
Yeah, when you read something you really can not remember it instantly, but when you share that with your friends or family, or students, anyone around you, you will be good at telling it, it's like you are practicing how to tell people who are not yet reading the book, so you will really remember what you shared.
@@lilith4258 no no cap i can
Exactly. I was a philosophy major and it’s become a huge part of my life. That being said, I remember very little about existentialism simply because I don’t talk about it much and don’t keep up with the modern discourse. However, I’m constantly talking about ethics with friends, so I remember most of what I read about the topic.
I used to also think I have forgotten everything I have read from the self-improvement books, but then I realized that my brain have kept them and is using the informations that I need according to the situations I go through in life, so yes if someone asks me what did you learn from a specific book I cannot tell them, but I know that my brain retains and uses the information from the books in my life🥰
I agree with this and have found this to also be true in my experience. What I have also believe is happening is when you read things that your mind has no attachment to, no previous experience, no prior reference to that knowledge or insight it goes into your memory somewhere but it's loosely attached in your mind. That somehow becomes harder to recall, reference that knowledge somehow. It's still in there, but it has no real attachement to any prior memory, experience or anything else. It becomes harder to remember or recall. However, when that knowledge as you read oir learn it can be tied to an experience, some prior knowledge, pain point in learning, some other things in your mind that it can correlate that info or map it to that thing, i find for me i have much easier time recalling that information or remembering it. It would seem that the mind has mapped the info to many other things for referencing and thus out the blue you can recall it, remember it, or not find it hard to retrieve when you think about it. At least in my experience that is what it seem is somewhat happening.
@@ardentdfender4116 what if the book was medical ? 😐
Bingo!
subconsciously retaining that information
@@sky-wf2fe i get what she's saying but seems impractical for academic books
“You’re better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or delusion of perfection” well said and great advice for just about anything goal in life
❤ Yes, agree!
Honestly, the information being provided by the fellow viewers in the comments section is no less than a book in itself. Thanks for sharing such good quotes and ideas. I appreciate it. We all appreciate it.
True.
Recently finished 'Wealth's Loyal Companion: The Uncharted Path to Prosperity,' and it's an eye-opener. It brilliantly goes beyond finances, offering insights into a well-rounded life. The book's blend of true success stories and actionable advice is fantastic. It really drives home the importance of discipline and continuous growth. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enhance their life in a meaningful way!
1- Take conscious time in taking down notes you want to remember.
2- When done, Review your notes.
3- Apply what you have learned in your life i.e. real world
4- Repeat. You get better at it and can develop a system that suits better for you.
EDIT:Thanks for the likes
Thank you 🤗🤗🤗
Why? Just why you copied that comment?
@@vil-mo man I didn't know I will get that many likes
Thanks for saving my time
Avoid Plagiarism man
Matt D’Avella out here doing all the work and putting in the hours so we can watch a 10 minute video and improve our lives. You’re a gem, Matt!
he does this for money.
Yes. Thanks for keeping us dumb matt.
@@azca. everybody works for money, this is a capitalist system we live under after all, nonetheless his content is great - and this video does help people
you're watching this for free
@@teatei9524 nothing is free.
My favourite is the Feynman technique, named after the physicist Richard Feynman. To summarise, when you come across a quote you like, close your eyes for 30 seconds and try to recall what you've just read as many times you can. You'll find that you may not be able to recall every single word accurately but you'll get the gist of what the author was saying.
A wise saying once said, “Repetition is the mother of learning”
The way our brains & neurons work are very similar. By learning new things, we establish new neural links in our brain, & with repetition we consolidate these neural links to become stronger & and easier to remember when we want to retrieve what we learned.
This doesn’t apply just to things we read, but to almost every activity we have ever done or learned since birth. By repetition over and over again, we consolidated it to become a part of us.
"Awaken Giant within " by Tony robbines , part 6 : neuro association conditioning .
I just finish this chapter he explains deeply about how our nervous system work and how we controll our neurons empowering or desempowering. Thanks 😊
I recently learned that from Atomic Habits which I recently read. That was actually one of my favorite tidbits I got from the book!
Repetition is more important than time or general effort or willpower.
The success of your goals will consolidate your success
" How To Read a Book " was a great help and very informative. It dismissed some of the tips made here, for example, immediately taking notes from the beginning. It suggested you read everything about the book initially, that is the blurb on the cover, the preface/ introduction, the index. Once you begin, read quickly through the book and get a general "feel" what it's about and being said. Then go on to a second reading where you read more carefully and take notes, but not heavily annotated. A third and subsequent readings will be much more in depth & you will have conversations with yourself about the book as if you were describing the work to another person.
This method really does work, I've applied it for nearly 30 years and my efficiency for reading is so vastly improved. I'm not disappointed.
That seems like a great way to attain the knowledge, but at the same time it makes sense that reading the book 3 times would allow you to remember it than just reading it once!
@@ProcrastiNathan87 ig he is talking about academic books
Used that in college and works great. There was not so muchb internet then.
I called it quadruple reading.
When I was younger, I devoured pretty much every work of fiction I could get my hands on. Fantasy, sci-fi, action adventure, westerns, whodunnit, romance, it was all good.
As I got older, the idea of escapism held less and less appeal, and I got more into non-fiction. Hard core stuff like computer programming textbooks and history, but also self-help.
Reading non-fiction is a VERY different experience, and to really _benefit_ from it, I found I had to approach it with a different _attitude._ As in, _expect_ to learn something. But more than that.
