you don't have to get it // reasons to read

[@timdemoss]

check out some other reasons to read HERE: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWHOo32ql52prqs thanks for watching! :)

[@azuraselenite]

"your thoughts can impact you before you understand them" Well damn

[@davidmcgirr]

This is the encapsulation of why I read challenging things. That and each time I reread something, I'm a different person, and I get more from it.

[@mbahmicheal47]

I rewinded the video 3 times to that part where he said that, screenshot it and then wrote it in my journal. So profound 🤭

[@caio1820]

I asked myself a question just yesterday: "is it possible for my brain to know things that I don't know it knows? Does it understand something I don't? But I'm me, how wouldn't I understand something my brain created?"

[@mbahmicheal47]

@@caio1820 Yes it is possible. That part of you that doesn’t know what the other part know is called your ‘conscious mind’. While the other part that knows something that is appears hidden to your conscious mind is called the ‘subconscious mind’. I hope you understand?

[@Maryistired99]

*stares at her count of Monte Christo copy which has been waiting on the shelf for years* maybe its finally time...

[@timdemoss]

It is. Grab a bookmark - otherwise it’s easy to lose your place. If you finish it come back & let me know. I’ll be thrilled. thanks for watching!!

[@lilacfields]

@@timdemossi guess this is my sign to start the count of monte cristo too… i’ve been intimidated by it for way too long

[@timdemoss]

@@lilacfields as far as long books go...I think you'll find it decently approachable :) take your time with it & just enjoy it. come back & let us know if you get started on it / finish it someday!

[@joannemarkov]

Yep. Definitely saw the physical book before reading it... it's intimidating AF.

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

Count of Monte Cristo is easy to understand. Henry James' The Golden Bowl & The Awkward age are much harder

[@srinidhimadurai5299]

In Tamil, we have this popular saying: அனுபவிக்கனும், ஆராய கூடாது. It means "You should experience, not analyse." This basically shaped the way I live life and consume art, and I think it applies to this video perfectly! Of course, analysing and "getting something" enhances the experience, but that shouldn't be the only intention of art.

[@timdemoss]

that’s a terrific saying & super relevant. Thanks for watching & sharing!

[@alokjustine1]

cazzy logic

[@MarauderinChief]

Tamil is between India and Sri Lanka , right ?

[@kaushy3053]

⁠@@MarauderinChief Tamil is a ethnic group of southern India and Sri Lanka and also the language spoken by Tamil people

[@aalsee1658]

I'm bout to jump into black hole and tell you guys what it felt like if I made it alive.

[@Dericulus]

This actually makes a lot more sense when you think about it. You can't digest something you never ate. Thanks. I think I needed this one.

[@timdemoss]

great point. thanks for watching!

[@DoutorFantástico]

Sorry for asking but what do you mean by this? I don’t get it.

[@amysedai]

So not long after I first began reading seriously, in my mid 20s, I decided I was going to read the ‘smart’ books. So I launched into Virginia Woolf. I began with her debut, The Voyage Out, which I found difficult but ultimately accessible. I understood at least some of what she wanted to say. As I progressed through Orlando and Mrs Dalloway, I understood less and less. Undaunted, I decided to read The Waves. Read every single page, didn’t understand one thing, at all. But magically, when I returned to more conventional books, I found my comprehension and retention much improved. So something is happening when you put your brain through reading the harder books, even if we’re not sure what.

[@timdemoss]

love this. maybe it’s like running with ankle weights. thanks for watching!

[@micahvanholten8186]

love the harrow pfp

[@nolphy7215]

I had the exact same experience with The Waves!! I found it beautiful and intriguing, but didn't understand two things that Woolf tried to convey. Was happy to experience it though, and maybe later, I'll embark on a re-reading and seek to understand how these poignants moments I recall impacted me, and if the pseudo-meaning I had made of it aligned with the author's intention. Being at peace with the idea, I'll never entirely "get it", but despite that, have fun in the experience and potential inquiry.

