How to Read Fewer Books and Get Wiser
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- To be considered ‘well-read’, one is expected to get through an endless number of books. Instead, like the Ancients, we should focus on the quality not the quantity of one’s reading.
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“The modern world firmly equates the intelligent person with the well-read person. Reading books, a lot of books, is the hallmark of brilliance as well as the supreme gateway to prestige and understanding. It’s hard to imagine anyone arriving at any insights of value without having worked their way through an enormous number of titles over the years. There is apparently no limit to how much we should read. We might - logically and ideally - be reading all the time and get ever cleverer with every moment we do so. The number of books we have managed to read by the day we die will tell us pretty much all we need to know about the complexity and maturity of our minds.
This so-called maximalist philosophy of reading enjoys enormous cultural prestige. It is backed up by enormous publishing and journalistic industries that constantly parade new titles before us - and imply that we might be swiftly left behind and condemned to a narrow and provincial mindset if we did not rush to read four of this year’s major prize winning books as well as seven fascinating titles that have received ardent reviews in the Sunday supplements since March. As a result, our shelves are overburdened and our guilt at how far behind we are intense…”
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What would be your top three books to foster a deeper more intelligent mind? Let us know in the comments below and if you enjoy our films and want a say on what ones we make you can now become a channel member here: ruclips.net/channel/UC7IcJI8PUf5Z3zKxnZvTBogjoin
The Art of the Deal, by Donald J Trump
Don Quixote, Le Petit Prince and the Hellboy comics
Asking to narrow down a list of three books is an arduous task in my opinion. Most titles lead to more avenues to go deeper into the subject. Instead, I would suggest that we read the books we find along our journeys of life deeply and study them for our own betterment. Indeed, doing so, we will find that certain books are appropriate for a certain level of maturity, and we tend to move past these stages as we develop ourselves into better human beings. These books are merely tools to look within. And isn't that the most fulfilling task of them all? :)
Ayn Rand's objectivist masterpiece Atlas Shrugged, 1984 for sure I know that's on everyone's list but it truly is an amazing book, and probably Brave New World. Basically most of the classic books are classics for a reason. I'm an avid reader and I read several books a week but I don't really feel any pressure to read any new books or any award-winning books or anything. I just read whatever I want to read.
1984
"If a book is not worth reading twice, it is not worth reading once."
- Somebody
C. S. Lewis said something very similar
How do you know it's not worth reading twice, if you will not read it once?
“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.”-Francis Bacon
Like "Crime and Punishment" and "Moby Dick" i really reccomend them.
I think Francis misunderstood the purpose of books
I love bacon 😍
I’m gonna die after devouring 5 books. ;)
like "animal farm"
The title is not an issue i have, yet i still clicked in.
😂😂😂
does watching reality TV count as reading?
Is watching fewer RUclips videos an issue?
I can relate
😂💀
I'm a graduate of English Literature and one of the professors used to tell us that "You cannot read like an ordinary man. You ought to read between the lines and in great detail." It seems that no one should read like an ordinary man.
Yes. We are different from a casual 'social media' book readers.
When I was younger, I read so many books. Often 3/5 at once. Now that I'm older, I realize that intentional reading is better. At a peaceful, mindful rate. So I can really learn and apply what I read.
“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound or stab us. If the book we're reading doesn't wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for? So that it will make us happy, as you write? Good Lord, we would be happy precisely if we had no books, and the kind of books that make us happy are the kind we could write ourselves if we had to. But we need books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide. A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. That is my belief.”
-Franz Kafka.
I once read a book like that, I don't think I could go through that again.
@@sharonbukhala8480 i'm genuinely interested in which book you're referring to.
I like adventure fiction, i feel im in the adventure too. All of us have a different taste if you like a depression shits then good for you.
And yet his own books don't do that
@@dead-inside-dead-outside ooooof
"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." Bruce Lee
awesome comment man!
I think you're a bit off with your metaphoric use of Bruce Lee's quote and the "moral" lesson of the story in the video...even though I am somewhat certain that the quote fits well into a narrative where someone re-reads religious texts.
I have seen this sentence several times now in connection with reading and learning and I think that is simply not transferable in this context.
It suggests that the human brain is only able to learn so and so much, so it is better to concentrate on 10 books, or 50 or 100. But that's rubbish.
You can't learn too much at all.