Whether for real or just in my head, what really helped was diving into the book with the expectation that I'm going to be _teaching_ this stuff. Whether it's a class, a book of my own, or even just a RUclips video about the book doing a review or a synopsis, bottom line is, I'm not just reading it for _me._
Two tools/techniques that have proved to be an _incredible_ resource in that regard... (1) Mind Mapping, and (2) Photoreading.
Plenty of content about Mindmapping already so I won't dive into it here, but basically it's doing an outline, but with pictures and doddles as much as words, and connected not in a structured way we're taught in school, but more like a neural network. You know, how your brain _actually_ works. This really gets the mental juices flowing.
Photoreading, when you just look into it lightly, almost seems like an esoteric occult-like how is this even possible technique, and that's part of why it's probably not gotten as much attention as mindmapping. But regardless of that, the useful technique that can be learned here is the _preparation._ Unlike fiction where you _want_ to be surprised and entertained, with non-fiction it's a good idea to do a thorough _preview_ of what you're about to read. Thoroughly examine and meditate on the table of contents, scan the index and glossary if there is one, do a quick page flip and get an overview of the contents of each chapter _before_ you dive in and read the thing word-for-word. Train your brain on _what to expect_ before you take the deep plunge and bury your nose in the pages.
just wondering, what authors you used to read in fiction?
@@rodrigocamacho8834 Off the top of my head in no particular order... Clive Cussler, Larry Niven, Michael Crichton, Raymond Feist, P.N. Elrod, Tom Clancy, Stephan King, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, John Grisham, Robert E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Michael Moorcock, Isaac Asimov, Robin Cook, David Eddings, Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weiss... many more
I use the rubber duck method for pretty much anything. If you can instruct it - you understand it. Well, at least when learning new principles, ideas, philosophies etc, not as a general rule of a thumb for the most efficient method.
I love how you wrote mystery as "whodunnit" lol
@@vectorsahel5420 A fellow poet once used to get really annoyed with me when he ran across a word in my verse that he didn't know, and then couldn't find in the dictionary. Hey, I'm a wordsmith and artist. If I can't find a word that suits me, I'll make it up. Some of them have even found their way into the dictionary. :-)
As a writer, I was attracted to the idea of “a book a day,” 5 books a week. But I never did this. Instead I read challenging books, taking notes and underline but most importantly not rushing a book for the sake of pride but engaging with it critically. Inputs to outputs of unconscious is an AMAZING thing. When I’m like “ok recall” it’s “crickets” but when my pen hits the page the recall from the unconscious has been life changing and motivating. VERY rewarding. As I mature I have been much more focused on the substance rather than mere appearances that because you read a ton of books quickly I will somehow be a stronger intellect. “Atta boy” on behalf of pride and ego, no thanks! The notecard filing system is a brilliant nugget to aid this process of recall and critical thinking.
Can you elaborate on the "engaging with it critically."
@@ThePowerninja101 - Yes! How I engage with a book critically is something like analyzing it through the lens of historical significance and why? Why? What big ideas are present here and why? Why? What about philosophy? How would I view this through a psychological lens? Through the lens of phenomenology in what phenomenon are observable to me and how? How would I view this through a literary lens? Through the lens of faith and myth. Logos. Something like this, etc… It’s about thinking. I underline. I write what I think in regards to what I read when it intrigues me, when. How does it map into my current “work?” And my current world view? Henry Ford emphasized the power of thinking as well as Einstein. Why aren’t all of those jeopardy winners running the world? Oh yes! Because wisdom is not about memorization but real time thinking as regards to current situation. This has been massively helpful to me in actually becoming the “man.”
@@johnnyroycerichardsoniii3273 I agree with this wholeheartedly! One can read a thousand books and still know nothing. It all depends on how you use that knowledge and think about different perspectives and frameworks. ´Why?' is essential.
What notecard filing system are you mentioning?
Same. I tried to do a monthly reading list so I could fly through my endless TBR pile, but found I enjoyed reading less due to my self-imposed deadlines. Taking time to read is definitely a better way to digest everything!
I think the best way to recall what you learn is to use the data as soon as possible, even if its just jotting stuff down and discussing it with friends...playing around with it in as many ways you can think of, so you create "doingnesses", which solidify things in your mind.
Right
I think I have an interesting perspective on this as a physics student who does a lot of reading for research and personally, so here's a quick take on how to remember things.
I think the most important way to remember is not to view it as a fact that is an individual byte of data to be memorized. Almost everything is related, and together you can put things into this giant tapestry thay becomes much easier to decipher the more you add to it. It's almost like the more you read, the easier it can be to remember, because the ideas already been seen before, and it relates to another 5 or 10 ideas that are known.
I know personally this has been helpful while I learn about more complex things, ie Compton scattering, and then am able to slowly relate it back to things I've seen, and now that concept is comfortably stored, and used to reinforce other concepts.
Charlotte Mason, a British educator of 100 years ago, called this the Science of Relations and that facts should not be learned apart from ideas. 🙂 I followed her philosophy for homeschooling my children.
I was going to make this same point as someone who went through a physics degree! No one cares if you’ve memorized the formula for the circumference of a circle or Newton’s Laws or the Pythagorean theorem if you can’t apply them to things. Memorization is not something the brain is designed for. It’s designed to solve problems (which is what actually makes people “smart”) and the only way you’ll memorize things is by putting them all together in a way that holds meaning.
You're right, but it takes a bit to get there. For example, if you don't know calculus, then deriving the equations for motion may be difficult. So you just memorize them. However if you know calculus, then as you suggest, you can tie the tapestry together. Good luck with studies by the way.
