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Why do you guys say that learning and books in general are useless? (STRAWMAN)

Zach123

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Everywhere I look on this forum you people always make it seem like there is no reason to learn anything about business and just get started, but what if I don't know anything about business at all? and don't know the first thing about getting started, where to start, how to start and what to start. saying "just get started" is as dumb as a therapist saying to a depressed person "just be happy".... okay HOW?? How am I supposed to get started not knowing anything? where all of you just born knowing everything about business? I cannot grasp the idea on this forum of "learning is completely useless" why not learn from other people and the knowledge they got from there own experience to help you on your journey along with learning from your own mistakes and experiences? I feel like it would be so much more beneficial for you, but apparently I'm wrong? How do you guys even live your life or survive without reading books? My life was absolutely horrible and unbearable until I started getting into reading, using books I have been able to completely turn my life around and make it so much better, without them I wouldn't be here so I am a little biased when it comes to the discussion of "books are useless". I just don't get it if someone wants to fill me in.
 
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broswoodwork

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Everywhere I look on this forum you people always make it seem like there is no reason to learn anything about business and just get started, but what if I don't know anything about business at all? and don't know the first thing about getting started, where to start, how to start and what to start. saying "just get started" is as dumb as a therapist saying to a depressed person "just be happy".... okay HOW?? How am I supposed to get started not knowing anything? where all of you just born knowing everything about business? I cannot grasp the idea on this forum of "learning is completely useless" why not learn from other people and the knowledge they got from there own experience to help you on your journey along with learning from your own mistakes and experiences? I feel like it would be so much more beneficial for you, but apparently I'm wrong? How do you guys even live your life or survive without reading books? My life was absolutely horrible and unbearable until I started getting into reading, using books I have been able to completely turn my life around and make it so much better, without them I wouldn't be here so I am a little biased when it comes to the discussion of "books are useless". I just don't get it if someone wants to fill me in.
Most of us are here because of books, but at some point you have to practice the theory. You'll never get diesel just reading reading Arnold's encyclopedia.
 

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I'm in the class where I actually don't think reading is "useless".

All you need is one book to read that changes your life. And it doesn't have to be business related.

Getting rich is a what I call a "holistic effort". In other words it's just not "one thing". It's multiple variables working simultaneously. There are lots of people who are smart who are not rich. There are lots of people who work hard who are not rich. There are missing ingredients that people miss.

Reading makes you more aware of other ideas. It expands your bases of principles that may not payoff right away but over time those principles might coalesce into something big.

:blush:
 
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Runum

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You may be seeing threads where members have been reading for years and applying nothing. Most of us got here by reading books. I got into real estate by reading books. The thirst for knowledge is cool, reading and learning is powerful. It is all wasted if you don't apply it at some point.

Also, when you begin to apply your knowledge, the learning grows considerably faster. You also begin to ask better questions and get better answers.

Good luck.
 

PizzaOnTheRoof

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Look up "just in time learning"

Learning without action is useless
 

MHP368

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We dont, learnings crucial. Read the viography of any major achiever and youll gind they had a steady book diet.

But if you read the book this forums based on youll find this concept called "action faking" and if you go back through the forum youll find an extensive list of people who read lots of business books and hang out here all the time and never start a business , youll also find lots of people with little more than mj's book and some googling for answers who do make businesses that work.


So its because its so easy to treat entrepreneurship as something to consume and never get started , because weve seen so much action faking.
 

Ismail941

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I see you focused on "How" & "Where"
How & Where = Those are upto you!
Demarco's Books are = What

Books are good but too much books will lead to chaotic
 

Dan_Cardone

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Just a follow up.

I make it a rule to read 30 - 40 minutes every day which isn't difficult at all (especially when you dont watch tv).

Reading that much will allow you to go through 30 - 60 biz related books every year. Read whats mist revelent to you that week. And for God sakes.... Take action!!! Learning and getting knowledge is GREAT but you must apply it.

Also: Billionaires read A LOT of books.

27589
 
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GoodluckChuck

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When I discovered this world I read threads from this forum for like 2 months before I started to take action.

It was good to get an idea on what people were already doing. After you analyze a few dozen businesses you start to see the patterns.

At the end of the day we are buying and selling goods and services. It's not complicated in theory.

You can get started by looking around your room for things to sell on Facebook marketplace.
 