You learn a lot of information every day. If you want or not. Even without reading. This information is of course filtered, but you will not be at a disadvantage if, for example, you get to know other books in addition to your favorite books. They will not steal any of your beliefs and teachings from you. On the contrary. A wide range of literature reinforces what you have learned. Maybe coming from a completely different direction. Makes the complexity more transparent.
It may steal/correct some bullshit tho.
I fear man who has gun
@@subhrajyotiroy6042 I fear one who has a bomb
What about the entertainment of reading? The laughs. The Oh WOWS. The, I never knew that. The beauty of a well constructed sentence. To add to our conversations.
Right? Some of us read books just for the fun of it. I don't expect to gain intellectual superpowers when I read. There's this culture around books that makes they seem like some sort of mystical object that grants you moral and spiritual superiority. And then people pain themselves by forcibly reading tons of books that could have a been a source of relief not stress. My advice is, read when you feel like it. And if you don't feel like it, don't read. Unless you're a student and can't choose not to read a certain book. That's the exception. Otherwise the only thing you gain by forcing yourself to read is a bad experience and a feeling of guilt for not being able to appreciate a book. You're not less valuable because you didn't read 100 books in a year.
Yes!
Aah, beautiful sentences! (For anyone into those, _The Book of Disquiet_ by Fernando Pessoa is one glorious treat.)
@@hnyii Does it translate well Hani?
@@ٴٴٴٴ_0 I only read for the fun of it.
The intellectual superpowers come by themselves.
To read fewer books, put them in education curriculum !!
Hhhhhh. Thats right
Very true. Unfortunately.
😂, absolutely yes
exactly!
I use literature based curriculum for my children in our home learning. To this point it has been wonderful. However my personal experience in the American public education system was doused in mostly boring reads and text books that dampered my learning spirit.
“Every man's memory is his private literature.” ~Aldous Huxley
Ooh I like that.
I love this!
Since I'm among the mentally ill mine are hours and hours of fun
Fantastic. Throughout the years I've noticed my reading had become instrumental and goal oriented. That happened in paralell with a growing lack of pleasure when reading. Only then I noticed that it had become a burden because it was no longer a pleasure.
This needs to be shouted: The School of Life's graphics are among the best. Impeccable and beautiful.
Six years ago I had major brain surgery to remove a large tumor. Thankfully, it was benign, but it did leave me with short term memory issues. I’ve always been an avid reader. I’ve read to learn and to enjoy.
Since my brain surgery, I can still read, but once I put it down and come back to it I’ll have forgotten some character’s name and what has occurred previously. So I have no choice but to skim and read the previous 2 or 3 chapters. Give me a couple of months and I can read the same book, remembering the outline, but forgetting some characters and the ending. The same applies to movies.
It might sound cliché, but I had a mind like a steel trap. I truly and deeply miss those days when I read voraciously and remembered everything! It brings me to tears.
So...I must disagree. Another cliché...You don’t know what you have until you lose it. So read voraciously and enjoy every moment, whether it’s to learn or simply enjoy! Please forgive any mistakes...they’re autocorrect’s fault. That’s my story from the real “School of Life”. ;-)
You brain will eventually adapt, stay strong
I have this problem. Am I broken? :( I can read and watch Movies and books for the first time over and over again. It sounds nice in theory but it's horrible. I can't talk to people about the movie we just watched together. :(
@Fire C me too
@@smiley00 It happens to mee too.
I think you misunderstood the video.
Seriously you guys are great!
Questioning the Norm and not taking everything and every trend in face value is very important.
Yes! It took me awhile to realize this truth, but when I did, I felt more content with the books I actually ended up reading and learned to curate what titles needed to be in my collection. I also ended up selling the ones I no longer need so that those who'd truly want or need those books get to enjoy them. ❤
I think what matters is acquiring the necessary knowledge. Reading is just one of many tools to do that
I love this comment.
_Very_ unpopular opinion, but most of the people use books to procrastinate and NOT to efficiently learn.
It’s only an unpopular opinion because most people are severely unable to admit this to themselves. Reading is a pursuit in and of itself, the mistake comes in perceiving a pursuit towards understanding as a flight from misunderstanding.