[@deiruru]

I think anxiety and perfectionism really gets in the way; you feel intense FOMO if you feel you don't get something yet. You're totally right that just experiencing from our own perspective has value in itself.

[@timdemoss]

and how could you ever “get it” if you don’t at least start? the perfectionist mindset has its benefits but it can really get in my way. love it.

[@glam_racket]

The idea that we can choose how to engage with a book is so easy to forget. Also I absolutely think we can understand something in more ways than the verbal. You can read something where you don't really get the style or the subject matter but still have something that clicks that's specific to you and wherever you're at. Academic understanding is good and necessary for the proliferation of knowledge but in the personal experience there is room for abstract comprehension and dream logic.

[@timdemoss]

so true. you can “get” something on so many levels. (maybe we could even try the reverse option if we want - reread a children’s book as an adult and analyze and break it down from a literary and philosophic angle.) Thanks for watching!

[@gaj30]

yes!! love your comment. one of my interests is philosophy and i will read things and listen to video essays and it’s like i understand in a way but still dont? i won’t be able to explain some of the ideas but it’s so interesting to me. bc of this lack of proper understanding i usually feel like i shouldn’t participate which is sad

[@engar_]

“dream logic” :o

[@dellh86]

It's interesting point that there is a double standard between what we consider "getting" an album of music and "getting" a fiction book. If you say you like an album, very rarely will someone ask you for a detailed analysis of what happened lol. It is just a vyb. I agree that reading should be treated the same way if the goal is to enjoy literature as much as possible.

[@timdemoss]

totally depends on what the goal is, yeah! and it gets more complex when you move into non fiction as well. I do think there’s probably some threshold of understanding that’s helpful…not much good if you don’t know anything that happened in the book at all - but you can get something out of a work of art without unlocking 100% of its secrets. Thanks for your thoughts!

[@rrodz1447]

I remember as a child thinking, “I have to remember this for when I grow up and can finally understand it,” and I hadn’t thought of that as an odd thing to think, but I guess it has shaped me to this day.

[@timdemoss]

I have to remember this for when I grow up and can finally understand it. That’s a great phrase. Thanks for sharing!!

[@pyper1060]

Great content ! I didn't get it :|

[@timdemoss]

incredible! luckily you don’t have to :) thanks for watching!

[@galijuran]

So thankful that I chose to read Animal Farm and wasn’t forced to. I really think I could have enjoyed 1984 more had I not read it with the stress of knowing I’d have to write an essay for marks on it. IMO the worst part of learning to read through English classes is that, beyond being taught that we have to ‘get’ it, we’re taught that we have to have something to say about it. Sometimes I read and enjoy novels where, despite understanding and enjoying them, I have absolutely nothing to add, and certainly not enough to stretch into an essay with several arguments. Analyzing and responding to media is good but sometimes I think it should be ok to just consume.

[@timdemoss]

this is such a thoughtful comment. yeah I don’t always have something to say about a book. that said I guess the point of school was to teach us to think and push past discomfort, so I “forgive” them for making us come up with opinions. But it can definitely create a false narrative, that we NEED to have something to say. Maybe the art just had something to say to us. Thanks for watching & for your insightful comment!

[@blondebadger9455]

This! I love reading and always have been a bit of a bookworm but I hated studying English literature. Sure its good to analyse things and this will highlight themes and different perspectives that you may not have picked up on however its all art which is subjective! In 'Of mice of men' I got marked down for not picking up 'she's wearing a red dress and this definitely foreshadows violence.' Seriously how do you know unless the author specifically states this was their intention. I just found the whole thing bizarre

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

​@@blondebadger9455A red dress is NOT violence, it's PASSION. It foreshadows the desire which leads to violence. Fuck that teacher.

[@dayshawna]

i’ve been listening to music outside my language since i was 10. it’s never about understanding, i understand the singer through the song and the song through its production and instrumentation. while it’s a song with words, it’s also just music. all i need to do is hear it.