That is very similar for me as a historian. Information needs to connect to other information. Historic events or people are connected to others in the same time, or to causes and consequences before and after. During university, I only ever memorized dates for my two gib oral exams - most of them just stuck because I knew things about them. Very different from the mindless memorizing they wanted at school. ;-)
@Gibran Camus palimpsest - thanks for the new vocab.
For those who like digital, there's a whole world of what's called Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). With apps like Obsidian, you can keep a "second brain" with things you've learned and notes from books you've read. This is even easier if you read digital because there's a plugin to import all your kindle notes. However, like this video mentioned, there's a different between note taking and note making. Note taking consists of things like highlighting and writing in the margins. Note making is putting what you're learning about in your own words and relating it to other knowledge you have. Note making is far more effective for retention. The Linking Your Thinking (LYT) channel has lots of content on both Obsidian and "note making."
thanks bro i was looking for that a long time ago
Thank you, Sam, for the insight and your perspective on note-taking. It made sense to me.
This is the Zettelkasten Method from the book How to Take Smart Notes by Sonke Ahrens. The purpose is not necessarily to recall but to categorize the individual notes so that they will resurface when you need them. There are several good ways to do this digitally by using Notion or Obsidian.
Yeah, imagine doing it with cards and boxes like cavemen
The ZK is actually a step forward from what has been described here. It's not only about taking notes, but most crucially about linking them. It is this process of linkage that gives you deep understanding, because real operational knowledge is not about reciting facts, it's about the connections structure on top of them.
Google keep or even Apple notes are good alternatives too
Hear hear
Or Craft docs if you fancy beauty
• better off starting imperfectly ~ than being paralyzed by the hope / delusion of perfection
• systems evolve and theyll keep evolving. youll do better as you go.
• you dont remember things by accident. the info must be organised into different categories and buckets for easy navigation for the brain.
• books are supposed to take you on a journey and leave you with something.
• organising info from books into 1) take notes, 2) review and revise, 3) categorize and file
• prioritized info -> frequently used, recently used, likely needed when taking a decision
Try to relate concepts with each other, and imagine how they interacts with common scenarios in life. Information + emotion = Memory. Be healthy both in your mind and body, and that will allow your body to truly feel the positive emotions without any hindrance. Improve your physical well being because our cognitive abilities greatly depends on the health of our brain and heart. Sleep! Cut the alcohol and caffeine! Exercise! Eat healthy and consistently! Stay positive!
How can i use emotion with pharmacology 😐😕😕😔
Hey I remember the same thing, my father told me once about his friend who was a professor at a university and has an enormous library of cards he has more than 10k or so categorised under different topics, and whenever he has to prepare for a lecture or any public event he just takes the cards he needs with him it has all kind of stuff written in like quotes short stories diagrams of ideas with the name of books to which that idea originally belongs to and he told my father that he never had to refer to thick books again in his life as all the knowledge he gathered throughout his life is in those cards, which are his most prized possession. he did not categories them by books but by general topics.
Well said..I've used this technique in my college for book explanations..
Niklas Luhmann
@@mustafasarac Hey thanks for letting me know about him that way I was able to find out more about the zettlekasten method [ ruclips.net/video/rOSZOCoqOo8/видео.html ] but what I found out is that this is more appropriate for people relating to the academic profession or research as a student I find a normal note taking much more practical or maybe what I do is I write a daily journal for all my learnings for that day but still thanks again if you have any more thoughts share them as well
What was his name
Forgetting things might be bad but it's kinda like necessary. Remembering everything is a nightmare. The ability to leave the past behind and not having to worry about it is a gift you've gotta embrace.
Spaced repetition (at around weekly intervals) of active recall (answering own questions designed to trigger recall of essential facts). Completed all 3 of my emergency medicine board exams in under 12 months that way.
Another tip that works for me is reading out loud. Slowly, calmly, clearly. It improves memory and recall, while also improving speaking.
Yes!! Or similarly, I found I was able to retain a lot more when I listened to the audible and read the book at the same time.
Kye, Investigate the "Evelyn Wood Reading dynamics" program. The results are amazing. BUT it is hated by typical Academics......😵
Agree . I also ready slowly and recording with my phone … I just like doing it .
lol yes I do this too. Also watching video clips on information and topics you know nothing about in a book you are reading or researching and asking someone who knows about the topic a little to talk about it and Starting a conversation with them about it lol.
Time is the most valuable thing in one's life. Things that we spend our time on become valuable thus become important and eventually for brain, they evolve to things to remember. The essence is to spend proper time on those we want to remember. Nice video!
For years, I’ve been taking notes, highlighting, and folding pages. I recall more than I give myself credit for. This system takes it a step further. I’m going to try it. ❤
I also forget alot about the non-fiction books I read. The content of fiction-/fantasy Books, however, stays with me far longer. I feel like a lot of lessons could be more memorable if they are embedded within a captivating fictional story.
This is actually a study technique, creating a story is much more memorable
Actually the code to everything is Consistency . Be consistent to be perfect.
Hard work is not enough , a consistent hard work is needed to achieve it.
~Correct me if I'm wrong
Thanks a ton, your take has brought me huge motivation
Hardwork+Consistency+Determination+Discipline= nothing can stop you, 100% Success.
What if your consistent hard work isn't good hard work and is leading to your detriment? And you are really consistently doing bad work?
@@malikbishop9798 one must make sure about the hardwork they be doing & where it might lead them. after setting targets, Goals, ect; people would get started with all their efforts, giving whole 100% of them onto completing it and reaching out where they want themselves be.(the Goals be accomplished)
@@malikbishop9798 dont talk like fool!! Work hard but smart!! Or dont work either😅
As I said be consistent to be perfect!!