I would say more distract themselves than procrastinate, but I agree. Books somehow feel "higher" than looking into a smartphone or watching netflix, but they can help people avoid uncomfortable self-reflection just as well.
but why not say that it is for joy rather than for procrastination. not everything should serve a purpose
Unpopular opinion? Are you sure. Hmmm... It’s seen as the thing to do, that’s all. Most of the smartest people I’ve ever met are actually not that well read at all.
I mean, i take my time with classics and philosophy/psychology books and take frequent notes (and only a few pages at a time). But i loveeeee reading so i also read novels at a high speed. I call them palette cleansers hahah. It helps me with my craving but doesn’t sacrifice quality
I’ve been struggling with this. I used to read only to satisfy my interests, wherever they might lead. I’d read one book at a time, very deliberately and carefully, and I’d look up various topics online if I wanted to dig a bit deeper. I didn’t have any space to store books, so I never kept that many of them around. But then I discovered Goodreads, and then reading became a competition. I was also flooded with lists and recommendations for award-winning books (there are WAY too many book awards, btw). At the same time I discovered buying books from Goodwill stores for $2. Buying books became its own source of satisfaction, but then they start to pile up and I feel overwhelmed! Like I’ve got to get through these books or, or...I won’t learn anything! What will my friends on Goodreads think?? Which of course is retarded. So I’ve been very carefully sorting out the books that I will always enjoy and learn from, packed with information, well written, and I trust the author. Re-reading these books has been incredible, needless to say. One book read ten times is better than ten books that I read once just to look smart.
So well put. I think I hate goodreads😅. Cheers from Spain.
Reading Fewer books... I can do that
😄
What's fewer than zero
@@fukckgooogle6123 exactly what I was about to say
I find that reading many books I can see themes and threads. I can build, in a way, my own book from many books. This seems the best way, for me, to see thematic truths through multiple sources.
I strongly disagree with this argument. To say that people in modern society read to know EVERYTHING is hyperbolic by its nature, and therefore untrue. What is your basis for that claim? Certainly more people read today, and read many books, but no doubt this is in large part the result of a better educated populous, with greater available income, and, more importantly, much more leisure time.
Of course the most critically acclaimed book are best sellers. But this is the result of the over-abundance of books (and media in general) today. No one can read EVERYTHING, people have to have some method to judge what titles would suit them best. Reading books at random would be a waste of time and money.
Furthermore, you claim people should focus on very few titles and read them thoroughly and repeatedly. Doing this may allow you to focus and understand the finer details in them, but it can also be extremely limiting. You've brought up the Bible and the Qur'an as examples. How many people, even today, read them to the exclusion of anything else? This is the logical outcome of your argument. These people now shun any other philosophical framework, the worst of them stewing in xenophobia and bigotry.
Personally, I read to expand my horizons. Neither to try in vain to know everything, nor to obsess endlessly over the few volumes I do read repeatedly. And of course I have those, and each repeated reading does reveal a new layer to the text. But arguably, I've gained much more from the books I've read only once, and felt no need to read again. Philosophy, design, history and politics, each book exposed me to a new world I was only dimly aware of, and it's now mine to choose if, and how much to dive further. I've found much more value in that, then reading The Lord of the Rings for the 100th time, as much as I do love that work.
Finally, ending this particular episode with a plug for your book is a little on the nose, don't you think? :)
Can't agree more with what you said.
You've raised some very good points.
To scratch beneath the surface of SoL's proposal here, there's a strata of social circles of people who cherish reading but who read competitively and compulsively. Many people straddle the line between endurance reading and reading for the sheer value it obviously brings them. This video won't convince most to strategically cull their libraries and future intake of literature but it does provide an interesting countermeasure to the furious reading race we can find ourselves sucked into.
Very well spoken!
This is remarkably on point. I hope they can read this.
@@paulfaganpianist, thanks, first of all :)
And yeah, I don't doubt these people do exist, and they may want to think carefully about why they read.
But I have two main issues with SoL's take. First, their base assumption is obviously hyperbolic, but they treat it as fact. Even assuming they mean most people, and not all, this hasn't been my experience. Where's the data to support it? Looking at the rest of the comments, you could think many people don't read at all.
My second issue is their conclusion. As I see it, taking the proposed approach at face value could leave you intellectually stifled. You may choose a few books that explain the world perfectly, but let's just say that's not very likely. In that case you're locking yourself into a particular mode of thinking without the possibility of challenging it.
And preaching this sort of message, especially today, is kinda scary.