[@timdemoss]

Even for songs in my own language I don’t always know the lyrics. I do enjoy reading them sometimes but some of my favorite songs I’m still not sure what’s being said. :)

[@Muppet1107]

Bro I really needed to hear this honestly. I always overthink this type of stuff and I just want to live life happily and not worry about all the nitty gritty of everything but learn to just enjoy it.

[@timdemoss]

dude - thank you. I appreciate it & really am so glad to hear that the video was truly helpful to you!! have a wonderful day!

[@yatshie8717]

Yes! For me it was The Secret History by Donna Tartt there are a lot of ancient Greek themes and I think I would've had a much better understanding of it if I knew more about ancient Greece. I read a lot about the symbolism in there and now I get it more. I simply liked the dark vibes when reading it the first time.

[@timdemoss]

sounds fun! always great to be able to peel back those layers and see deeper but glad you liked it for the vibe. thanks for watching!

[@thebaysix]

@yatshie8717 Yes! I'm re-reading the Secret History right now. Funny enough, I think I read it more "analytically" the first time around. Now I'm just enjoying the ride. One of my favorite books of all time :)

[@peteradrian9466]

I read that, thought it was okay, but I didn't get what all the hype was about. Oh well!

[@robothingy]

there's also the point of enjoying something while not 'getting it', continuing to enjoy it without 'getting it, and then it suddenly hitting you. for example, i remember getting into Radiohead for the very first time, i started with "OK Computer", listening to the album in full. i came out of the experience thinking that it was a wonderful and beautiful piece of art, and that it was unlike anything i've heard before, but i didn't really..get it. don't get me wrong, i loved the album, i listened to it many times over, and i did comprehend some of the themes of the tracks, but it didn't exactly 'click' with me quite yet. and then, on some random evening, i was re-listening to the album, and the song 'Let Down' played [which is track 5 of the album]. *it hit me like a truck*. suddenly, for no apparent reason, it 'clicked'! i can't exactly tell you why or how it managed to click for me, but it did. it was an amazing experience, i must say. and i wouldn't of been able to experience that if i decided that i wasn't going to listen to it for fear of not comprehending it. we don't have to be top-grade scholars of every single piece of media we enjoy, which is the point of your video here. great work!

[@timdemoss]

thanks so much for sharing & the encouragement! yeah what a fun point. you’re setting yourself up to maybe get it someday later, even if you don’t know it.

[@stileszzm]

let down is so good

[@bailagringacovers]

Let Down is my fav song from OKC ❤❤❤

[@kaldi3951]

I remember that great writer Vladimir nabokov wrote in his book that „It would be great if we realy understood at least 1 book" acording to him great book is like a painting. If you look at it once from one angle you will notice only part of details. Only way to fully understand a book is read it many times while focusing on difrent things in book.

[@timdemoss]

love the painting analogy. thanks for watching!

[@emperorpalpatine2531]

Yes! I really like this way of reading. YOU DONT HAVE TO GET IT!!!! Forget your english teacher’s themes, allegories, symbolism, and research papers! Literature is made to be interpreted by YOU. There is no one way to interpret a book. A good piece of literature is meant to be interpreted differently by everyone.

[@simonhedeboemikkelsen529]

Randomly stumbled over this video, despite not being a reader at all, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I think the overall message applies to all things in life. Like when starting new hobbies, most people attempt to be as acknowledgeable as possible even before starting, instead of just doing it and figuring it out as you go. Maybe it wasn't you, but in the end, you tried it and learnt from it. You're a great storyteller Tim, keep it up!

[@timdemoss]

thanks so much! and yes so true - you just kind of gotta get in there and someday maybe it’ll make sense! thanks for the encouragement :)

[@seclilc]

Come and Punishment was the book in college I was forced to read that made me want to be a reader. I was obsessed with it and was constantly amazed by the psychological intimacy and I called it my favorite book for years after … but i definitely didn’t “get” it at all. I re-read it recently 7 years later and I was amazed by how much I didn’t remember or put together before but also I was once again wowed by the writing reaffirming it as my favorite.

