Your channel has been a gem to discover in 2024. What you said about reading or watching something and then springing into action rings so true. Thanks for posting this, happy new year!
This resonates with me. I seem to be a theory hoarder. I love to learn, and frequently feel as if I need to know everything about a subject before I can attempt to do anything about it. It's a useless endeavor. I was just thinking about how I have so many things I want to learn, I am overwhelmed with choice. What do I do next? What order makes sense, or doesn't it matter? Stuff like that. I need to learn how to back off on the learning/information hoarding, and start putting it into practice. That is what I need to figure out. That little bridge piece, of how, exactly, does one really, really put theory into practice. I get stuck at this point sometimes. This is why self help books always seemed useless to me. Lots of theories, no information on how to actually implement them, which is such a mystery to me at times. I realize different people will have different ways of putting it into practice, but at least give us several examples. One might work for me, or at least give me some ideas of how the process works, so I can come up with my own way. This is what many of us need. I'm grateful for your RUclips. This shed a light on what has always been a problem, but not one I could put a finger on, until now.
I see this theme of theory vs. action everywhere recently too. I watched a video on someone showcasing their analog Zettelkasten note system and it what echoed when I read your comment was how people (me included) get into a vicious cycle of collection fallacy. We have all these notes that are simply facts that aren’t even rephrased into how we remember things best. Our “notes” aren’t really us learning, it’s an extensive encyclopedia. Our brains aren’t meant to remember all of this information without the action that weaves it all together. That’s also why I’ve given up on all of the methodical self help books and instead vicariously learning the same thing via fiction if that’s any help to your dilemma :-)
I read 25 books last year implementing small changes in my reading habits. Recently I researched a bunch of videos on how to read more books and everyone was saying to read more books (at the same time). I took this advice and am currently reading like 6 books at the same time soon to be 7 and 8. They kept saying you need a book for every mood so that you are always in the nood to read. I never thought of it that way. After adding more books I read over 200 pages total last week! And I don't feel burnt out because of the variety available
As a therapist, this title hits home more than you think. Sometimes I feel like I could have read thousands of books on therapy already and still not feel more confident in my work. What really teaches therapy is therapy. Just books are not enough!
Just dropping in to comment that Robin’s flow and delivery has improved so much since his first long video. From structure, smooth connections between ideas/concepts/sources and confidence in speaking! Dont get me wrong, his first few vids were still great but I wanted to highlight his hard work! Thank you for the amazing vids and new podcast!!
14:55 - this is the question to ask yourself, the *action* of this video You are ahead of most of us just by making these videos, putting yourself out there. We, most of us, despite the creative impulse can say with the poet Wallace Stevens, _’I am too dumbly in my being pent.’_
This video has come at the right time for me as I’ve researched so many different things over the years and never put into practice what I’ve read about.
This video hit too close to home for me. I’ll get obsessed about a topic and study all its theory but when it comes time to doing I am hopeless. I need to improve on this for sure. Thank you Robin for the kick up the butt I needed! Happy new year to you!
Becoming more practical has propelled my mindset from an overthinker to an individual who manages what is valuable with purpose. Both concepts weigh out the learning process until deemed personally balanced for your intents.
This is great. I find when philosophy stays in the theoretical realm for too long it becomes frustrating. When I allow it to inform my practice and integrate it into my life it becomes much more fulfilling.
Sometimes, all it takes is one good choice to change your life. But even the best choice requires a lot of thinking. I'd say that politians and teologists tend to make too many conjectures based in theory. If they only gather more time with other religions and nationalities, all the conflicts of the world would have been solved in a blink. The same goes when you put more effort in practice. You work too hard on your grocery store or job and you forget to take care of your health, and if you don't study enough you will not know how to cure yourself, you can't always rely on pills. Anyways, this what I think right now. Thank you for your vids. Cheers. I admire a gen Z guy that reeds way more than I did (I'm a millenial guy). Greetings, a Costa Rican living in South Korea
Robin i recently watched you video on how to discover your own literaty taste. I bought the Iliad cause I wanted to seem smart and snobbish, I couldn't even get through the first chapter. I watched your video on the topic and found it useful. In contrast I love Nietzsche's works, the Dune series and I am loving 1984. I've just accepted I won't like every classic and that's okay
Great video ! I’ve been meaning to ask as well, are we going to get to see your trip to Dublin you mentioned a while back? As an Irishman, I’ve been waiting for it eagerly 😁
Ahhhh! I know! It was a case of things getting buried in the backlog of videos and I still haven't found the time to edit all that footage from Dublin. I'll definitely try in the coming weeks and keep you posted!
