Being 'Well-Read' Isn't What You Think - Emerson On Self-Education

[@akhbcify]

For a long time, I punished myself, thinking I wasn’t intelligent enough because I couldn’t remember what I read in books. Then one day, I realized that the real value of reading was in the lessons I took away from them. That realization was a relief, and I finally made peace with myself.

[@maqeelafzal]

"Making peace with yourself " is sign of a true intelligent individual you are

[@theo7049]

what if i forget the lessons in the book lol

[@akhbcify]

@@maqeelafzal ❤️

[@RKhere97]

@@elle7322 @theo7049 reading isn't about 'the lessons', great literature is hardly didactic - it doesn't contain a "moral of the story" at the end, if thats the point then everyone can just read that without even reading the text. As he says in the video, great writing invisibly shapes the way you view the world, going forward

[@ThuyTrang-hv8jl]

I usually invest time in kinda science and nonfic or text books which provide tons of information so remembering knowledge still is the major way to not make me feel my time on books was useless 😅😅😅

[@syedraidarsalan4685]

A cousin of mine who has a triple major from UCLA on Political Science, History and Arabic, told me some years ago that he remembered very little of what he studied (particularly in History), but that he still retains the skills, such as paper writing and analysing political circumstances. Great quote. 'I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.'

[@maqeelafzal]

یہ بات آپ نے صحیح فرمائی، کبھی کبار بندہ منزل پا تو لیتا ہے پر اسے صرف اس منزل تک پہنچنے کا سفر ہی یاد ہوتا ہے۔

[@JamesRiley-zy9sh]

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." - Mortimer J. Adler, How to Read a Book

[@Pierrot_48]

Quotes like these always make me think of what Machiavelli wrote in one of his letters, saying when he returns home from his day and redresses himself into better attire, he enters his library in order to "speak" to the ancients. I think if you consider reading as a chance to converse with the author, to pose a question and seek an answer for it in their work, it'll make your growth much more authentic -- same as you would learn from talking to a wiser elder in your family and so on.

[@net-su]

I never thought of thinking about it in that way. You’re a genius 🫶

[@Dark_Souls_3]

This is really interesting to consider. Thanks

[@ladyoftheflowers9781]

A worthwhile book in the philosophy of education is Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Best way to oppress someone is to make them think true learning is memorization and that the teacher knows everything. If anything, we are all equals in the face of the immeasureable knowledge in all the books we read. That being said, I'll always remember all the nasty things Catullus (16... cough...) has said, wink wink! I'll also live by Plato's ending in the Phaedrus when he prays to Pan: "let me only possess as much gold as I can carry." My favorite thing is when I'm deep in thought and some book I read a decade ago somehow becomes relevant again. Pure pleasure!

[@David-bo7zj]

Totally agree that the more you focus on juxtaposing your own personal experiences with those you are reading about, your own thoughts and perspectives begin to emerge. It’s very rewarding to then put these new thoughts into writing and share them with others, helping to inspire them to do the same.

[@Simas1234]

To me your point harkens back to what I've heard of "independent thinkers": "The essence of an independent mind is HOW it thinks, and not WHAT it thinks" To me this is what reading books is all about, it's not to memorise some passages (though I do jot down my favourite quotes, and the occasional poem), but it's broadening your horizons, thinking about the world and life through a different lens by borrowings someones mind for a while.

[@Shirastein188]

Literally, this video saved me. I was so frustrated and struggling with the fact that I couldn't retain or remember what I read. My dad kept making me feel bad about it, telling me that my reading was pointless. ( Actually I'm 17 years old )I was really on the verge of giving up. Thank you for saving me! Ily 💓

[@anton.069]

you‘re 17 and worrying about this type of question? Thats amazing tbh, wish I had been that ambitious at your age

[@Shirastein188]

@anton.069 I’m always worrying about everything, and I hate that about myself. I feel like I’m rushing through everything, especially when it comes to gaining knowledge and education stuff , But thanks anyway for seeing it as something good in me(⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠❤

[@Samantha-vlly]

@@Shirastein188 It might be because of our education system teaching us only memorize that we adopted it unconsciously(most of us have it sadly) and it’s a step to recognize this. Hoping you’re doing well.