[@timdemoss]

Dostoyevsky has been recommended to me by friends I respect, but I have yet to tackle any of his work. Will try soon I hope. Your experience sounds similar to my experience with the Count of Monte Cristo…loved it the first time through, then on the reread later in life, it was a split between remembering things and going “I definitely didn’t catch that the first time”. But some of these classics just have so much meat on the bone that even you can be impacted by it even while “missing” a lot of it. Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@benjaminroe311ify]

I read The Brothers Karamazov this year for first time.

[@JagRaj98]

The way classics makes me feel even if I didn’t get it is still a breakthrough and that’s a reason to read such classics. The intimidation is in the expectation and not the book itself.

[@astro_penguin_]

0:38 I'd like to add that, as a physics student, I definitely don't understand all the research papers I read, either. I'll often skim through the abstract, look at the pretty diagrams, and be content with the knowledge that I don't yet have the background to comprehend it fully, and maybe I never will, and that's okay. This is great advice that doesn't just apply to books! :)

[@timdemoss]

terrific to hear :) I guess if we never tackle things above our understanding we’d always stay at the same level, in reading or anything else!

[@connorpeterman5024]

100000% agree. I'll add you don't even have to finish a book. I started reading an Socio/economics book by Thomas Piketty called Capital and Ideology. Didn't finish it. Read the intro, the first two chapters and the conclusion. It's 800+ pages of history and stats. It's a tad dry. I still gained a LOT of background knowledge on medieval society and how the social order of those days was structured. Don't let anyone beat you up because you didn't "read it correctly". All that matters is that you got SOME value from it, no matter what form that takes.

[@connorpeterman5024]

Also rename the darn video. Too excellent to be named a simple number

[@timdemoss]

love it. I have so many books like that - just a few pages here or there, didn’t finish - but they sit on the shelf & remind me of what I did learn. and maybe someday I’ll revisit & maybe not.

[@timdemoss]

thank you & can you explain? do you mean the 006?

[@connorpeterman5024]

Yeah I imagine the single number doesn't help in the algorithm

[@timdemoss]

I’m new to the algorithm/thumbnail/title game so that’s totally something I’ll look into. much appreciated

[@nooblifter390]

From Dostoyevesky's Crime and Punishment, I understood that my this feeling of wanting to feel special was the main reason of my misery.

[@seungminsforeheadyourarelysee]

thank you for voicing out the thoughts i cant even put into words. i know im not good at analyzing what ive read and i even forget events that have happened on the books but i remember enjoying them and liking them. but if i'll ask myself what made me like them, or on deeper sense did i really understand them, thats when i'll turn to self-pity and pressure that im too stupid for all the books im reading and im just wasting my time. im just glad someone can understand people like me and this definitely lifts the burden im feeling when im reading.

[@timdemoss]

hey I’m so glad you enjoyed this and let me know. spoiler alert I’m making a video now on remembering and processing things we’ve read, if that’s something you’re curious about in your own life :) maybe in the next week or two it’ll be out. thanks so much for watching!

[@wallfloweruth]

I just came across your channel and i have got to say that it really broadened my perspective and made me feel okay about not having to understand something to live it.

[@timdemoss]

I’m very very glad :) welcome to the channel!

[@Murasak3y]

This was a great video and needed reminder and inspiration for me.... Your subconscious mind is much more powerful than your conscious mind. When you read or experience art you don't consciously understand, your background brain, your subconscious processing will still have it available as information. So when you're ready to understand it, you will. You'll begin to consciously understand it and it will feel like insight that came out of nowhere or a "eureka" moment, but if you keep exposing yourself to information and trying to understand it, new info will act as a "skeleton key" for old information and unlock newfound insights. Think of how much more you might "get" a book or a movie when you revisit it later in life. New information and experience gives you new understanding of what totally didn't make sense or made sense in a different way

[@timdemoss]

love it. and thank you so much for watching!

[@Murasak3y]

@@timdemoss thank you for taking the time and energy to create it 🙏🏾

[@pigeonpower42]

I’m held off from understanding by magic. -virginia woolf writing to ts eliot in 1936

[@timdemoss]

I don’t know where the source is but an old professor of mine told me that TS Eliot once said he didn’t understand some of his own poetry. Fun right?