I suffer from choice anxiety. In a library I can easy look for a book for hours and leave with precisely none.
Why are you reading? I mean, what is it that you specifically seek for your own particular needs?
@@Jane_under_a_tree_with_a_book 'War of Art' or 'Internal' are really good books. For me, personally, its about the stimulation of the mind while I'm in solitude. Like a friend ranting to you- But, you listen.
this is what i have with purchasing clothes
Where I can understand this issue, it isn't one I've personally had this particular anxiety because I have never read for any reason other than fun, and because I know that a real understanding is only superficially intellectual.
Even when I have follow the literature of this or that author, I generally find that all of their books are just different ways of reiterating the same basic points anyway so that in order to understand an author, one hardly need sample a tenth of their work as long as the main principles can be identified. I'm sure many here have recognized the same thing in the videos of this very channel: the school of life generally puts great stock in the idea of human problems being rooted in childhood trauma, the impact of modernity on human psychology, the folly of high expectations. Just about all of their videos touch on it to some extent.
The only reason to read is that you're interested. While there are no doubt benefits to being well-read, it should not be a goal because reading without reflection is no better than eating without digestion. Even if you do even some bizarre obsession to literally know everything (whatever that's supposed to mean if we consider that the domain of knowledge is infinite) you have to be more specific because there is no end to the level of specificity you can get into with a given subject.
I would also regard reading to "be content" an enormous waste of time. A person's quest for contentment is necessarily an expression of their discontent. If one was contented, one would not search.
I usually read for the pleasure of a plot twist, of the main character outwitting a hostile character, or the thrill of discovering a concept I'd never thought of.
It's just not at all something I do to learn.
Except with instruction manuals and coding reference books and the like I just read for the emotional experience not to be a well informed and "intelligent" person.
This is also why I never go to the movies with other human beings. I can't deeply experience the emotions of the movie if I'm distracted by the presence of someone ells. I need to live inside the world on the screen.
I had to do a double take cause I didn’t think I’d read the title right.
I think the aim of this video was actually to make people feel less guilty for not reading enough. Yes reading books too quickly and not digesting them is bad, but it's hard to argue with the logic that if every book is a different perspective on a topic, then the more books you read the broader your perspective is.
Yea it's definitely about balance. Not to Binge read and have shallow, surface level experiences with books but also one shouldnt use this video as an excuse why they haven't read since highschool lmao . We must find balance between frequency and depth.
It's about reading a very few, quality texts, repeatedly.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” ― George R.R. Martin
The question is would you rather live a thousand average lives or fewer but more fulfilling lives? Those who tear through books without taking much value from them aren't making the most of these lives.
This is brilliant, I love this!
I would gently disagree. You can both read more deeply a few books that are packed with meaning... but you can also experience the diversity of the human experience. Let’s not forget that the Greeks and Church were limited in their worldly contacts and prided their own cultures and religions as primarily superior to others. In today’s world I believe there is room for both deep reading as suggested by the video, and prolific reading to gain perspective on lives (fiction or non) that deepen our understanding of OTHERS... not just ourselves.
@@ryanpgill Well said and I too agree. I guess I was thinking about the growing psychology in some self-help practices where books are read simply by looking at the contents page or skimming through chapter headings, simply to allow the person to say they have 'read' a particular book.
Quotes are not good guidance for life.
That quote is from someone who makes money off of people buying his books. Not exactly some objective truth. Also what's wrong with making that "only one" life really incredible?
Thanks for the video. I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo now and learning about the dark side of human jealousy. Reading is a great way for one to briefly escape into another world, and also to train one's attention span in this increasingly distracting world.
I feel that this limiting. All the examples that was used were people using books to reinforce their already held beliefs and approach to life. We are lucky to have the various and numerous books to help be exposed to new or varied ideas. While it is true that a lot of people are more like hummingbirds fleeting from one to another but like anything else people will take portions to form their ideas.
Love this - Contentment means fewer books, less toil and more joy!
It could be argued that this is the single worst time in history to advocate tor not reading a variety of things that can greatly help keep us from simply absorbing the mass misinformation all around us at face value. That said, it's also important what you read. and how well you absorb it. Honing in on a particular subject is also good. I just feel this blanket statement can too easily be taken the wrong way.