[@Shirastein188]

@@Samantha-vlly You're absolutely right, and imagine they've implemented this system even in scientific subjects like physics. The educational system is a complete failure. But now I've started relying on self-education 🌞

[@RoundSeal]

I found this video really affirming - illness has fried my memory over the years, and I've never been able to be That Kind of reader that can endlessly quote. (My reading journal and commonplace are invaluable tools.) Being 'well-read' has gone from my immature thinking of 'I need to read a lot', to 'I want to improve my ability to read, and to thoughtfully engage with what I'm reading'. It's been a wonderful journey, and will only get better as I continue to improve.

[@patriciam1550]

❤

[@abbihig]

Funny enough this video has reminded me of a quote by Donna Tartt, “It is better to know one book intimately than a hundred superficially.” I think I'd much rather be able to quote a few good scrips of literature that I deeply understand and feel than something that would make me stand out in conversation

[@potat8089]

I agree 100%!There are very few texts I consider flawless enough or filled with enough emotion for me to want to memorise them. But oh, is it magical when you come across a text like that!btw correct me if I'm wrong, but was that quote not from a character paraphrasing Seneca?

[@Adriana-Reads]

I’ve thought about this quote recently as well! For a moment I felt super overwhelmed with what I was seeing in the online book community, feeling like I needed to read the latest popular books/series to be in the know. I took a step back and realized that’s not what reading is about! I’ve begun re-reading some of my favourite books to get that deeper understanding/feeling as you’ve described!

[@jamesp.mcquoid1639]

@@potat8089 I thought it was Flaubert.

[@Samantha-vlly]

Same and I realized it surprisingly early when I started reading classics 2 months ago.

[@TaxDosti]

Robin "Well Read" means "Not Remembering" the name of the Author, while falling in love with the book and text of the book.

[@samiraayub2000]

Like every other person, I want to thank you here. This concept can be applied to so many areas. I sometimes feel so frustrated with myself for not remembering the courses that I have taken long ago, or books I have read. But this video made me realizing that the purpose of education is not to develop a photographic memory, rather gain skills and values.

[@Samantha-vlly]

Gaining skills and values that will help a person to choose what area to learn someday…

[@DarcyDarcyDarcy]

Absolutely - similarly I saw an older person commenting on a younger person's travel video to not worry about travelling when they're young because they barely remember most of the trips they took when they were younger... But I'd argue it's the same for travel as for reading, that you may not remember the exact details, but reading, travelling and engaging with the arts form us into who we are and will become. Lovely video, thank you! Like a good book, you've left me with more to think about than when I started ❤

[@devinharris1851]

This ties into "Thinking, Fast and Slow" really well. If you've read that book, you'll be able to extrapolate from this video that reading overtime will develop System 1. You may not remember the exact text of what you've read before, but what you've read embeds itself into your tuition.

[@luluhernandez1790]

I’ve never considered this perspective before, pretty cool

[@juanmacias5922]

This reminds me of Picasso, his later abstract work has many people think they could emulate it. But in reality he was able to do that abstract work because of his mastery with the basics and hyper-realism. I'm a software developer, and I dissect code by how readable and performant it is. Most of my work is done by instinct, I can tell when a code base needs to be refactored to allow for future collaboration (even if it's my own, as I could always come back to it months/years later and have no idea what it's doing) and when the code is technically correct, but could be re-written in a more efficient manner. I believe we must collect knowledge first, then deconstruct that knowledge and use it to inform our future decisions.

[@spoonierv1543]

But also because he had a visual memorized library of the African art that he was… referencing heavily! Aside from a total hack (and there are very smart people who would argue that Picasso was one, I’m ambivalent on the topic), there is some balance.

[@indigoplateau357]

@@spoonierv1543 pretty trendy to hate on the greats for clout atm

[@RKhere97]

@@indigoplateau357 its by no means trendy, i cant speak on what that person is referring to but newly found revelations have always revised public perception of "the greats" (edison, newton/leibniz, adam smith plagiarism thing etc). Yours is a lazy non response

[@akihtirms3809]

hello! what would you consider the basics that you seem to have mastered to reach this level? I am majoring in computer science, but I really want to one day be able to instinctually write elegant solutions, but I am not sure where to begin (school doesn't seem to be enough).