[@tammikibler]

I’m working my way through Shakespeare’s ouevre and have embraced this philosophy on the journey. I’ll look up a definition here and there, but if I really don’t understand what they’re talking about in an exchange between characters, I keep going. Eventually it will make sense, a character will become clearer to me, or the musicality of a monologue will sooth me. At any rate, the scene will move on to something I better comprehend. This is how we learned language in the first place, listening to voices until the patterns coalesced and we understood the meaning. And I agree we get the most out of reading difficult works when we trust their value even while not processing every nuance.

[@timdemoss]

that’s brilliant - that is how we learned language in the first place. You have to digest words that don’t quite make sense and eventually they become clear and you can use them yourself

[@MMurine]

King Lear was the first thing that came to my mind watching this video. I've also read a lot of Shakespeare recently, and while I think I at least began to grasp a lot of his plays (Hamlet, MacBeth, Othello, Richard II), King Lear was utterly opaque for me. I didn't feel like I had the knowledge or empathetic framework to fully invest in it, but I think I came to love it more for that. It's nice to sometimes encounter an understanding of the world that is simply beyond you or your current experience. It broadens your appreciation of the world and of yourself.

[@jjhassy]

I noticed this a couple times when I read for fun. I'd wanna go back and reread to make sure I got it, but I compared it to how you can't rewind when you're in a movie theater. You don't have to get it all, just enjoy it.

[@timdemoss]

you can’t rewind movies in a theater - or life, for that matter. great point. thanks for watching!

[@someone0__040]

That moment of pure nostalgia and magic! when you are able to recreate the exact images of the text that you read some magical day and you liked it to the point you feel it in your brain when you recall it now :")

[@timdemoss]

it’s beautiful isn’t it?

[@dhevarsh]

Im not a fan of classics, in fact im one of those kids who grew up on detective novels and fantasy books and never really read anything else. I stopped reading around 10 years ago (no reason why, i just sorta did) and only last year did i properly start reading again. Theres these huge moments of motivation that I get where i want to read every classic ever written but then i actually try and either get too confused or just dont gel with the writing style. This video reminded me that even though thats the case i still read and tried to read the books that are out of my comfort zone and honestly thanks for that, it means a lot for a guy who stopped caring in middle school and is trying to catch up with everyone else now.

[@timdemoss]

I’m so glad to hear. and good luck with these classics! but also - I love mysteries and fantasy. don’t stop reading those either. Agatha Christie, Brandon Sanderson, Arthur Clarke - it can worth your time and fun and therapeutic even if its not originally in Latin or Greek. I just read Misery by Stephen King (stayed up late to finish it last night) and man I was enthralled. It’s just a different type of reading :) thanks for watching & sharing!

[@woss2111]

One of my coworkers criticizes others for not having good "media literacy" or not having high enough comprehension skills to appreciate art/media. Its always bothered me when people try to belittle others for harmlessly enjoying something. Solid video, keep up the good work : )

[@timdemoss]

that’s kind of sad - don’t get me wrong I’m a huge fan of media literacy and think it’s way fun to be able to analyze and break down movies and music. but gatekeeping doesn’t really do anything to get people into it. Plus belittling in general is usually just kind of…you know. unproductive at best. Thanks so much for the encouragement!

[@笑笑-s2j]

Great video! I can definitely relate to this. I have read many Haruki Murakami books over the years and frankly, I don't really "get them." My favorite is After Dark. After reading it multiple times over the past few years, I finally was able to understand it. I even wrote an analysis of it just for fun because I like the book so much and hope it helps other people appreciate it. However, that analysis merely enhanced my enjoyment; it wasn't a condition for my enjoyment. I think that the internet and Google have conditioned us to always want answers for everything, when sometimes, the ambiguity is what makes something interesting.