Yes. I think instead of reading I order to reach a big goal which can be boasted about, like a book a week = 52 books a year where in all the books are basically the same.... We should be reading 10-15 (or whatever you may be comfortable with) book which are more diverse, thicker and open your mind to different things. Thank You :)
The poor thing in this joke could be any of us:
"There is this bird in a cage and it is freaked out, like its fur is all spiked and it's like smoking something and it's totally panicked and the owners are talking to each other saying:
You know, maybe we shouldn't be layering its cage with the newspaper anymore. "
Well, we may have a bigger brain than this bird, but we don't have the capacity to make sense of most things either, especially if we take it in all at once.
I confess that I am guilty of this too, so the two things I am trying to keep in mind are:
-Being very selective about what to read
- Reading slowly, taking notes and also taking some silent time afterwards, just to let the insights sink in.
For friends who are looking for life changing books, here are a couple suggestions:
1. "Brain Pickings Website" is really a goldmine! If you subscribe to Maria Popova's weekly newsletter, you can always find a great book that speaks to your curiosity.
She is incredibly wise, very kind and inspiring.
2. There is a podcast called " 3 Books With Neil Pasricha".
In every episode he invites a guest and talks to them about the three books that changed their lives.
I have heard the episodes with Malcolm Gladwell and Jonathan Fields and found them very enriching and interesting.
3. The "Open Culture" website has a list called " Life Changing Books, Your Picks".
4. Tim Ferriss has a podcast series called " Books I've loved". There is an episode with Alain de Botton too!
5. There is a great radio program on the BBC called " Desert Island Discs". It is an interview and the songs you hear in between are the favourite songs of the guest. It is a great way to discover new music too!
At the end of every episode, they ask the guest which book they would like to take with them to a desert island.
I was very touched by the episodes with Jacqueline Du Pre and Bruce Springsteen.
5. My primary motivation for reading is finding consolation. And then of course, a massive curiosity about where people find resilience, strength and hope.
If I could reduce the books I want to re-read many times into five books ( poetry not yet included) these would be the ones:
" The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain de Botton
" Just Mercy. A Story of Justice and Redemption" by Bryan Stevenson
"The Kiss of a Spider Woman" by Manuel Puig.
"Born a Crime " by Trevor Noah
"The Short Stories of Langston Hughes" ( My favourite short story of all times is in this book. It is called " Thank You M'am" . You can find it online too. )
Thank you for this wonderful lesson!
Thanks❤️
I have been subscribed to this channel for a few years now and I'm always delighted to read your comments, your ideas, perspectives and little anecdotes. The one I have in recent memory is about you dancing with a person you didn't quite know in a wedding; I've thought about it for over a week and it really brought some warmth within me I thought I'd lost for humanity. It's just humbling to watch you grow in kindness and wisdom over the years, I sincerely hope to read you for more years than I could count.
Thank you, Lua!
I will check out some of your suggestions:)
I really enjoy singing. Therefore I always come back to the songs or poems by Georges Brassens and Bob Dylan. And of course, many videos from the "School of Life" are like poems to me as well...
damn how are you still alive lua
Dear friends, thank you so much for taking the time to read all this! I will get back to all of you this weekend. Stay safe and healthy you all !
This reminded me of the awe for the amount of information and the pressure to digest all information when I walk into the largest bookstore in my city a few years ago.
But I want to read more books! Not because of the number, but because I actually want to read them, it's exciting.
On my vacations I use to spend time learning stuffs like painting, portraits and foreign languages.. This year during lockdown I've read more than 70 books since March.. Now that this year is coming to an end I realize I haven't learned much this year compared to the things I learned during a few weeks of vacations.. I'm making a resolution to read less next year lol
I understand what you mean, but I also feel that a lot of the things we absorb while reading shapes us in subtle ways that can't be quantified (emotional depth, empathy, creativity, different perspectives) :)
@@Shalini_Jay_Music year right.. But I learnt a lesson this year.. Too much of anything is not good lol even if it's good lol I have stuff joints now lol sometimes it's good to learn a little less and have a healthy body I suppose...
I love this, I think I must remember to take more time when reading to actually absorb what's on the pages. I often get to the end of a book and would have a hard time telling you what was in it. Taking the time to study a text is probably way more useful and fulfilling than just skimming through and off to the next one.
This advice goes great with programming books too! To know fundamentals and focus on the few books that really matter can benefit you more than globbing up everything you come across.
How to read fewer books.