First you will do the things wrong but slowly you will learn things to do precisely
I have done a similar system, but instead of using notecards I use journals. For instance I have a journal related to mysticism/ spirituality/ Buddhism, and another to more science spiritual readings. I find it a little easier than having notecards everywhere. A key point is to make highlights and notes while going through the book, then going back to re-read and re-write what is important afterwards. Time consuming, yes, but future self is like, "BLESS." Must obliterate short term gratification! One book at a time.
I do that too! I have a notebook for Stoicism/Eastern Philosophy and another for Science and other topics. But only the very, very best quotes go in there, the ones that are to help me go in my direction, that affect and improve my life. And I love rereading it.
This really is a best technique, after 7 months of learning English once my English teacher told me to use this technique, and the way it added in my obsession with reading books was insane. like reading books wasn't only reading for me. but it was really fun, this would be my 100% suggestion for everyone.
I do two things:
- assign a why? / use case for when I would use this knowledge
- summarize the core essence + practical takeaways on paper/digital file and file it away in my Obsidian Folder
This works for me - cause frankly over-memorizing and remembering useless things is equally a problem. I don't need to remember how to do one process that I'll use once in 180 days. I wanna remember the important things in life - not books.
I can't think of anything that is "useless"
@@hellopleychess3190 try the chemistry bonding steps from your high school chemistry class. How to dissect a frog. Reading Frankenstein or some other classic.
For most people. These topics are one and done/something to get through.
"You're better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection". This quote sums up what this video is really about.
Hey Matt! I've been marking highlighting and page-folding my books since I was a kid (to the chagrin of my teachers) so this is wonderful knowing I wasn't the only one who does this to their books. But, most of us haven't yet come to the realization that we are physical creatures and we learn best when we're engaged in something physical; turning pages and focusing on what's on your hands will make the brain participate and remember the activity more than passively looking at kindle. Plus, there's just something satisfying and comforting knowing that if I forget what's in that book I can just take it out of the shelf and refer to it again. No shame in doing that.
I also recommend reading "Remember: the Science of Memory" by Lisa Genova. Great book explaining the functions of the brain and why we forget and how we can remember what needs to be memorized.
As a self learner that have read and used several techniques about this subject, it is my opinion that this video offers a couple of good and simple ideas worth of follow. Congrats!
Ryan’s system is the way my high school English teacher taught me to do research for a report (early 2000’s, pre-Google). It really works!
I’m so excited to try this for Uni!
I thought this was standard note taking/research paper prep for the whole 20th century! 😅 It really is a solid method
@@MeghanStark it was. this isn't a new thing.
Debater here-what helps me read and retain things quickly is connecting what you just read to other things you already know-soon enough when you think about the concepts in the book you think about in relation to other things which also increase critical thinking as well. It may take a little bit longer but you get pretty good at it the more you read.
Book recs?
Recommendations
@@uwu.-.5873 same!! I'd like to know if you have any book recs
@@uwu.-.5873 I read a lot of critical theory i.e postmodernism and political theories like Biopolitics. Not only does it require a lot of thinking, its also really cool.
First reccomendation is to start out with articles: test what you like before diving straight into a book
1. "Authoritarianism and the Cybernetic Episteme" -- Irmgard Emmelhainz is a good website to start out on to get used to this type of writing, but also dont be afraid to look up a YT video explaining something.
Some books or Essays could be:
1. Discipline and Punish --Michel Foucalt
2. Thus spoke Zarathustra --Nietzche
3. Homosacer -- Giorgio Agamben
4. Watch some videos online about hyperreality, transhumanism, and marxist thought.
You dont have to agree with everything, (I most certaintly dont) but the goal is critical thinking. these books all pertain to "theories of power" and "ontology/epistemology" so if none of those books seem interesting search those terms up and you might find something you like.
Its all about thinking and expanding your knowledge. These books and essays are NOT your stereotypical Socrates like philosophy, so dont be surprised when you feel mentally exhausted after reading a paragraph, because there is so much going on.
Also as a caviat: just reading normal literature and magazines and extrapolating how that pertains to patterns of certain things is still inherently valuable. It doesnt have to be sophisticated to get a result. Just ask the question WHY?
@@Gman0440-Gamer many thanks for taking the time to break this down
I don't know how many will read this, but what I do after a chapter or important fact in a book is that I slow down and think: How can I apply this to the real world? How is this different from what I have learnt before? And how important is this in any situation (in situation a it may be more important, but in situation b this other thing is more important)? This way I actively use my brain, I process the information I read and then organise it in my brain (aswell as remembering it). I promise you, if your able to do this automatically then you'll be able to remember things much easier when you read. It is about connecting the dots while you read and make it relevant for your brain to remember!
Great comment
@@dw7922 I recommed that you search up bloom's taxonomy. It is a model that describes how well one understands a subject. In short, if you are able to evaluate, analyze or apply what you read or just learnt, then you will have a much easier time learning it.
@@anytng2077 thanks
😉
i really appreciate the level of creativity, attention to detail and effot that goes into your videos. everytime i click one i can watch comfortably knowing its goign to be good
One way I’ve done utilized this is after I’ve finished reading, I go back to every chapter and summarize in a statement or two the most impactful message(s). Like Ryan said, books are a conversation and I like to complete them before I take away the best parts
I just try to focus on the overall concepts that appear in the book and make up a context to give the book a sort of "joint idea". After that i write what i understood and was impactful from the book in a notebook as writing helps us put ideas together and memorize better.
