How does reading biographies help you?

[Black_Dragon43]

As a voracious reader of mostly technical books, philosophy, and business I'm curious about what the experience of other fasteners has been here with reading biographies. What sort of value do you get from them? How do they help you inside your lives? Don't you find it more difficult to extract useful principles than from technical books?

Note: I have rarely read biographies so far, but do plan to introduce a few.

 

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[Odysseus M Jones]

As a voracious reader of mostly technical books, philosophy, and business I'm curious about what the experience of other fasteners has been here with reading biographies. What sort of value do you get from them? How do they help you inside your lives? Don't you find it more difficult to extract useful principles than from technical books?

Note: I have rarely read biographies so far, but do plan to introduce a few.

They're not really helpful.
I've read Jack Walsh & the Dalai Llama.

I'm still not chairman of General Electric or the reincarnated Buddha.

 

[starttoday123]

I’ve read a bunch of autobiographies in the past few years. They’ve helped me tremendously to learn more about my blind spots - reading about painful struggles other people go through in autobiographies teaches us about probably something we could improve on in an area were not looking at at all because the nature of an autobiography they cover all areas of their life and as we’re all human we probably have similar struggles in some way

 

[Angler]

Interesting thread! Autobiographies help me most of the time by providing new inspiration on what to ask myself to have more clarity. Clarity in goals. Clarity in my vision. Clarity on my values and who I want to be. I have a direction on what and who I want to be. These books just speed the process a little. When I can see things clearly and understand the "why" behind what I'm doing or believe, I usually am less bother by the noise around me. It's also always nice for you to get a perspective into the mind of someone who's walking a path you want to walk and see the systems they used along the way. This is especially true when you test the system in your own life and see that it also works for you too, if not then oh well --all-purpose-glue does not exist.

Oh yeah, reading has been really helpful when my intention is that I want to know myself more as I read and see if any system can work for what I have going, and not the other way around. Reading to find a sense of identity or to have it as the only thing going for me... Now that got me into a whole world of hurt because every single book lead me to compare myself with the writer, how I could do so much more with myself.

It's like building a foundation and laying bricks afterwards. If the foundation(your belief system and goals) are weak, the more you stack bricks(the knowledge from books-->in this case biographies), the more it will shake your foundation until one day it breaks.

 

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[starttoday123]

I have a direction on what and who I want to be.

Cool thoughtful process you have!

This resonates for me. Autobiographies have helped me to see a bit better how my own actions have a ripple effect in my life and the lives of others depending on who I’m being and to remember how much who I’m being is a choice. On one page a decision is made and on the next page you start to see how the decision plays out.

That’s a good point about comparison. I had a phase of comparison too and am still working on it

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

One of the greatest tragedies in modern education is the belief that something only holds value if we "get something out of it".

This is utilitarian. Utilitarianism is incredibly helpful for many things but not for your heart or for your maturity or for raising children who live a looooooong time before being "useful". Utilitarianism is excellent for machinery, but not so good for human hearts.

Mental Health should really be called Emotional Health. Joy, romance, hope, bravery, grief, determination and grit are emotions. They are, by definition, unquantifiable. But aren't they valuable? Of course.

Teach a man to catch a fish and you... don't help him at all if he gets rocked emotionally by a lover betraying him, a boss mocking him, a friend dying. Who wants to fish then?

One type of book lends practical advice, another gives hope, hope that is so tender it slips past our mental barriers and lodges in our hearts. Biographies make us better people.

I'm currently reading William Booth's biography alongside Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist with my oldest son. My kid is imminently practical and yet.. the idea of Oliver Twist put him in a heartbroken rage one week. (Which was Dickens intent; he wrote the book to inspire change.) Just to be clear we only read about five chapters a week. We go slow and think about it and discuss.

Reading the book was horrible for my kid when we started. He LOATHED the book. That is, until we started reading about William Booth, the man who started the Salvation Army and who lived in the exact same time period and in the same place as Oliver would have if Oliver was a real person. As soon as my son heard that there was actually a man who hated what was happening in London enough to take a stand to help people, it changed the tenor of our conversations. Oliver Twist made us feel agonized and helpless. William Booth gave us strength.

So, two books at the same time: one fictitious and one biography. Both books are about poverty, villianous behavior, desperate people, London, and heroes.

I cannot quantify the lessons we're receiving from reading these books. We are not "getting" much out of them, besides becoming familiar with a particular time in history.

But this month he and I both have been more grateful, more content with what we have, slower to be angry about first world problems, and a LOT more willing to help people.