Me(Currently reading 6 different titles): Nah.. I'm good.
el oh el
I can never read 1 book at a time. Im reading 4 books. Im with you. Im good.
I can't read a book that I don't like or i feel isn't relevant to me in any way.I wouldn't even reach the 2nd page.
Book suggestion :
1. The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden
I was very pleasantly surprised by that book. I listened to the audio version, which was read by the author with perfect cadence and emphasis. But yes, I didn't think it would be as good as it was. The part near the end regarding children and how self-esteem nurturing is handled by teachers and parents to me seemed particularly astute and ahead of its time.
Thank you! I was just about to continue my daily reading sessions with “good books” recommended by respectable people when I saw this video. Basic ideias like “how to read” or “how to have a conversation”, like it was done in the past by this channel, is an amazing way to show to people that what they have as true is often just a convention or habit that only works in a specific given time and place in history.
I was ashamed that I took almost a year reading a great book by Daniel Kahneman but this title is the one that I remember the most and also the one that had the greatest impact on my life. I was starting to worry about my pace and fearing the possibility of putting so much effort in the construction of supposedly bad long term decision such as reading fewer titles and authors, but you put some light into that question and made me realize that quantity definitely doesn’t mean quality in this subject, as it is often portrayed. Thank you once more, love from Brazil!
Daniel Kahneman demora msm kkkkk. Seus livros exigem mtas pausas pra reflexão
-Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, because it has awakened something in me, and started my spiritual life.
-Oscar Wilde, The Human Soul under Socialism, because it says it all.
-Mona Chollet, Chez Soi (At Home), because it has changed my whole life, by showing me the importance of place and time in my life, and how we politically need to think about it.
At nearly 60 years old I have read hundreds of books. I like to read. I keep a few books that I treasure and give away the rest to other people. I've never felt forced to read anything (barring school required reading, of course). I read because I enjoy it.
You shall only read the books that appeal to you, no harm in reading voraciously if you can absorb them; though a lifetime is not enough to go through all the books in this world but we must strive towards the books that appeal to our mission.
How ironic that the ads pre the video was how to read more books.
We had a patient in quarantine - where others were panicking being alone in their rooms most of the time and complaining- she was diving into the world of her books...
Sticking a balance between quantity and quality is key.
People read for different reasons - relaxation, killing time, reducing anxiety, giving us something to focus on, enlightenment, pursuing specialist interests, gaining practical guidance and understanding human nature and relationships better. Books can also change the frame in which we view the world so they can shake us out of tired ways of thinking. So I’m not convinced that the issue is reading less or reading more, but reading to the degree that you satisfy those varied needs. If that’s 10 books a month or one a year, it doesn’t matter.
Performative toxic culture is reading banal literature, thinking it’s a personality trait, and posting about it.
@@rexiioper6920 unifying theory type non-fiction books can be pretty handy imo, a good way to get into a topic
Do you KNOW my grandmother?
I think performative toxic culture is shitting on people for doing things or reading things that ultimately don't affect you in the end. Read what you like, it really doesn't matter.
That could well be true.
I mean, if you just read what you like or what interests you, without urging the need to tell an "audience" what you read or post on social meda about it, the "pressure", mentioned in the video, does not arise.
@@samh3396 **4-second long fart noise**
“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Why did Nietzsche bother to write so much if he held this to be true?
This topic is really something that modern world needs to contemplate on. In my personal opinion, living the things you read is rather crucial than just finishing it in a go and possibly miss on few details. The point to reading is to experience what the writer has expressed and implement if possible instead of boasting about it. Reading is a personal journey that one takes and it should be slow.
Thank you. This is so comforting. I'm the kind of person who read slow and only focus on few books. I do get jealous with people with tons of books on their shelves. But now not anymore 🥰
Once I decided to read only for contentment/ wisdom, I focused my reading on 3 specific areas, gave away all my other books and restricted new purchases.
You are all intelligent, even when you're reading less books. You are all awesome and smart.
Seneca's second letter 'On Discursiveness in Reading' is on this very topic.
"Be careful, however, lest this reading of many authors and books of every sort may tend to make you discursive and unsteady. You must linger among a limited number of master-thinkers, and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind. Everywhere means nowhere."
I was kicking myself for only reading a handful of books the last couple of years. Then I cleared out my loft, found whole series I'd devoured and then forgotten and realised I've literally read hundreds of books in my lifetime.