[@fynn403]

Great video. This is why I keep a list of books that I finish throughout the year. I just note down the title and the date when I finished it. Whenever I revisit the list I'm reminded of the really great books that had an impact on me.

[@Mienarrr]

This is so beautiful. I agree. I have a few friends who are very well-read and the way they see the world, and especially the way the articulate themselves so beautifully actually made me want to start reading. I wanted to be able to talk and engage with the world in the same way :)

[@susanafernandes8654]

Touché....Amen. Thank you for putting into words what I was looking for by reading thousands of books not knowing why .

[@Samantha-vlly]

I didn’t learn to read a book until I reach in adulthood. Even though I read few books 5 years ago, it didn’t fit me that time. No one taught me to read a book and I finally decided to try reading 4 months ago. It helped my present self to start better.

[@luhdemtaters]

I love the way you summarized your thoughts at the end. I've only started regularly reading fiction in the last year or so, and I realized only recently that in primarily reading nonfiction for so long, I associated reading only with trying to acquire information. Reading fiction has (very slowly) recalibrated my thinking, and what I enjoy most now is specifically the questions my mind conceives while reading -- my curiosity -- like why a writer chose how he or she wrote something to convey the idea, and whether the chosen way is intended to signify more than the literal words, and if so what else could it be saying, and just generally what kind of influences did the writer have in mind, etc. Since I've started reading with that sort of open intent and curiosity, my retention for and understanding of themes and subtextual messaging has gone way up (to where I could hold an organic conversation about many of the things I've read), even though I can't necessarily quote anything directly or verbatim, and my enjoyment of reading and desire to read have gone up dramatically as well.

[@Shirastein188]

I'm totally hooked on your videos , they give me such a positive and amazing outlook on life. I adore your lifestyle and your personality; you're honestly my role model!!

[@jimmlygoodness]

A doctor studies the human body. A literary scholar studies the body of human work.

[@RCWaldun]

Love this!

[@jorgetolentino463]

I find similar themes in the guitar learning process. Learning a scale or chord progression from a song limits you if only used in the context of that song, but if you attribute a greater effort in learning the deeper part of the scale and do so for multiple songs - you build your own style based on the foundation set. Similar to this videos point on reading books and internalizing (not just regurgitating information about them I.e learning a song without the deeper part behind it)

[@Samantha-vlly]

Right Quincy said that we only have 12 notes and it’s up to a person of how it will turn into a great piece(Rest in peace🕊). Many areas of talents and skills in life are interconnected and the language that use is the only one that makes it different.

[@koladedaramola6822]

I needed this video, I had unconsciously developed my own way of complex thinking after reading numerous books but due to confidence issues I hated that I couldn’t recall specific phrases and facts from books. I’m glad to hear you voice out the fact that we don’t need to memorize, I hate memorizing

[@bffr510]

Being well-read cultivates a deep empathy. The ability to think outside the self is developed by exposure to anything but the self. We could even argue the idea of "self" here. That's why it's fun to talk to people that read, travel, speak multiple languages, and cook from different cultures. Reading is one of the most accessible ways to experience the world in a larger context. Well-read = higher chances of compassion, understanding, emotional intelligence. I don't care who you can quote, but would you consider what social practices are acceptable in a household of a different culture simply out of respect?

[@hakimiest2228]

The way you talked about internalizing the ideas and kind of make it your own kind of relates to what I have read about some of the meanings of creativity where you take two ideas, combine them in any way and create a new one. Please make more videos like this, you have a unique voice and would love to hear more about your opinions. Great video Robin.

[@grantlreinman]

One of the best videos I’ve ever experienced on KZbin

[@TheAwesomeTrinculo]

Reminds me of Hadot’s Philosophy as a Way of Life. The Greeks didn’t see philosophy as only happening in the mind, they also see it as a spiritual practice to be embodied in their daily life. Through that, they are able to share their thoughts and experiences in a genuine and authentic way that continues to resonate with people to this day.