Ernman

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Most of us are voracious consumers of the knowledge we need to be successful. Books are an essential part of that diet, along with online courses, UDEMY, YouTube, mentors, this forum, and the list goes on. As noted earlier in this thread, the issue is those who do nothing but read, or watch courses, or otherwise learn but do not take action. We also recognize the most valuable learning tool is experience. And experience only comes from action.

When you read either of MJ's books, you'll learn that he spent a great deal of time in the library consuming the knowledge he needed. He recommends, and most of us agree, that we must always be learning and reading is a great way to do that.

Just don't let reading become "Action Faking".

If you're looking for a good read, I recommend either one of MJ's books.
 

Johnny boy

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Worthless thoughts, they aren't taking you anywhere. Let's focus on something relevant.

Tell us about your current business or situation. Tell us about you.

Why don't you take advantage of some of the "natural business sense" (lmao) that the people on here have and we can help you succeed.
 
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Process

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Studying is like a catalyst. Action is like protein synthesis. Adjusting to feedback is like evolving.

All the catalysts in the world still don’t put out anything.
 

foodiepersecond

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Everywhere I look on this forum you people always make it seem like there is no reason to learn anything about business and just get started, but what if I don't know anything about business at all? and don't know the first thing about getting started, where to start, how to start and what to start. saying "just get started" is as dumb as a therapist saying to a depressed person "just be happy".... okay HOW?? How am I supposed to get started not knowing anything? where all of you just born knowing everything about business? I cannot grasp the idea on this forum of "learning is completely useless" why not learn from other people and the knowledge they got from there own experience to help you on your journey along with learning from your own mistakes and experiences? I feel like it would be so much more beneficial for you, but apparently I'm wrong? How do you guys even live your life or survive without reading books? My life was absolutely horrible and unbearable until I started getting into reading, using books I have been able to completely turn my life around and make it so much better, without them I wouldn't be here so I am a little biased when it comes to the discussion of "books are useless". I just don't get it if someone wants to fill me in.
If you haven't, go ahead and read @MJ DeMarco books, especially The Millionaire Fastlane so you can 1) get the nifty badge and 2) see where we all are coming from. He clearly states the importance of books. No one here has stopped reading. We all focus on our businesses and read books or material pertinent to the task at hand. Sure, indulge in a little leisure reading for morale and fun, but after that is grind time. Don't know about SEO? Read an SEO book. Don't know about Wordpress? Read a Wordpress book.

What the folks say about action is also correct. You can't have a doctor that simply reads anatomy book all day. They have residencies and hand-on knowledge. Its the only way to fully participate in the learning experience. Don't feel discouraged to read. Just prioritize your content. The forum is a tough love area, but everything said is for your benefit and success.
 

ecommercewolf

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People say this because reading books can give you the illusion of being productive and taking action when it’s just mental masturbation.

Books are great when you are already executing on something and the book relates to that, and you use pointers from the book to help you out. But generally personal development books nowadays are all the same.
 
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Digamma

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I love how the sophistry in this thread is literally proving the point.

I read more than a book a week.

Reading is still useless.

Learning is useful.

So how do we learn?

If you get it, you get it.
 

daniel_m

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Anybody who hates on the idea of reading books *probably* has no idea what they're talking about. The right book for the right individual can literally bring them a 10,000% return on investment over time, or greater. I know it has for me.

I do agree though that you don't need to read EVERY entrepreneurship book out there since there's a lot of information being regurgitated. Just read the top 50 - 100 out there on entrepreneurship, social skills, psychology, finance and you'll know more than enough. The mental masturbation thing is real for a lot of people but for beginners/intermediates, books are the best investment.
 

RazorCut

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Everywhere I look on this forum you people always make it seem like there is no reason to learn anything about business and just get started, but what if I don't know anything about business at all? and don't know the first thing about getting started, where to start, how to start and what to start.


Read by all means but bear this in mind:

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. - Zig Ziglar
 
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1523.

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Read by all means but bear this in mind:

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. - Zig Ziglar
Everywhere I look on this forum you people always make it seem like there is no reason to learn anything about business and just get started, but what if I don't know anything about business at all? and don't know the first thing about getting started, where to start, how to start and what to start. saying "just get started" is as dumb as a therapist saying to a depressed person "just be happy".... okay HOW?? How am I supposed to get started not knowing anything? where all of you just born knowing everything about business? I cannot grasp the idea on this forum of "learning is completely useless" why not learn from other people and the knowledge they got from there own experience to help you on your journey along with learning from your own mistakes and experiences? I feel like it would be so much more beneficial for you, but apparently I'm wrong? How do you guys even live your life or survive without reading books? My life was absolutely horrible and unbearable until I started getting into reading, using books I have been able to completely turn my life around and make it so much better, without them I wouldn't be here so I am a little biased when it comes to the discussion of "books are useless". I just don't get it if someone wants to fill me in.
I'm in the class where I actually don't think reading is "useless".