Made me realise I'm not struggling to read, I'm struggling to find a book that grabs me like they used to! And that's okay. Means my standards are just much higher.
Just get audible you won't have to read any books ever again. I listened to some modern fantasy audio books The Sword Itself, The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Name of The Wind and their sequels, absolutely cracking, top notch stuff.
I can’t thank school of life enough for this.. coming relatively late to the arts after quitting STEM, only I know how much I’ve indulged in self loathing because of my infrequent and limited reading habits but deep down I’ve always believed in what’s addressed here.. for me those few books that have deeply shaped me are Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, Bukowski’s Sometimes it gets so lonely that it just makes sense and Van Gogh’s Letters !
Can we say the same about TV series and movies? I always find my self as someone who doesn't know enough about the last movies or the best tv series, I don't even have netflix
I never felt any social pressure to read any great number of books. I read to learn about subjects that interest me or that can enrich my social, vocational, or religious life.
Irony:
Video: read less books
Self promotion at end of video: read all our books
Haha, I agree
Quality first, then quantity. Like anything, one small step at a time and try to get good at it first. Then when that's achieved, move to the next step and aim to get good at that. Then so on and so forth.
I feel you are romanticizing the ancient era. A more obvious reason they read less books is because they had no other choice--books were vastly more expensive and hard to attain due to no mass-production. That would have forced a culture of reading the same books over and over. if they had the choice but still chose to read fewer books, then that would be more telling.
Nobody reads in Belgium. No pressure to read either. Total mental bliss ( ! ) they have. Children's grand classics are not available in Dutch at book shops. Heart of Europe !! Lol !
1. Ince Memed - Yasar Kemal
2. Anna Karenina - L. N. Tolstoy
3. White Fang - Jack London
Are these books?
@@yakalb93 yes
@@-U46Raven thanks
Why these books?
Why? The first one I haven't read even.
How to read FEWER books?
Why on earth would I want to do that?!
I do not completely agree with the message propagated in the video.
But I think this video is simply a counter-argument for the infinite number of videos on RUclips in which reading is sold as a kind of performance. In which it seems like you are just a real reader, if you read X books a month / week.
Which, of course, is nonsense.
@@rolanddeschain6089 Of course, I understand that... Like there are some booktubers who are all "I've had a really bad reading month last month... I 've only read 6 books!" And I'm just like " :O WHAT???" lol
"Why on earth would I want to do that?!"
... The answer is in the video.
It's like... People rush in through lots of book which are basically the same just in order have s number they can book... While the meaning of reading fewer books is that to choose, different, mind opening and thicker books.. I sure can read one self help book a week and end up with "I read 52 books this year" but I really didn't gain anyth from... Or I can chose 9-10 of 11-15 books which are diverse, thicker and thus actually providing you more knowledge.. Thanks for reading this comment :)
I read all the time, all sorts of books for sheer enjoyment and I have done all my life. This brings me great contentment. It is one of the greatest pleasures in my life!
I feel personally attacked.
Me too
😂😂
@@Aliman12pac bro how r u
😂
This video should be sent to booktubers
I carefully avoid best sellers. I only read what inspires me as worth reading and follow my interests or whims. I never read a book just because someone advises me to read it. I follow my own paths and I like it this way. I find it rewarding.
I Love reading. I have a lot of books but I do think their are few that touch the heart more then others.
Your voice is comforting
I cant read one chapter before my mind starts to wander or I fall asleep, got halfway through The plague and that was an audio book. I read The stranger though, I see it as one of my great acheivements.
Hahaha Camus is a pretty good choice though
its funny how many youtubers brag about reading alot of books. But grab a complex and deep book and read it many times, thats real learning.
i can't believe SOL tell me to read fewer books. Thanks i have been adopting this new approach for long time rather than following the herd.
Thank you for making this.
A truly well read person is not the one who has chosen to read a gargantuan number of titles. It is someone who has led them to be deeply shaped by a few select titles only.
I guess in everyone's life there is that stage when one reads randomly every book he lays an eye on. That stage is kind of an expedition in the world of books and it helps develop our interests. After that stage one should develop an interest into a number of topics and dive deeper into them. At this age, one cannot be an expert in all that is to know, an AI bot will definitely beat us there. :)
I mean, i take my time with classics and philosophy/psychology books and take frequent notes (and read only a few pages at a time). But i loveeeee reading so i also read novels at a high speed. I call them palette cleansers hahah. It helps me with my craving but doesn’t sacrifice quality.