It works better for me than going through all that was described in the video. Understanding is different from memorization, going around memorizing ideas that fit nowhere in your life, because you thought they were quirky at one time is stupid. Whether you like it or not you're gonna forget it later on if it's not contextualized.
"You're better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection"
That line struck me for good, every time I write essays or produce music, I get stuck in the feeling that it sucks and therefore I shouldn't finish the job, when it's better to just continue, finish whatever idea you got and then focus on doing it better next time instead of mourning how amateur your final product is.
This is the first time I hear about Ryan Holiday, but I can tell he carries a lot of wisdom from ancient authors but there's a good chance that his first essays probably weren't really good compared to what he does now, we're only human after all.
Hey man I'm an EDM music producer I also love reading books
@Avina Bella what's EDM?
@@Forest-Ghost electronic dance music
That’s also related to the secret of how to get past writers block. Damn. If only younger me learned the secret years ago, I’d have kept writing.
Something which has always been effective for me is teaching someone the material afterward.
The hard part is finding someone able to have a long-form conversation.
❤
Have the conversation with yourself. Just pretend to teach an imaginary person out loud. I do it all the time when I'm driving somewhere alone. Ask yourself questions about the book and then answer them. Works for me.
I felt dumb throughout my school amd high school years because i just had terrible memory but that changed when I took a course named "Learning how to learn". Felt dumb to take that course at that time (when i was 20-21) but glad I did, it helped me form systems to learn and realising i liked to learn when i applied those systems, otherwise i used to just dread by imagining to open that book or textbook and start learning. Similarly just like this video says, when I read a book...I highlight the parts I like (I reread the highlights b4 starting the next chapter) and I keep a a huge notebook thats literally just "Quotes i like and interesting insights" i read the book once in a while. Now i noticed just like Ryan Holiday, Im able to recollect the quotes by other inspiring authors/individuals because of that Highlighting, Writing, Organising and Skimming. Its fixed in my Long term memory now. In the end its all about noting down (colourfully 😉) and rereading often.
"You are better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection", that's my takeaway of this video. What a phrase!!!
Loved this. I am a physician who also has several business ventures, and I work with mental health. That being said I have a huge library at home, and I tell people I have read half of all those books, “Half of each one!!” This summary of summarizing is perfect, I have tried it to some degree and you have pushed me to really get to it. Thanks!
One of my friends in graduate school never wrote down notes in class even when the professor asked him to take down, he would say yes I am taking down notes in my head, and everyone laughed and he smiled too.
And, he was the best student.
In one of the classes which happened to be the toughest, almost everyone dropped the course, he was one of the few left.
I believe using mind properly needs training, skill & experience just like writing or any other skill.
I also believe anchoring the details with some title or subject while reading keeps u focused and u improve your retention every day.
Also, I believe regularly listening and relating to what u retained earlier even if it is fogged keeps u motivated to use your knowledge, specially when u write it down, your opinion.
I believe reading & writing go hand in hand. You lose interest if u don't write. Writing is the motivation and improved reading and retention.
I like to re-read academic papers, I fall asleep while reading (low blood pressure) so I record (audio) what I read. I summarize each paragraph, decide if it is useful and add or discard it from my notes. I tried sticking to speed reading course, but demands of jobs are making it hard.
Pomodoro keeps me (or helps me) stay focused, bu5 I need to schedule it into my day and organize a babysitter too.
Chatting about what I read is fun, even if I only end up describing what I have read to someone who cannot ask me questions about what I have read.
I used a system of summarizing hard facts onto one page - 10 sentence, circled key words and scribbled a logo for each in order to enlist both spatial and linguistic functions of my brain
@@GabrielCazorlaPersson1 That's so true. I used to not taking notes in one of my lecture, just actively listened and got a 93% on that course. When I start to take notes for everything the prof says, I lose focus in the lecture and have to make up for that time by trying to understand the material by myself when I study. The only reason was because the professor never post any slides for his students so the only thing I could do was trying to take notes during lecture. The class average on the midterm was 57% 😢
Im a visual learner, I get sleepy just reading boring black n white books, but I get excited if it has colorful pictures. I remember better that way because I am enjoying what I see at the same time learning it.
The best book I've ever read on the subject of memory is appropriately titled The Memory Book by Harry Loraine and Jerry Lucas. It is based on a few key principles. Two of which are described below.
1. Original Awareness. You have to be consciously involved in or aware of the new information to be learned. This principle seems to be at the core of the method in the video. You read, highlight, take notes on the material. But this is only one key step.
2. Make an association of the new information with something you already know. But do it in as ridiculous, outlandish, and silly kind of way. Say you have a shopping list you want to remember. First thing on the list is chicken breast, second on the list is grapefruit. Make a picture in your mind associating the chicken with the grapefruit. Maybe you picture millions of chickens with big pink grapefruits on their breasts. The sillier the better. And exaggerate. Then do the same for the grapefruit and the next thing on the list, etc.
Here's a list I memorized from the book. Mind, I haven't opened or even had a copy of the book in years. Airplane, envelope, tree, earing, nose, salami, basketball, and star.
Or a number. Numbers are very difficult unless you know the system taught by Lorraine and Lucas. I can recall this number anytime I want. 91859521639092112
I highly recommend getting the book, the original Memory Book, by Harry Lorraine and Jerry Lucas.
The second principle heavily reminds me of the method of loci! Thank you for your comment and recommendation, I'll check the book out!