That's what great books do. They touch your heart and change who you are.

 

[David Fitz]

When you read a good one they are my favorite books. Steve Jobs, Titan and Elon Musks are some of my favorite reads.

 

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[MTF]

We've already had a discussion on this but I have some points to add after reading about 20+ more autobiographies since then.

What sort of value do you get from them? How do they help you inside your lives?

For me, the biggest value is learning about different lives, getting to know different viewpoints, and challenging my mind.

For example, I'm a pacifist, yet in the last few months I've read about 10 autobiographies by ex-Navy SEALs and similar special forces operators. Their world, their experiences, and their values are completely different than mine. And that's where I find value.

I get to understand how a person so different thinks, what their problems are, what drives them, and what they believe in. From their autobiographies, I've learned how the army functions, what modern war is like, what it's like to almost die, and what happens to disabled veterans.

From books written by pro athletes I get to learn about the world of elite athletes. I don't necessarily want to be one but I find it fascinating to learn about their lives.

From books written by people who survived something terrible I learn about how the human mind functions when you're in survival mode.

Autobiographies let you inside the mind of the author. Yes, they're subjective, perhaps colorized a bit. Still, they show a different world that can help you gain a better understanding of other people's lives. And that's the biggest value.

If you want more specific examples, just browse through my newsletter's past issues:

Blog - Discomfort Club

www.discomfortclub.com

Out of 17 issues so far, most are based on autobiographies or memoirs. One of my favorite recent examples is what I learned from Rickson Gracie's autobiography Breathe:

#14: Becoming an Iconic Champion. Lessons From Rickson Gracie’s Autobiography "Breathe"

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is one of the most popular martial arts of modern times. It was developed in the 1920s by Brazilian brothers Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George, and Hélio Gracie. In 1958, Hélio Gracie fathered Rickson. Rickson went on to become the greatest BJJ practitioner of all...

www.discomfortclub.com

@Antifragile recently wrote this about that book:

Thanks! I took it from your discomfort club books. And I’m loving it. So much wisdom.

Maybe he can share with you some of his own lessons from reading this autobiography over reading another technical book.

Don't you find it more difficult to extract useful principles than from technical books?

No, because autobiographies can't be compared with technical books. Autobiographies primarily inspire and give you general life lessons. Some autobiographies do contain more practical takeaways but usually it's not a clear-cut "do X and get Y" kind of a thing. There's a lot more nuance: the author's age, circumstances, unique resources, etc.

Like @Primeperiwinkle (if it weren't for the forum's autocomplete, I'd NEVER be able to type your username correctly) wrote, great books change who you are. Ultimately, a powerful, emotional story that stays with you for long after you finish reading it can have a bigger impact than another dry technical how-to book.

 

[Antifragile]

Maybe he can share with you some of his own lessons from reading this autobiography over reading another technical book.

Thanks for the tag.

BD earned a spot among the few on my ignore list. It’s a covered spot just because there are so few people on there - scarcity! So, I won’t be reading his comments and responding.

But I will say that Breathe was like a spiritual book for me. It took me on a journey and I felt I was growing as a person with Rickson Gracie. I’ll be coming back to that book to write down my own notes for my own use in the future.

I will also add that the Discomfort Club is where I got my last 3 books! All excellent. And I’m a fan of the club, as you already know. I think it has the potential to help many people, especially entrepreneurs!

 

[Hong_Kong]

As a voracious reader of mostly technical books, philosophy, and business I'm curious about what the experience of other fasteners has been here with reading biographies. What sort of value do you get from them? How do they help you inside your lives? Don't you find it more difficult to extract useful principles than from technical books?

Note: I have rarely read biographies so far, but do plan to introduce a few.

Biographies seem too random. After reading a ton there are successful people who have figured it out from all backgrounds, walks of life. Many of them are dysfunctional, crazy, etc.


I am a big believer in 'just in time' knowledge. I try to base the majority of reading around stuff I can implement right away. Niche topic books. Ex: if you are working on a real estate deal, books on raising capital for real estate, or renovation processes, etc. Things that will help you immediately.


I try to learn it once, then implement 50 times as soon as possible.


After that I read general strategy or more 'big picture' books. Things like Fastlane, blue-ocean strategy, built to last, $100 startup, art of war, etc. Things that will get long term returns and improve many projects or future endeavours.

 

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[heavy_industry]

It all boils down to "leading by example".

Someone's life story can be a huge inspiration and can change your worldview. If they could do amazing things, maybe you could do them as well.