[@timdemoss]

Love that you say it enhanced your enjoyment but wasn’t a condition of it. I don’t want to give the impression that “getting it” or analyzing is a waste of time - it’s truly wonderful. I’m just glad it’s not a prerequisite to starting to enjoy and appreciate art. :) thanks for sharing!

[@笑笑-s2j]

@@timdemoss Absolutely! Thanks for the ❤️ I know you were definitely not giving anyone the impression that "getting it" or understanding art is bad and gets in the way of enjoyment. That Haruki Murakami novel I mentioned was one that I first enjoyed immensely, then gradually made sense of it, and finally wrote about it. I normally don't write analyses about fiction, but I enjoyed that book so much that I had to.

[@inc_gnit0]

This reassures me to continue more on my reading journey, which I just started recently, which I halted for years because of this kind of thinking. Not just about reading actually, but in my general interest/hobbies I had in my mind for years that I'm skeptic to do it.

[@timdemoss]

the idea that you have to understand something before you can approach it is backwards. books, or a hobby, or a craft. good for you for seeing past that. welcome to the channel!

[@inc_gnit0]

@timdemoss Thanks, it's good that I bumped into your video. It gave me clarity lol

[@yawsanevruh1116]

I really needed to hear this. I've been wanting to get into some heavier books, like Dostoevsky's novels, but I keep telling myself that I'll wait until I've matured and become more intelligent before I read these types of books (I'm turning 20 in two months, and I've been telling myself this since I was 17 lol). Thank you for this video, Mr. DeMoss.

[@timdemoss]

the best part is, if you read it now, there’s no reason you can’t reread it again when you’re older. it’s not one and done. thanks for watching!

[@mdnd8]

omg, this is exactly what i experienced, bought the book when i was 16 and haven't read it till today (turning 20 this year) and maybe i will give it a try :)

[@yt-sh]

One of the most inspiring idea I have come across and it applies to everything we always stop where we don't understand and don't cross the limit but if we never pursue higher, we will never get there thank you

[@timdemoss]

thank you so much! If we never pursue higher we’ll never get there. Love it

[@ianbyrne465]

My favorite book is Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” I like it, in part because it’s so dense with symbolism and deeper meaning, but it’s still so gripping and harrowing even on the surface. It’s a story about a man traveling in a place that he knows he should not be, searching for another guy who’s basically given himself over to this place. Then you can read into the history surrounding the Dutch colonization in the Congo, and Conrad’s own history with Africa as a sailor for a good part or his life, and then you can start looking at the psychology of the characters and the order of events, and I once saw someone make a really compelling argument comparing the story to Dante’s “Inferno” And I just love that that’s all there. It’s like the Easter Island heads. You can choose to dig into it as much as you want to marvel at the giant buried bodies, or you can appreciate the heads that are there, and neither choice is wrong.

[@timdemoss]

I do love when there’s layers and you can choose to engage how you want. thanks so much for watching and sharing your thoughts!

[@carmsth]

i can read a book and say “oh this was a great book!” afterwards and not be able to name a single character. happens too often, more often than i’d like. “Love Beauty for its own sake…it is not in what you succeed in doing that you get your joy, but in the doing of it.”

[@timdemoss]

happens to me too! I’m trying to remember more if I can (that’s part of why I started making these) but even if I can’t remember, the book still shaped me in the reading. thanks for sharing!

[@ankitaaarya]

You have potential to become a great youtuber, keep posting. Also beautiful insights, I can totally relate with it. In 2012 When I was 14 years of age, I used to read wikipedia article, reading about nanotechnology technology, issac asimov, robotics, atomic bomb, project orion propulsuon system, DOS commands, computer hacking. All of it used to go over my head. But I loved its feeling, I was doing something. Remembering it today i feel like i would give anything to relive that time. Although youre talking about literature and novels, my realm was science at that time, but thank you again for sharing these ideas. I really appreciate it. Very original.

[@timdemoss]

thank you so much! :) I love those Wikipedia deep dives. so much fun even when the content is over my head

[@mofe620]

The Count of Monte Cristo is a beautiful book! It was really daunting at first, but my goodness, as you go on, you just fall in love with it.