All you need is one book to read that changes your life. And it doesn't have to be business related.

Getting rich is a what I call a "holistic effort". In other words it's just not "one thing". It's multiple variables working simultaneously. There are lots of people who are smart who are not rich. There are lots of people who work hard who are not rich. There are missing ingredients that people miss.

Reading makes you more aware of other ideas. It expands your bases of principles that may not payoff right away but over time those principles might coalesce into something big.

:blush:
Start doing small things first step "Read unscripted " anything that people get into they start with something very small then they grow into big company's.One small step for man one giant leap for Zach123.
 

MJ DeMarco

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@Zach123 - nice strawman argument so you can go full on edgelord.

No one here thinks readings books is stupid.

What is stupid is reading books and never doing anything in reality.

You can read 20 books about swimming but eventually you have to jump in the pool.

Reading books is part of the journey.

 

Tubs

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I don't think anyone's made the argument to not read and learn, rather they make the argument to get started taking action and learn along the way.

Which is honeslty great advice cause I fell deep into the constantly reading and never doing action fake for a while and am just climbing out of it now.
 
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broswoodwork

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Kinda, yeah... and I've never said that before.

I'm not sure where op went off the rails, but there's definitely a fundamental misunderstanding on his part. We're here because of books, the forum owner is an author who hosts book discussions, books are recommended in almost every thread, and many of the biggest contributors are authors and publishers. I don't get it.

Weird thread...
 

csalvato

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OP is probably referring to responses like this, which are not uncommon.


If I was new to the game, I might get the impression that reading is discouraged from a response like that, too.

Everyone in this thread has done a good job clearing that up for OP tho...
 
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advantagecp

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Why do you guys say that learning and books in general are useless?

Start your entrepreneurial path with clear thinking and attention to detail. Protip for OP: If you want to ask a question, ask one which is posed in an honest and accurate way. Avoid the Straw Man argument. A straw man is a form of argument and an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.

Absolutely nobody ever on this message board has contended that learning and books are useless. The f****** foundation of the message board is TWO BOOKS.
 

Seamster

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You need to read something that will teach you what to do. Then, read something to motivate you to take action.

Example: watch YouTube video of how to fix your noisy muffler. Then watch bikini babes video. Then think, 'I can't get hot babes without a quiet car.' So you're motivated.

Example 2: read book of how to write a resume. Then go to work and realize how much you hate it. Now you have the motivation and the knowledge.
 

Gasyhustler

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What ? Who thinks that reading is useless ? That person must be so ignorant.
How can you know something without learning it ? And most of the time, reading is the first step toward learning, after that comes practice or along the way.
 
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WJK

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Everywhere I look on this forum you people always make it seem like there is no reason to learn anything about business and just get started, but what if I don't know anything about business at all? and don't know the first thing about getting started, where to start, how to start and what to start. saying "just get started" is as dumb as a therapist saying to a depressed person "just be happy".... okay HOW?? How am I supposed to get started not knowing anything? where all of you just born knowing everything about business? I cannot grasp the idea on this forum of "learning is completely useless" why not learn from other people and the knowledge they got from there own experience to help you on your journey along with learning from your own mistakes and experiences? I feel like it would be so much more beneficial for you, but apparently I'm wrong? How do you guys even live your life or survive without reading books? My life was absolutely horrible and unbearable until I started getting into reading, using books I have been able to completely turn my life around and make it so much better, without them I wouldn't be here so I am a little biased when it comes to the discussion of "books are useless". I just don't get it if someone wants to fill me in.
I read and listen to audiobooks constantly. I go to conferences and class regularly. I interview people as fast as I can find them -- and get a couple of minutes with them. Learning is a lifelong quest. BUT, I also put a bunch of that information into action. I try a lot of things and I fail often. It's all part of growing as a person. I believe that wisdom is being able to learn from other's mistakes and successes. And I have 40+ years of business experience to back up that position. You're never too old to learn!
 

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