[@lans8211]

I may not read as many philosophy as you do, but I’ve read enough to created my meaning of human beings, though I did not remember any of the quotes from them. It was something beyond the text itself that helped me build my own thoughts. Love the topic of this video 🥰

[@bread6052]

Thank you for this video, it really opened my eyes to how I have been approaching my over the past few months. I have been going through a bit of reading burn out as every session I made myself focus on remembering everything on each page I read. It wasn’t until I started simply just reading instead of memorising did I find joy again. I’ve been following your channel for years and I’m still astounded by the beautiful way you speak. I hope that one day I can form my own style of explaining concepts, just like you have, to articulate my ideas to more people.

[@GaiatheSage]

just more proof rory gilmore is not a well read character. reads tons of books yet no character development. btw great content thanks for the upload!

[@RKhere97]

in her defence, her arc was always going to be that right from episode 1 (palladino wanted to make rory become like her mom and disappoint her )

[@noone-ol7nj]

Thank you so much for this. I was going to take notes of each book I was going to read and that's so tedious I procrastinate a lot. I know the point of reading isn't to memorise every single thing, but there's always the fear I'm gonna miss something important and then I won't be able to fully understand. I don't know when all of this has started but I know it's gonna end right now (I will find a way to cope with the feeling of being dumb and ignorant eventually).

[@velvetme22]

It does become fabric and becomes a belief system. What I learn is consumed and lost. There is evidence of it in the strength of my bones just like a steak gives me nourishment. It becomes braided into my sinews and schemas become stronger than the individual notes in a symphony

[@FlosBlog]

There is a saying in German that goes "once is never" and I think it applies for reading books as well

[@FWRDWORLD]

I believe you are emphasizing the importance of comprehension of said “literature”, understanding, different perspectives or world views, and how they relate or theorize in reality, I’m only halfway into the video, but I believe I grasp your thoughts. I intend to start reading so my communication skills can better relay my thoughts in more interesting ways. My Spelling, grammar are terrible and people love texting 😅

[@ThomasSimmons-u5x]

I left University to be an apprentice pipefitter-welder. That was 1980. I continued to read and self educate from Shakespeare to Beckett and beyond. I recently attended a fairly high-level book club. It was composed of mostly postgraduate postgraduate types, and was somewhat shocked at the general lack of their ability to synthesize and draw general conceptual connections. It made me thankful I left the academy. I could still think. And that ain't no small potatoes...

[@davidkeulen7006]

What an excellent video! Looking at literature this way is new to me, and greatly resonates with me nowadays. Thanks for sharing.

[@ThePolymathInMaking]

I don’t know who said this, “to read without reflection is to eat without digestion”, and from my personal experience reflection does help a lot remembering ideas and combining those ideas into something new.

[@tricksagogo]

You have to prioritize reading. A book a week. In this modern day, there’s no excuse - audiobooks make it incredibly easy. To Robin’s point, it’s not about paying extremely close attention, remembering every part of the book; it’s about ingesting slow-form content that forces you to imagine the material you’re hearing, and then processing it by thinking. I will never remember every book I read each year in minute detail, but having read that much will result in me having evolved to a new level of enlightenment and understanding of myself and the world around me.

[@anab0lic]

I seem not to be able to retain barely anything from audio books, also the way in which they are orated is pretty bad in many cases. Books for me are far superior, and it has to be in the physical form not digital.

[@_Cerb_]

Reading's advantage skip and jump to whatever section front and back quickly at your own pace gives you more space to reflect and think, since the words aren't going anywhere. With audiobooks I always have the just impression of understanding something then when I try to articulate it's always very surface level. Maybe that's just me.

[@wonyshearts]

this channel means so much to me

[@WildArrakis]

I thought listening to this was it is good to read many books. Reading many books can help one see life and topics from different perspectives that can help build upon each other. I will say I like memorization to a degree. Musicians that perform memorized pieces, one can tell they care deeply about that piece, and they want to share that feeling with others. I have found that memorizing some lines from books or poems helps me to ponder them. I can then find more meaning in the symbolism or view them from different theories or perspectives, which can help me in my own thinking and knowledge. It relates to math in a lot of ways, you sometimes need to sit with an idea or a problem until it clicks. I think memorization, when used properly, can help one be "well-read".

[@romansobaca633]

You are mesmerizing to listen to

[@LoSunfire84]

Fantastic perspective! Thanks for making this!