@@AHeroWith1000NamesIt was Aristotle or Plato, I believe, who used the loci method. He associated parts of a building, like a house, to the main ideas of a speech or other things to be remembered. This too is mentioned in The Memory Book.
thank you for ur comment!
memorising wont help you its a isolation , you just memorisation random thing using association i easily remember 100 words in 10 min but it will not help me if someone asked what is 50 word ? what is it means etc ..then you again start with 1 and find 50 th word ....
mostly we should learn information like we give interview , if someone asked us we ready to say ....than taking more time to find words inside
thats how memorisation and learning
i use survey about topic , questions a lot of questions to develop curiosity , later after understanding well and analyse deeply and apply that information where it used , now i compare information with similar one what are the difference etc ...after all note taking and teach someone well and revision ........
any suggestion will help me , thanks for reading
i thought the memorising a number was cool (that someone else did memorising as well): i can recall 29041151983567 which is an old library card barcode that i had in 2nd grade
Top tip, the post it book marks being so close to the spine are going to be really hard to access. Better to place them on the vertical margin, so they pop out of the right hand side when the book is closed.
One of the most wonderful aspects of getting old (I'm 74) is that you can read a book and 2 years later read it again without thinking you've read it. I have so many "new" books.
Hey Wilhelm guess it just part of aging experience....you doing awesomely well at 74.... would really love to hear from you....
😂😂😂
me too😄🤩
This is called Reframing. Intellectuals have been doing this since the dawn of time. Reframing ideas in "your own words" (or storage system, with context) is the basis for all learning (just as metaphor is the basis for all thinking.) In fact, the fundamental core for reframing informs many things, from learning/remembering simple facts [from a book], to learning a new language. If you can't make something your own-by reframing it in terms you understand personally-it will be difficult to remember. This is why "immersion" is powerful when learning languages; everything you do-especially if you are forced to speak the new language despite your misgivings-creates personal context for each interaction.
The same applies to reading, except you have to turn "passive reading" into an event-i.e., the "take action" method described in this video that has you retaining the knowledge you've just learned by inserting it into a "personal storage framework". BTW- the tactile "event" (of going analog) is much more powerful (and, I would argue, necessary) in creating personal context. I've also noticed that people who only read digital books simply do not retain anything they've read; the personal attachment to the book and/or ideas is not there. I can look at any book in my library and easily tell you the first words of every chapter, key arguments, ideas, etc. because I have a kinesthetic attachment to the event(s) (active learning) I assumed while reading the book. You simply cannot achieve this with digital reading or "internet research".
Amazing. Loved the part where Ryan shares that his system has been changing in the last three years and is continuing to change - might even become digital, he adds. It is so nice to see the quality of allowing the process and imperfection of things, rather than trying to find an absolute answer or method right now.
I started doing this a while ago for exactly this reason. I was reading so much and getting so much inspiration I didn’t know where to put it all. For me, I use a Miro Board. It not only helps me keep my minimalism 😅… but helps me to make cross references as well. Totally transforming for knowledge. 🙏
wow I never thought of using Miro for this or similar purpose. now I will. thank you for sharing that!
I figured this method out on my own 2 years ago, been using perfectly. This video is an eye opener that I've been doing great. Cool, love it
Omgosh! I highlight the books I read. A temporary experience in college, I would use index cards as well to recall info. Thank you. I'm happy to see this reminder in this channel.
This is a phenomenal way to write a research paper for a college course. It was super easy, but don’t forget to cite your sources/on the notecard.
I see your next video is already about it, but for anyone wanting to “study ahead” you should check out either Obsidian or Notion for digital notetaking. Really great digital systems to organize your notes and connect them thematically. Unsure whether its as good for memory retention as physical writing, but some things don’t need to be instantly recallable either. Just having your own encyclopedia of ideas to look up can be extremely valuable.
Craft is good for this too. Simple but beautiful.
@@jacksonsteele Huge shout out for Craft for those who need a faster, slicker experience and want to keep notes private (i.e. off Notion).
I like to take notes by hand. I feel its much slower but I remember much more stuff. It does suck when I need to look up though
Obsidian is single-handedly getting me through my PhD
Yes, digital note taking is more convenient. I love the feel of pen and paper but there's no denying practicality. Especially for people who do not like too many stuff in possession and/or move around the world.
I like to write on every page of my books, put a sticky note heading on pages that move me deeply, and then take anywhere between 2-10 pages of notes after completing the book (depending on how valuable I deemed the material). It's a very slow method of reading, but it's active and allows me to practice how I might talk about what I've learned in the writing process.
My only way to remember the book: read it again and again and again. I never get bored of it, and my memories build quickly from it😂😂😂
I thought I was weird that I liked to re-read books
Yeah exactly true👍
@@tolubamidele1508 i love rereading books it’s the exact same things with rewatching my favourite movies and shows
I literally just started my masters program and I’ve been looking for ways to retain the extensive info. Thank you for this video and thank you to Ryan.
I have tons of glossaries and put words in categories in order to learn languages. I speak six languages and have worked as a professional interpreter for 30 years. I have to instantly come up with equivalents for words and expressions while simultaneously interpreting. Knowing lots of synonyms is essential. Through the process of writing words down, finding equivalents in two languages and organizing them into categories, I memorize them. I also try to use them in sentences.
Awesome, any tips for 19yr old me, i know 2 lang
Any tips for learning too?
@@selamkirby1401 I have lots of tips on my channel.
