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This goes for anyone reading this, but to preface I'll tell you that my philosophy on this is Aristotelian (and Thomistic as well because Aquinas backs up Aristotle a lot).My goal is not to 'finish' the book but to learn, however, the fact that I don't go all the way through and 'finish' also annoys me greatly.
When I read, the new knowledge I learn feels like a waste if I were to carry on reading, and there's only so much I can comprehend, as that depends on my mental state and exhaustion.
My question: Is anyone experiencing a similar phenomenon, and what's your philosophy on this?
The virtue being developed when you read is that of prudence.
The reason for this is because when you read, you are memorizing something (that is, you are attempting to "place" information in your memory), and memory is the primary integral part of the virtue of prudence.
I have a few pieces of advice:
- Increase your memory
The ways to do this are fourfold:
- Associate whatever you are trying to remember/read with a unique image. You remember that which is spectacular more often than that which is not. This is why action is so important when reading. If you are reading a biography, visiting the hometown of that person is a powerful image. It turns the ink on the page into real, physical locations instead of abstract thoughts floating around in your mind.
- Have order to what you are remembering. Think mnemonics. It also helps if you attach it to a previous memory.
- This is really only good for the short term - as the previous two were for long-term memory - and that is repetition. Certainly reading a book more than once helps you remember it, but it isn't as effective as the previous two points.
- You only remember that which you desire to remember. This is important whether it's short- or long-term memory. You must crave a memory to actually remember it.
The next piece of advice builds off of these points.
- Read Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book
I'm sure it sounds ridiculous to tell you to read a book in order to learn to read. A lot of people might say "Well, that's how you learn to do something well! Do it over and over again! Practice makes perfect!"
While there is some truth to that statement, these people miss a piece to the puzzle: "Perfect practice makes perfect." You don't learn to do something well by doing it a hundred times. You learn to do it well by practicing it well. The point is this: read the right books. Don't just pick up any book and start reading. It's important to filter the information going into your brain.
My parish priest once told myself and a group of men that whenever he goes over to someone's house, he can't help but look at what they have on their bookshelf because it tells him a little bit about the people he is visiting. You are what you read. He was, in fact, the one who recommended this book for me.
How to Read a Book gives you practical advice on the different modes of reading, the types of genres, how to properly "judge a book by it's cover", and build and improve your reading comprehension. Everyone should read this book.
- Whatever book you read, finish it within a reasonable time span
I've started using a google sheets to track my reading progress, and I've been using M.J.'s tool GoalSumo to keep up with my reading goals.
Don't just tell yourself "I will finish this book." Give yourself a deadline. "I'm going to finish this book by the end of the month" is a measurable goal. If you get to the end of the month and you are only 1/2 way through, then give yourself another month. Maybe you are just a slow reader, or you are fast but the book was longer than initially anticipated.
Hope this helps, and Godspeed.
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