[@TheScipioniCircle]

What a bunch of normies in the comments. The point of the video wasn't a very nuanced point. It's what we all discovered back in high school itself. The currency of being interesting is to be well-read. Read widely and chase curiosity, not what is expedient. You'll grow a taste for high-quality writing eventually if you follow your interests.

[@eidosousia]

Lichtenberg said, and Auden quoted it, that "A book is a mirror: if an ape looks into it an apostle is hardly likely to look out". Also to bear in mind during your self-education process.

[@DramaLlama2310]

To me, being well-read is more about being more widely read and learning how important it is to be open-minded, but to still think for yourself and to question things. Reading widely is like taking part in discussions with lots of different people. I read about someone else's opinions and ideas (in fiction and non-fiction) and then I ask myself, do I agree or disagree and why? And so on... There's value is hearing other's views, even if I don't agree with it. I find it also promotes empathy and compassion...if we let it. So basically what you said 😂

[@Chris-gm4hk]

My favorite quote: The highest knowledge can be nothing more than the shortest and clearest road to truth; all the rest is only pretension not performance, mere verbiage and grandiloquence, from which we can learn nothing.” - Charles Caleb Colton (not saying that is you at all)

[@Talkie-books00]

I actually mentioned this quote on your substack. I should've been more considerate and careful. It was mentioned by one of the booktubers I really look up to, so I thought they might as well be right. Thank for your correction, dear Robin.

[@ramyaaaa]

this video was very reaffirming. Thank you for putting this out on the internet :)

[@caturpriyambudi1774]

I like to take note of page numbers where an argument is presented, categorized by rethorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos). It teaches me about ways to approach an idea or problem, I suppose

[@nathanhassallpoetry]

Thank you for framing knowledge from reading like this.

[@AmmaSoelberg]

When I went to uni, I was told "You won't remember your classes, you will vaguely remember the basic material and whatever spiked your interest. What will happen is that your brain, like any other muscle, will be prepped to think like someone with your degree. That's what people are looking for."

[@ChancellorMarko]

That's the good thing about AI, regurgitating facts is no longer a talent. Universities will have to find a way to challenge our cognitive processing instead.

[@RCWaldun]

Touché!

[@RandoCommando24]

The part at the end where you talk about looking at a text block and being able to see things in it. I tell people it's kind of like in the movie The Matrix, some characters have stared at the code so long that they don't really see the code but the picture it represents. Some people, like Neo, transcend past that awareness even and start seeing the code surrounding and inundating all of reality, not just when looking at the code on screen.

[@TheEternalOuroboros]

I think with the echoes of all the books I have read that come together in expression.

[@jasonweishaupt1828]

Experience beats all else!

[@bad_bear_bad]

I’m exceedingly well read in scotch bottles and frozen pizza boxes. Truly riveting descriptions.

[@andrewdejuan4914]

Great stuff! I'll have to remember this now!

[@vondluffy]

Omg love love love ur content

[@klosnj11]

"I speak the minds of others only to speak my own mind better." (Shooting for the most ironic/meta comment award).

[@EmilynWood]

I think you'll get more likes if you remove the part in parentheses.

[@klosnj11]

@EmilynWood more likes? Cool. What can I do with those?

[@dinninfreeman2014]

Honestly, the quote really feels like just another manifestation of the bizarre anti-memory intellectualism of the day. I'll never understand why so many modern collars scoff at recalling what you have learned as though forgetfulness is virtuous

[@cindyrosen8170]

Excellent message!!

[@heba6746]

Thanks for reminding me of this.

[@hugoantunesartwithblender]

I love your channel and videos, but since i only read for myself and for my pleasure, this one doesnt resignate with me.

[@stephritz1694]

*resonate

[@kaveinthran368]

Hi, I'm not sure whether you've talked about this, have you tried to contemplate on the question of what is good information? Or, how to know if a work or a book is a great book? Maybe one for fiction and another for non-fiction. 6:07

[@RCWaldun]

This is still one of those unsolved mysteries in literary criticism. I’m still gathering my thoughts on this topic and I’ll share it when I have something solid.