Auto-biographies are even more effective at this, because by reading those books you will get an insight on how the author thinks and their mental processes. It's almost like having a 1 on 1 conversation with them. And since we tend to become the people we surround ourselves with, this can be very useful.

I instantly became more disciplined and goal oriented after reading Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. Can't wait to get my hands on the legendary books of @MJ DeMarco .

 

[S.Y.]

For me, it comes down to stories. They stick to you much longer than how-to and facts.

I have read couple of books that touch on resilience and grit in one way or another. I barely remember any of them. I read Elon Musk biography, and boy. It is easier for me to recall what he went through, how he kept going and how he pulled off something never done before.

Likewise, I have read many books on the value of curiosity, exploration and experimentation. But when I want to tap into that aspect, there is nothing better than Leonardo Da Vinci bio. It is much easier for me to recall and be inspired to apply the principles he came to represent versus reading a non-fiction how-to.

I just find them more memorable.

 

[Albert KOUADJA]

As a voracious reader of mostly technical books, philosophy, and business I'm curious about what the experience of other fasteners has been here with reading biographies. What sort of value do you get from them? How do they help you inside your lives? Don't you find it more difficult to extract useful principles than from technical books?

Note: I have rarely read biographies so far, but do plan to introduce a few.

I read the biographies of successful people to learn from their experience, background, to find out how they succeeded and tell me if they could do it then I can do it too. . .after reading the biography of a successful person, I analyze the field in which he succeeded, if to succeed in the latter it is necessary to have necessary talent or a natural asset, I exclude it from my studies because I do not have none of these assets. .that's what I was doing until I found @MJ DeMarco, and his story really sounds like mine. It's as if his book Millionaire's Highway was written for me. .Before I started reading the biographies of successful people, I tried to get rich quick without being able to do it through dumb businesses. Before stepping onto campus, I knew this was a path that could not lead to true wealth. .but I didn't know how to avoid it. I went anyway, during my two years of college, my goal was to make a quick buck and get rich. .during my first outside of my classes, I had a small job with which I expected to enrich myself through savings. My plan was to save for 5 years and make millions, but that turned out to be impossible. .and what was really at the root of my failings in college was dumb business (all kinds of business especially network marketing), I was just doing and I was more focused on that than my classes and I knew that I was going to get rich but it always ended badly. .I was enriching someone else, the founder of the network. It was after the failures of all these businesses over the past few years that I began to think about how to become serious and I started reading the biographies of successful people to see how they became so. .it is in this journey that I found myself here, on the forum. In any case, the story of MJ really inspires me a lot.

 

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[Eholic]

Autobiographies inspire me to think of ways and routes I can take to improve my current life situation. The examples in such books may not be ones I can instantly start implementing but it they do give me an idea of where to begin for those small changes (the building blocks) leading to the noticable significant change somewhere down the line.

 

[peddletothemetal]

They're useful because the person they're about was a human and had 24 hour days, just like you. I figure being 1% of what Rockefeller was will be good enough, and that's about $3B, and that'll do.

 

[Mattie]

As a voracious reader of mostly technical books, philosophy, and business I'm curious about what the experience of other fasteners has been here with reading biographies. What sort of value do you get from them? How do they help you inside your lives? Don't you find it more difficult to extract useful principles than from technical books?

Note: I have rarely read biographies so far, but do plan to introduce a few.

I don't really read them anymore, but in the past they made life more inspirational or motivational knowing that everyone in the world goes through the hero or heroine's journey, it may just be tweaked differently. It's the human experience. This is how we learn in society by art, literature, music. Non-fiction is the true story of someone's life.

It's just the way we relate in society and know thyself in a sense, since the internet in general is rich with human experience. it's more kind of like "Monkey See, Monkey Do!" If you read a biography of someone's life that they did something, your trying to do yourself, it gives keys, wisdom, knowledge, you can try to apply it, adapt, adjust, and it depends on what your reading and who you are reading about.

If you read about a Baseball Player and want to be the best baseball player, you might be geared to study those famous baseball players lives to understand how they got from point A to point B. What they had to face through the trials, adversity, obstacles, and how they came out on top. Who were there mentors, teachers, coaches, leaders who helped them get there.

Success is a process so when your reading about someone's life who has already made it there, it's kind of one piece of information that may hold a certain key, principle, or life lesson that might be valuable in your own experience.

You can say this about non-fiction, fiction, fantasy, or any piece of literature, art, music, if you know how to look for it, and always weed out the wisdom, knowledge, and insight.

 

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