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Abstract

to take notes etc.</li></ul><h2 id="df28">Post Formal Education</h2>Later in life, apart from the occasional professional qualification, we don’t have any more tests to take.Your purpose for reading changes. So, your default methods of reading can change too.You aren’t reading just to pass an exam anymore.<ul><li>You read for fun.</li><li>You read to gain new insights.</li><li>You read with no expectations.</li><li>You read because you want to.</li></ul>I remember reading through some seriously dull texts in college. These were written by people who died a long time ago. Selfishly, they didn’t write in a way that a 21st century student could understand easily.In all seriousness though, it’s pretty amazing to see how language changes so quickly. The academic style of writing in the past wasn’t written to be read. It was written to impress and confuse, to make something a bigger deal than it is.I would almost fall asleep trying to read these verbose texts with sentences so long that I would forget the first half almost immediately. I would feel my eyes glaze over the words, understanding and retaining nothing.I would have to re-read again and again.Whenever my mind wandered, it wasted valuable time I didn’t have to spare. So, I learned to focus like everyone.<h2 id="675b">Let Your Mind Drift</h2>Now, I am unlearning that focus.

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I am letting my mind wander. It’s what gives me a unique experience from reading.The biggest difference in how I read today is that I don’t punish myself for losing concentration. Instead, I lean into it.When I read a paragraph and it makes me think of something else in my life, relevant or not, I think deeply about it. I put down the book and observe what happens next.As someone that has speed read a lot of books, this change has made reading a much slower but more enjoyable activity.The often unpredictable applications of the text to my life (past, present or future) is what makes the experience unique to me. I take joy in knowing no one else has experienced the same realisations as me. This is second level thinking and everyone can have their own unique experiences like this.You build on the ideas you read rather than take them at face value. You apply them to different contexts and see if they still hold. You look for practical ways to improve your unique situation.By reading this way, you can gain much more valuable and meaningful insights.If a book gets you thinking deeply about your life, stay there. That’s where it matters. And, observe.Instead of taking notes or summarising the text, how about writing down your thoughts, feelings, and the unique takeaways you got from the piece. Write down what matters to you.</article></body>

I Started Reading Differently

It happened after completing college and professional exams

Many of us read the same books and we reach the same conclusions. This is particularly true in the self help world.

How many times have you been recommended Atomic Habits, The 4 Hour Work Week, Rich Dad Poor Dad, etc.? (I love all of these by the way)

We often go where the author takes us. Sometimes, we just accept whatever they say if it is convincing enough and it is backed up with enough evidence.

We end up summarising and highlighting many of the same ideas. In most cases, these ideas are new to us and we find them very useful.

But the experience is not unique. Thousands of other people have gotten exactly the same experience.

In school, we learn the “correct” way to read text books. We learned a style of reading that is geared towards achieving a specific goal, to pass a test.

We learn to skim.
We learn to focus.
We learn to highlight.
We learn to summarise.
We learn to take notes etc.

Post Formal Education

Later in life, apart from the occasional professional qualification, we don’t have any more tests to take.

Your purpose for reading changes. So, your default methods of reading can change too.

You aren’t reading just to pass an exam anymore.

You read for fun.
You read to gain new insights.
You read with no expectations.
You read because you want to.

I remember reading through some seriously dull texts in college. These were written by people who died a long time ago. Selfishly, they didn’t write in a way that a 21st century student could understand easily.

In all seriousness though, it’s pretty amazing to see how language changes so quickly. The academic style of writing in the past wasn’t written to be read. It was written to impress and confuse, to make something a bigger deal than it is.

I would almost fall asleep trying to read these verbose texts with sentences so long that I would forget the first half almost immediately. I would feel my eyes glaze over the words, understanding and retaining nothing.

I would have to re-read again and again.

Whenever my mind wandered, it wasted valuable time I didn’t have to spare. So, I learned to focus like everyone.

Let Your Mind Drift

Now, I am unlearning that focus. I am letting my mind wander. It’s what gives me a unique experience from reading.

The biggest difference in how I read today is that I don’t punish myself for losing concentration. Instead, I lean into it.

When I read a paragraph and it makes me think of something else in my life, relevant or not, I think deeply about it. I put down the book and observe what happens next.

As someone that has speed read a lot of books, this change has made reading a much slower but more enjoyable activity.

The often unpredictable applications of the text to my life (past, present or future) is what makes the experience unique to me. I take joy in knowing no one else has experienced the same realisations as me. This is second level thinking and everyone can have their own unique experiences like this.

You build on the ideas you read rather than take them at face value. You apply them to different contexts and see if they still hold. You look for practical ways to improve your unique situation.

By reading this way, you can gain much more valuable and meaningful insights.

If a book gets you thinking deeply about your life, stay there. That’s where it matters. And, observe.

Instead of taking notes or summarising the text, how about writing down your thoughts, feelings, and the unique takeaways you got from the piece. Write down what matters to you.