Can you share the most important tips that you have so far? I'm struggling a lot with grammar and rules and even though I know is not necessary to know them, almost everyone says it its important to really become kind of fluent
@@paolaguzmanjimenez581 Learn in context. Seek out all of the words and phrases you need to express your thoughts. When you read, watch videos or listen to people be aware of the phrases and write down anything you want to remember. Use phrases as patterns to internalize structures. Write out the things you want to be able to talk about (political views for example) and seek out the expressions you need. Memorize the keywords and phrases and then try to spontaneously talk about the subject. Record your voice and then evaluate what you said. It's all about discovering the language and then practicing it. The more you talk about the same subject, the easier the words will come. Speak with native speakers as much as possible. www.lingqcom.com is great because it has tons of content (audio and text). You will discover vocab, phrases and pronunciation. Keep a glossary of the things you learn. www.youglish.com is amazing for verifying pronunciation. Use www.wordreference.com for your bilingual dictionary, conjugator and many other things. Try to think in the language and talk to yourself throughout the day. You'll start to discover which things you don't know and that way you will be able to look them up. It's really about being proactive and seeking out the language. The more passionate you are, the easier it will be to make it a lifestyle.
Look, there's no need to complicate this. Ask anybody from medical school (I'm a doctor) and they can tell you how to memorize textbooks. The key here is just rote learning, and I did it and was able to memorize not one but several textbooks, and I did it all digitally. Here's how:
Step 1: Store an interesting/important fact on a card (physical or digital).
Step 2: On the opposite side of the card, ask yourself a question that stimulates your brain to recall the answer.
Step 3: Turn the card around if you cannot remember the answer, but make sure you revisit the same card again relatively soon (i.e. 10 minutes later).
Step 4: If you can remember the answer, then revisit the card again relatively further in the future (i.e. 24 hours later, 1 week later, 1 month later, etc)
Step 5: Rinse and repeat until you memorize the entire book
Non-fiction books do not present information the way textbooks do, because the authors tend to beat around the bushes to 'bring you on a journey'. But you can still apply the same method if you want to memorize it.
The real question(s) is this: Do you want to treat your favourite non-fiction book like a textbook? Why are you reading this? What is the information used for? To impress yourself or a guest at a dinner party? To pass exams?
I've read countless non-fiction books and believe me when I say this. There is a reason why you can remember some facts while others you can't - that's because some facts are just interesting, but not meaningful to you. More is not always better, and not remembering everything you read is not a bad thing.
Awesome 👍
Nice- interesting but not meaningful -
Thanks
Cant agree more. There is difference between reading textbook and non-fiction book. I think many of the reader want that to impress others. There should be certain things left for pleasure rather than making everything a burden.
Circle ,
Thanks!
Excellent comment 😀
We learned this stuff in school. You focus on the subject singularly, pay attention knowing you MUST understand what is being taught, take notes so that you retain the information for review, and then actually review it. That should essentially help program what you learned out of a textbook into your brain. That's how we learn math, science and everything else in school. That's what schools teach us how to do, maybe without realizing, but I believe that is the fundamentals behind being schooled by teachers on any given subject (I understand the things they choose to teach us are often useless out in the real world, but the bigger lesson to take away is that you were taught the fundamentals of how to absorb information and retain it).
Why would it be any different when it comes to reading books of your choice rather than a textbook? The problem is that people have a tendency to be casual with their readings knowing they're not necessarily going to have to write an essay on it or get quizzed about it. Your attention level would increase by several notches if you thought you'd get tested on whatever book you're reading. Follow the steps you learned in school if you truly want to remember what you read. Just know that it requires you to behave as if you're in school but voluntarily. Most people don't have that kind of discipline. I do agree, though. Learning a single life lesson out of a book is a powerful thing. You don't have to focus so intensely because you'll still tend to get value out of good books, but if you DO have the desire to remember what you read at a student's level, the option to be laser-focused is available and it is proven to work. Looks like you learn a lot in school after all.
I liked your comment. When I read nonfiction books I actually take notes on a separate note pad that would correspond to that book and learn the book exactly how I learned in school! I also use colored highlight pens and I like to be able to refer back to my notes when I want to recall some thing more specific. If I was a writer like Ryan Holiday, I would love to transfer my notes onto note cards and file them in themes -which would further strengthen my recall, but I don’t write for a living. Good idea though. His system is called a “common-place book”.
To a certain degree yes. Even this method failed many of us in school thought. The key is engaging w the material, the more concrete de engagement the better. That's why places like Singapore have better educational results because instead of just reading and taking notes the actively engage w concrete material. Those types of experiences have given me the longer term memory of things then the notes I took.
@@Rafa-nn3zw alright…. However, in Singapore HOW do they discern what the concrete part of the material they are studying is?
Even more so… how do they engage with said concrete material? What do they do exactly?
Amazimng comment, I loved it. I always thought it like you, and I love to take notes in the margins of the books that I read, but ur comment and this video made me think about it that I can do it even better like exactly when I was in school or university. Greetings from Argentina my friend !
@@nosuchluck6326 No, they just engage with concrete.
;-)
Your examples were super relatable - made the learning process fun and engaging special on 7:30
"There's something about getting away from the screen, sitting down, and engaging deepeply with the world in front of you"❤
I usually will remember what i read if i really enjoy the topic and create a kind mental images , patterns maps … found it very effective
When I use a highlighter I don't highlight entire lines of text. That takes more time and uses up more of the highlighter. Instead I just use parentheses or brackets around the text I want to set apart. And I never use yellow because it fades away over time. I also dog ear very important pages. I don't rewrite that stuff onto cards - that would take forever. I just reread my favorite books more than once, especially the highlighted parts. If I were going to create some kind of system like this I would probably do it on the computer using voice to text software so that I don't have to write or type it all out. Which would save a lot of time. You could then have a different document or file for each topic and save them to the appropriate place. Then you wouldn't have to take up a bunch of space with actual cards and a file system.