[@timdemoss]

it’s true :) totally agree!

[@sirathena]

As a performer, I think an audience's interpretation of a text is as valid as my own. While my own study of a script might have had some scholarship in it, it is the emotional reality of what I'm doing that's going to speak to the audience. I feel like, because I've been doing Shakespeare for 20 years, what I've learned is that "people who don't "get' Shakespeare" can just come out to a show, connect on an emotional level and feel textures that are valid. I think that English class often leads us toward a kind of analytical scholarship and that's awesome---but I think there's a ride you can get on that you don't understand with your mind but with your heart, etc. And I think that the variety of interpretations is part of all art, all stories. "Breaking it down" can sometimes be like wanting to know how a roller coaster works while being on a ride that you might just wanna give yourself over to. I think if one part of a story sticks to your heart or makes you think ---you've had an experience and that's successful storytelling.

[@donutsueme5937]

this has become my favorite video. i know i will come back to this maybe once a month to remind myself that it’s okay if i just don’t get it.

[@timdemoss]

wow thank you! :) come back & say hey. have a good month of reading!

[@Arinaretina]

this was so validating to hear :’)) i’m applying this logic to myself as a “mixed child who forgot how to read their native language properly” troupe, haha. the fear of not being able to understand chinese novels always stopped me from reading them or made it extremely difficult to get through, despite the fact that i would really like to read them and get better at chinese. but you’re right! the books and the content will always be here for me to revisit. i can just take the parts i understand, enjoy it for what it offers, and let the process be a process. thank you 🤍

[@34missgreen]

I found this video so helpful and it serves as a much-needed reminder that reading for enjoyment is not a crime 🙏.

[@timdemoss]

if it was I’d be in jail for life at this point. thanks for watching!

[@kiwi659]

Thank you. ❤ The fear of not understanding a book has always deterred me from reading.

[@timdemoss]

someday you may understand it - but the understanding comes after the reading, at least for me :)

[@rishabhtomar8413]

I am non-native English speaker and I feel the same about the red rising saga it's hard for me to imagine all the High technology and space battle scenes but I just love the story and the characters I used to get frustrated at first for not understanding a full chapter of intense things happening but I just kept on going

[@timdemoss]

two of my closest friends heavily recommend the red rising saga to me - maybe this is my moment to start. thanks for watching & sharing! & good luck continuing reading!

[@BonytoBeastly]

Alright, you've convinced me. I'll try getting through the first chapter of the Litany of the Long Sun again.

[@timdemoss]

good luck!!

[@OokiiPeter]

This is a really nice perspective to take. Over the past several months, I've been working in a factory to save up money for grad school. To pass the time, I have listened to tons of audiobooks, nearly 130. I tried to mix up genres, authors, eras, and cultures to get a nice variety. What I found to be my favorites varies heavily, but the works which were rich in ideas but not absurdly dense stuck with me the most. The overly complicated literatuee often became unmanageable, even when taking extensive notes to the best of my ability. My strategy has been to listen for about 2.5h (the time between breaks) and then write down whatever stuck out most to me - plot points, writing style, character insights and interations, themes - and put these into a master document. If a certain quote or passage stands out to me, i take a screenshot and listen again later. This way, I can come back later to reanalyze or appreciate what a work has to offer, without breaking the flow of the book. For physical books, I write down pages, maybe add a brief description, and possibly take a picture. And, of course, you don't need to get it all, as the video says! Trying to analyze every single detail of a work, especially a foreign or old one, can be an arduous process. You can research on your own, fins a good analysis video, or even just not worry about the fine details and go on. Plenty of works can be adored without an intense deep-dive. Nice video! I'll have to make my own some day :)

[@timdemoss]

screenshotting while listening to an audiobook is brilliant. I've lost a lot of 'bookmarks' in audiobooks because I usually listen while I'm driving and can't look at timestamps, but even when I'm not driving I haven't thought of screenshotting. glad you enjoyed the video! thanks for watching!

