How To Actually LEARN When You Read
Just reading the words is not enough
Reading Blind… not braille
I was reading a book outside and then he came up to me and said “wow, great book! I loved that one.” but I know him. And I know the book. Something isn’t adding up.
The way he acts made it clear he didn’t read the book. But then he rattled off some very specific “favorite passages” and I knew he must have read it.
Then why did it seem impossible to me that we read the same book? His actions go against the lessons of the book he says he loves. The book taught principles of successful cooperation throughout human history with examples from hunter-gatherer societies, farmers, religion and early empires. But he was one of the least cooperative people I knew. A real pain to work with actually.
And then it hit me…
He has no self-awareness. So he can’t learn.
It doesn’t matter that he spent the time to read a 400 page novel on the history of the world. He only learned the facts. He read it like a book for school with a quiz coming up. He didn’t learn the lessons.
He didn’t learn the lessons written between the lines because he couldn’t let himself see the mistakes he’s making in his life. He had a fixed mindset.
Growth Mindset
All the reading in the world is useless if you’re blind to your own actions. To get the most of any book, you need a growth mindset.
growth mindset: the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and learning.
This month’s book, Clear Thinking, will show you many mistakes you’re making. If you can’t admit to these mistakes by the end of chapter one, STOP reading. Until you recognize your own mistakes, knowing how to fix them means nothing.
There will be two readers walking away from this book:
Those who see their mistakes, admit them and get better
Those who make excuses for their “situations” and remain the same
Only one of these people will walk into January…
thinking clearer
making better decisions
moving forward
This is not to scare you. It’s simply true. It’s like the alcoholics anonymous line, “the first step is admitting you have a problem.”
Go into this book humble. Go into it looking for connections to your own life. Or don’t… And keep making the same mistakes over and over.
In the meantime, the rest of us Big Nerds will be moving forward!
New Feature: BBC Reading Calendar
Download a google calendar with the chapter of the day schedule
Read daily short chapters instead of specific page numbers
Note - we’ve added breaks to allow BigNerds to catch up when we miss a day of reading
Note again - daily emails will connect to the previous day’s reading (Dec.2 email is about Dec.1 reading)
December 1st Reading: Chapter 1.1 - Thinking Badly
Go live humbly. See your mistakes. Notice them. Learn from them. Or else keep making the same ones day after day.
Your Biggest Fan,
Noah “BigNerd” Sochaczevski