As a Marxist, thank you for highlighting the dynamic interplay (the dialectical relationship) between theory and practice! "Theory becomes purposeless if it is not connected with revolutionary practice, just as practice gropes in the dark if its path is not illumined by revolutionary theory." and "If we have a correct theory but merely prate about it, pigeonhole it and do not put it into practice, then that theory, however good, is of no significance." (not stating the authors because one should contend with the content of these quotes, not who said them) A great example of theory + practice is music theory + making/playing music. Taking guitar as an example, I can buy all the guitar lesson books in the world and study them cover to cover and consume every last online resource about guitar, but I will never make/play music with the guitar if I do not physically engage with the instrument, if I do not practice the theory I have learned. This applies to any musical instrument and, for that matter, can be further extended to anything requiring the use of an instrument (art production, medical practice, infrastructure construction, etc.). From this, one can correctly say that instruments (guitar, pen, scalpel, etc.) are simply means for putting theory into practice. No instrument of any kind has been developed without some kind of theory beforehand, a theory which is then dynamically (dialectically) developed with the instrument of practice. I highly recommend anyone interested in theory and practice to read Mao's "On Practice". Whatever you think of him (whether it come from an informed, uninformed, or misinformed position), this short read is a historically significant work in epistemological theory and revolutionary practice. In the realm of philosophy, it is a serious essay which has and continues to tremendously influence social revolutions that have swept away hundreds and thousands of years of history into their rightful place in the dustbin all in a matter of a few years. Many thanks Robin!
Your channel has been a gem to discover in 2024. What you said about reading or watching something and then springing into action rings so true. Thanks for posting this, happy new year!
This resonates with me. I seem to be a theory hoarder. I love to learn, and frequently feel as if I need to know everything about a subject before I can attempt to do anything about it. It's a useless endeavor. I was just thinking about how I have so many things I want to learn, I am overwhelmed with choice. What do I do next? What order makes sense, or doesn't it matter? Stuff like that. I need to learn how to back off on the learning/information hoarding, and start putting it into practice. That is what I need to figure out. That little bridge piece, of how, exactly, does one really, really put theory into practice. I get stuck at this point sometimes.
This is why self help books always seemed useless to me. Lots of theories, no information on how to actually implement them, which is such a mystery to me at times. I realize different people will have different ways of putting it into practice, but at least give us several examples. One might work for me, or at least give me some ideas of how the process works, so I can come up with my own way. This is what many of us need.
I'm grateful for your RUclips. This shed a light on what has always been a problem, but not one I could put a finger on, until now.
I see this theme of theory vs. action everywhere recently too. I watched a video on someone showcasing their analog Zettelkasten note system and it what echoed when I read your comment was how people (me included) get into a vicious cycle of collection fallacy. We have all these notes that are simply facts that aren’t even rephrased into how we remember things best. Our “notes” aren’t really us learning, it’s an extensive encyclopedia. Our brains aren’t meant to remember all of this information without the action that weaves it all together. That’s also why I’ve given up on all of the methodical self help books and instead vicariously learning the same thing via fiction if that’s any help to your dilemma :-)
I read 25 books last year implementing small changes in my reading habits.
Recently I researched a bunch of videos on how to read more books and everyone was saying to read more books (at the same time). I took this advice and am currently reading like 6 books at the same time soon to be 7 and 8.
They kept saying you need a book for every mood so that you are always in the nood to read. I never thought of it that way.
After adding more books I read over 200 pages total last week! And I don't feel burnt out because of the variety available
*gobbles up the advice* thank youuu
As a therapist, this title hits home more than you think. Sometimes I feel like I could have read thousands of books on therapy already and still not feel more confident in my work. What really teaches therapy is therapy. Just books are not enough!
Just dropping in to comment that Robin’s flow and delivery has improved so much since his first long video. From structure, smooth connections between ideas/concepts/sources and confidence in speaking! Dont get me wrong, his first few vids were still great but I wanted to highlight his hard work! Thank you for the amazing vids and new podcast!!