[@kaveinthran368]

@ thanks, have you done videos and resources to dive deep into literary criticisms and theories? I am interested in going deep into the rabbit hole

[@MuhammadAlEmran]

I follow your videos. Thank you for the beautiful video.

[@G44984]

This is brilliant

[@henrikibsen6258]

I'm speed Reading Gravity's Rainbow, to get rid of it and never go back.

[@mrgoodmood28]

Brilliant insight! Do you think you could try doing this when reading Qur’an and Sunnah? I’d like to know what you think, man.

[@thebibliophilering8881]

"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself." - Albert Einstein

[@bigbadwolfeinc]

Well said man

[@TheNopeDude]

Could you please let me know what that brown image is to your right on the thumbnail?

[@RCWaldun]

It’s the cover photo for Eve Sedgwick’s book: Touching Feeling.

[@rtothec1234]

I am Well Red.

[@sargentd3125]

Reading has enhanced my critical thinking

[@ArifGhostwriter]

~ 🇬🇧 👍🏽 December 2024 Anyone beating themselves up for only listening to audiobooks (with the plethora of practical sequelae that that format brings) & not 'actually reading' - you can stop. The neurological experience & benefits of the two modes of consumption are essentially the same.

[@rolandwhittle8527]

I use to read a lot before computers and youtube came along gave me more instant information. But i use to feel guilty what i forgot to read even now if i started a book then left it for awhile i start to forget all its details should i start again or just finish it off where i left it. Is there any harm in reading a book several times ?

[@metnah1]

1:48 Keith Emerson?

[@majortree]

I'm reading The Grey Man series. I'm absorbing some next level shit...

[@patdainel9037]

It’s not about how many books you get through, but how many books get through to you.

[@RCWaldun]

Well put!

[@lindaabraham8715]

Fewer people, not less people.

[@spoonierv1543]

My first thought was everyone approaches this topic as a correction of their previous excess. You saw an excess of memorization in your early college education, so it tracks that now you would speak against it. And then I cackled when it got to you don’t need to memorize because the internet and AI (my words) holds it for you. In 15 years you will likely not be on KZbin both because the world will have moved on but also because this is a current excess for you, and I would bet dollars to donuts you will be standing in the corner of a coffee shop giving a recital to an audience that does not understand the importance of having a passages of literature available to memory. Because it is true, we’ve all met the fool who thinks only knowing the words is enough (generally from some proscribed list of “classics” that imparts superiority on the memorizer), but there is some value to it, ESPECIALLY in the age of the internet and AI where this very human was of having knowledge experience is devalued.

[@schoo9256]

What a fantastic point.

[@truandlapommedeterre]

I want to be waldun-read.

[@jcnot9712]

I think you’re ignoring the value of great quotes a little here. If you find it worthwhile to quote something verbatim, then there’s a likelihood that it is succinct enough to compress valuable ideas into a digestible chunk. You may find it valuable to study these quotes when learning to synthesize your own ideas. I do agree some people will parrot a text they read without ever digesting it. You’ll always know when this is happening ‘cause speaking about something you have a very shallow understanding of in an organic manner is exceedingly difficult unless you’re a trained actor or something. In either case, I wouldn’t let the small aesthetic hit that you might take from quoting something deter you from quoting things entirely, ‘cause the benefit of a well-placed quote is too great and so is the value you lose by paraphrasing a great quote.

[@Shirastein188]

Why aren’t you our professor instead of those stupid, boring teachers we have? 😩😩

[@sana-gq2ur]

🤍🤍🤍🤍

[@gp-qc8oo]

First gang

[@osvaldoautrittiaut]

Virgil's Enee is full of quotes but is still a terrible book.

[@VodKaVK]

what a load of yapping

[@lydiamathipa4596]

Lol can you relax?

[@SignalLostOverAndOverAgain]

Language >Ideas >Theories >Truth >Love >God

[@EmilynWood]

Do you mean language leads to ideas which lead to theories which lead to truth which leads to love which leads to God?

[@SignalLostOverAndOverAgain]

@EmilynWood Yes. One should lead to the other. Many people end the search at truth. But real truth leads to love. And when you love, you don't find God. Rather, God finds you. If this sounds mysterious, it is

[@EmilynWood]

@@SignalLostOverAndOverAgain God works in mysterious ways.