It's a great idea at uni when you often have over 16 chapters to read on one subject in just one semester from different books, but when it's about reading books more for yourself I prefer let's call it - older system
Lazy guy 101
I like this meyhod!
More digitalised and time saving!
Just started reading 3 months ago. After every chapter I read, I like to write 3-5 bullet points on my takeaways from the chapter. I also write in the margins on pages with great info/research. And lastly, I use a sticky note for something really key, and I try to limit it to 5 per book. Maybe I can minimize my process, but it works for me!
I started my commitment to this system when Ryan said, "You're better off starting imperfectly than being paralyzed by the hope or the delusion of perfection". I always feel my system has to be perfect from the start and it has paralyzed me for the last time! Thank you for the content.
same! the quote made me who i am today.
So true
Well this system is what I've used from university and it all came to me all of a sudden, I took notes and then found our my visual memory can always remember my notes, whether I go back to those notes or not I would remember them for a long time but having this system taken to a next level would even help more I guess. There are also ways to take digital notes as well like keep notes from Google :) . Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge with us Matt :) .
yes omg. knowledge needs to have a 'place' in relation to something else in order for me to remember it. Standalone facts mean nothing to me.
This notecard method is exactly how I was taught to write research papers in high school, but for some reason I never thought to apply it to my personal reading.
I tried it. I went at it with a few books - using a pen and a highlighter, and made notes in the margin. The library fined me the replacement cost of the books.
😅
You misunderstood the situation 😂 you will use the book that belongs to you
I used his exact system to make it through my undergrad with flying colors. Now I’m in graduate school and I’ve been struggling, well it’s because it’s 100% online! I forgot about index cards!! This is finals week for me and I swear I feel like I hit a gold mine with this video. Going to start making my cards now! Thanks!!
summarise the main takeaways pls
I am lucky enough to be able to retain masses of information I have read. This comes in real handy for my job, as I constantly have to absorb masses of information and keep up to date.
I do it by explaining the paragraph or page to myself. Literally talk my way through it and if I can’t I’ll recap it. Arguably this is what you’re doing, however I bypass the note cards. If you could hear what is going on in my head you’d probably think I was mad. It takes quite a while to read a chapter in this way too. That’s the downside.
This comes in handy for passing exams as well which I do a lot of.
I am a pharmacist and I remember using nearly the same system to remember stuff.
It was a huge lot of stuff. And anyone in any medical school will say the same.
Either you remember it all or you flunk.
Noway out.
So I say the above is tried and tested. It's works out real great.
And I did my studies in 4 years with an average memory.
How do you like being a pharmacist? I’m considering that as a career path
This is the zettelkasten method
@@alison3356 that's a subjective thing.. I highly recommend explore yourself... Go and see how pharmacist works.. This method worked for me in deciding what I want...
I like to jot a little summary of each chapter onto the TABLE OF CONTENTS page (if there's space.. usually there is)
Writing the summary helps me remember, because I am WRITING and SUMMARIZING.
Then, when I re-visit the book - all the information is available at one glance - on one page - with my writing. And, it's very easy to remember and refresh my memory.
I personally use Anki Universal. It’s a system that you can install in your computer or mobile device. Basically it’s a flash card and it helps to recall the information faster than before
There's really something to be said for the physical action of writing something down with pen and paper when it comes to memory. Back when I was in college, studying theatre, when I needed to memorize a monologue I would basically sit and write it out in a notebook over and over until I could do it without looking at the text. I've always retained more information from things I have physically written down rather than typed up on a computer, even if I never look at those notes again just the act of writing it is enough to make the information stickier in my brain.
I'm a note taker and I agree with you. The act of writing is what gets it in my brain.
The way that I haven't read due to the indecision of going analog or digital. Love the message that it doesn't have to be perfect and to just start.
Will definitely start working on a system that is best for me and actually start reading more. Another banger of a video.
a treasure trove of valuable insights! The human mind is a magnificent tool, and understanding how memory works is key to unlocking its full potential. The techniques shared here resonate deeply, and I especially appreciate the emphasis on active engagement with information. Sending blessings of clarity and focus to everyone reading this. May your learning journeys be filled with joy and discovery!
The most important thing is everyone is different. For me writing something down that I just read would bore me to death and my mind would wander off of topic. I take notes when being spoken to and just visualize what I read and when recollection is needed I go back to the visualizations and remember what I read or wrote.
Inside all the books I've read that are on my shelves u will find 1 to 2 pieces of paper tucked into it with the books highlights scribbled on them.
Kind of like that books spark notes. I've always done this since college, and i have found even if I don't precisely remember EVERYTHING in a book, i can always grab it from my shelf, open the cover, grab that folded sheet, and immediately recall 80% of that book.
It's insane how well this works, and I've always stuck to it.
Definitely going to try this.
“You’re better off starting imperfectly than to be paralyzed by the delusion of perfection.” “Imperfect Action is better than Perfect Inaction”
Very great video. It's interesting to me that we're at a point in time where the once most basic and common way of reading and retaining information read in a book has apparently almost been forgotten and is being reintroduced to society. I came here expecting some new trick or technique but found it was the same thing I was taught in elementary school decades (several *cough cough*) ago. Sometimes the old ways still work, as demonstrated here. I think one of our shortcomings as a society is that we've focused so much on the whats, we've stopped teaching the hows and whys. The older generations have stopped imparting these types of things to the newer generations and then get frustrated.