Thank you! Took a few years to really hit the nail on the head and I'm glad it shows. :)
14:55 - this is the question to ask yourself, the *action* of this video
You are ahead of most of us just by making these videos, putting yourself out there. We, most of us, despite the creative impulse can say with the poet Wallace Stevens, _’I am too dumbly in my being pent.’_
This video has come at the right time for me as I’ve researched so many different things over the years and never put into practice what I’ve read about.
This video hit too close to home for me. I’ll get obsessed about a topic and study all its theory but when it comes time to doing I am hopeless. I need to improve on this for sure. Thank you Robin for the kick up the butt I needed! Happy new year to you!
Happy new year and best of luck!
I can't describe the excitement i feel when Robin uploads
Becoming more practical has propelled my mindset from an overthinker to an individual who manages what is valuable with purpose. Both concepts weigh out the learning process until deemed personally balanced for your intents.
Your channel is soo underrated
I'd rather serve a smaller community well instead of bloating this channel into a vanilla mammoth. :) Thank you for your kind words.
This is great. I find when philosophy stays in the theoretical realm for too long it becomes frustrating. When I allow it to inform my practice and integrate it into my life it becomes much more fulfilling.
Thank you for this reminder! Happy new year!! 🎉
Thank you, Robin.
The title got me. I am trying to act/live what i read.
also second!!!
Brilliant as usual. Happy new year Robin. Love from Bangkok Thailand ❤😊
Sometimes, all it takes is one good choice to change your life. But even the best choice requires a lot of thinking. I'd say that politians and teologists tend to make too many conjectures based in theory. If they only gather more time with other religions and nationalities, all the conflicts of the world would have been solved in a blink. The same goes when you put more effort in practice. You work too hard on your grocery store or job and you forget to take care of your health, and if you don't study enough you will not know how to cure yourself, you can't always rely on pills. Anyways, this what I think right now. Thank you for your vids.
Cheers. I admire a gen Z guy that reeds way more than I did (I'm a millenial guy). Greetings, a Costa Rican living in South Korea
Robin i recently watched you video on how to discover your own literaty taste. I bought the Iliad cause I wanted to seem smart and snobbish, I couldn't even get through the first chapter. I watched your video on the topic and found it useful.
In contrast I love Nietzsche's works, the Dune series and I am loving 1984. I've just accepted I won't like every classic and that's okay
Great video ! I’ve been meaning to ask as well, are we going to get to see your trip to Dublin you mentioned a while back? As an Irishman, I’ve been waiting for it eagerly 😁
Ahhhh! I know! It was a case of things getting buried in the backlog of videos and I still haven't found the time to edit all that footage from Dublin. I'll definitely try in the coming weeks and keep you posted!
Im morally obligated: First!
🎉🎉
As a Marxist, thank you for highlighting the dynamic interplay (the dialectical relationship) between theory and practice! "Theory becomes purposeless if it is not connected with revolutionary practice, just as practice gropes in the dark if its path is not illumined by revolutionary theory." and "If we have a correct theory but merely prate about it, pigeonhole it and do not put it into practice, then that theory, however good, is of no significance." (not stating the authors because one should contend with the content of these quotes, not who said them)
A great example of theory + practice is music theory + making/playing music. Taking guitar as an example, I can buy all the guitar lesson books in the world and study them cover to cover and consume every last online resource about guitar, but I will never make/play music with the guitar if I do not physically engage with the instrument, if I do not practice the theory I have learned. This applies to any musical instrument and, for that matter, can be further extended to anything requiring the use of an instrument (art production, medical practice, infrastructure construction, etc.). From this, one can correctly say that instruments (guitar, pen, scalpel, etc.) are simply means for putting theory into practice. No instrument of any kind has been developed without some kind of theory beforehand, a theory which is then dynamically (dialectically) developed with the instrument of practice.
I highly recommend anyone interested in theory and practice to read Mao's "On Practice". Whatever you think of him (whether it come from an informed, uninformed, or misinformed position), this short read is a historically significant work in epistemological theory and revolutionary practice. In the realm of philosophy, it is a serious essay which has and continues to tremendously influence social revolutions that have swept away hundreds and thousands of years of history into their rightful place in the dustbin all in a matter of a few years.
Many thanks Robin!
Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways - the point, however, is to change it.
@ the most important thesis on Feuerbach!
0:43
❤❤❤
Opa