I KNOW RIGHT. It seems like reading MANY books to become "successful," "happy," and "wise" have just become another trend. (This does not include books for entertainment though.) People seem to forget that the application of what you've learned is as important or even more important than reading as many books as possible.
A great video and topic, although the ad at the end is annoyingly a little counterproductive :)
My top three books have less to do with solely an "intelligent" mind, as the question asks, and more to do with a holistic mind, including intelligence, but also a wholeness of human being, which I believe is what the actual video was getting at. I won't overthink them, and on another day I would make another list, but right now they are:
1) The Brothers Karamazov - Dostoevsky (on facing the overwhelming questions of existence, personal suffering, and family, and coming out with a way to survive and be content)
2) Man's Search for Meaning - Frankl (on finding meaning that helps one to endure suffering)
3) Peace is Every Step - Thich Nhat Hanh (on learning to see the world for what it is, not just how it appears before our eyes, and how to respond to it, peacefully)
The average American reads two books a year, so very few people need any encouragement to read less.
@The School of Life knocks it out the park every time.
Don't read books for the sake of reading books.
Read them to master your life and get benefits from them...
A note to self.
I beg to differ, read till your heart's content and learn just as much.
I just wished since childhood somebody does video on this topic! I just smile on people how they just in the rat race of reading so many books yet learning nothing about humanity! Cause for me, quality always mattered over quantity.
This is one of those channels that rightly guides us to live a good life. Thank you for sharing us with great contents!
Honestly: The little library that I have on my table includes "The School of Life," "The School of Life Dictionary," and "Self Knowledge"!
Thank you very much!
Fantastic! I feel freed -- and more enthusiastic to read.
When I first bought "Great Thinkers" from the School of Life, I suddenly felt very resistant to it and put it aside for several years. Now I've picked it up and it must be the right time for this book because I'm loving every chapter. These short summaries of these big ideas are really readable, sometimes funny or tragic and always interesting. I find myself thinking "Oh, so that's where that idea comes from" or "That's an argument that people use but I never knew it went back to those olden days." It's very intriguing but extremely easy to understand.
I love read, and you have reason, the books are only a vehicle. Now im reading in this lovely language. Books made me understand my place in this life, and make me very happy.
I read for pleasure and excitement. I have no one to talk about my books with or show off so it's never been a race for me.
"Wise sounding quote"
Famous Author name
Wow, I'm so inteligent
Wow , you also have a great mind for remembering quotes .
I read for the pleasure of reading!
I wish I had these narrators to read for me all the while 💯♥️
Absolutely spot-on, don't get why there are so many dislikes. Reading is a journey of discovering yourself. I for instance have been fascinated by existentialism, with the works of people like Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Sartre and Camus. Few authors, but ones that I read, re-read passages, highlight passages, make notes in the book, highlight words that I don't understand, write down the words in a notebook, and finally review the book. I understand that this can be incredibly tiresome and even boring compared to just reading say adventure books and enjoying them. But, for me - reading is not so much about the "fun", but rather about discovering myself, my insecurities, my anxieties, my fears. And that task requires, undoubtedly, hard work, which brings a much more GENUINE state of satisfaction.
thanks! agree! a bit understanding of a few books rather than reading the entire library.
This would imply I read books 😕
I was thinking about this exact idea today!
Why not both? Say you only had 2 days a week to dedicate to just reading, use 1 day to read well and with focus, the other day to read with divergence and generalisation. I agree that many people suffer from the (I have to read as many books as I can craze) and it would serve them well to follow the advice of this video. But personally I would not sacrafice one for the other; it is like the appoline/dionysiac dynamic for me, where there is duality, it isn't necessarily optimal to pick one side---you want to have a dialectic between the two. But cheers for making this video, it is a useful remedy at a relevant place in time, and I'm sure its going to help lots of people.
I love this. There are so many books, and so little time. Finding great books worth my time can be frustrating, but very satisfying when it turns out well :)
Books you need to read before you die:
1.The Scrolls
2.The Psalms
3.The Gospel
4.The Torah
and The Quran
You will be very grateful to me if you read these books
Simply read because we enjoy it...... no other reason is necessary
Thank you very much for this video. This has deep meaning.