[@upthumbs]

I've been wanting to get into poetry and plays as of now, something like Shakespeare or Homer's epics (currently reading The Iliad), something about how lines line up and reading the words which connect together to some abstract idea gets me. I don't know this, but its just a sensation I love. How you look at a painting with its tones and colors, is how you look at the words on a paper with its individual definitions and writing style. It literally feels like looking at art. Great video!

[@timdemoss]

thanks so much for watching!

[@SolLeeYT]

First time a video of yours popped up on my feed: Today. Me discussing with my friend how I encourage kids to read things they don’t understand: Yesterday. Great video, uncanny timing. Thanks!

[@timdemoss]

terrific timing! thanks for watching! :)

[@gabriellacardosopaiva417]

I still remember a whole literature class in college, I didn’t understand half of the teacher said about the philosophy behind fiction. It took me years to finally understand what he meant. So, that inaccessible knowledge stayed with me until I could reach it.

[@timdemoss]

so glad you could unlock it later, what a great angle. thanks for watching!

[@EdensPisces]

I hope in 6 years this video will be recommended to me again, except I want to see the views in the MILLIONS, the likes in the hundred thousands. I hope the comments will be people telling you how you changed them forever, how you got them to keep reading or pick up that book they didn't realize they put down for the (presumably) last time. This is a great video, thank you.

[@timdemoss]

screenshotting this and saving it for later. thank you for the encouragement. :)))))

[@ig5551]

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this video series

[@timdemoss]

from the bottom of my heart, thank you for watching :) I sincerely appreciate it

[@gpeaches]

So true. This is how I feel about The Master and Margarita. Loved it and it was a very fun and weird read. The imagery has stuck with me for years, but I know I'm missing a lot of key themes and messages even though I've read so many articles and listened to lectures about the book. Even if I don't fully understand the book, I still enjoyed it!

[@timdemoss]

Imagery can stick for a long long time. it’s so fun how books can do that in a different way than movies - the image is conjured in your own head. you’re part of it. thanks for watching!

[@yagmur303]

This was something that made me insecure. I have loved reading books since I was 13, but I always felt like I wasn't understanding, just enjoying the story! So I am confident about that right now🙇

[@timdemoss]

awesome!! so glad to hear it!

[@enrater123]

Great video, it really inspired me to read more. Also the part you talked about reading the Blood Meridion reminds me of a couple months ago when I decided to read the Illiad lol, its exactly the same, several names for each character, outdated words, indirect dialogue, maybe there's easier translations but I got one that was translated straight from greek because I didn't want to miss anything that was in the original and good God I couldn't understand shit, I did the exact same thing you did, reading reviews for every chapter, looking up 10 words each page lmao, but weirdly enough by the end of it I could understand almost instinctively what was happening without any help

[@timdemoss]

Oh good luck with the Iliad! And glad you’re inspired! :)

[@jennipeltomaa9582]

Thank you for this really helpful video! I believe we should in general as a society be more low-key about doing things, I feel like there's so much pressure on everything we do nowadays...

[@timdemoss]

thank you for the encouragement! welcome to the channel :)

[@leoschautvideos]

Super helpful video. I always want to read, but it feels like duty and not like fun time. And with this a lot of pressure is taken off.

[@timdemoss]

glad to hear it thanks for watching!

[@Jessica-dr4wf]

thanks for this vid! Makes me want to begin reading again

[@timdemoss]

that makes me so glad! it’s why I’m making this series :) happy reading & welcome to the channel!

[@CinnamonGirl0716]

The most inspirational book I've read was "i know why the caged bird sings" by maya Angelou. I'm planning to read it again this summer because I didn't really understand the complicated vocabulary or syntax but I felt the tone of emotional vulnerability as a brown or black girl, the childhood trauma, the parental neglect, systemic and generational oppression, social awkwardness, Maya's unwavering determination and mental strength. The book is definitely worth a read. But I realize that it also necessitates multiple reads if you want to identify what theme Maya Angelou is trying to send. I'll let you know if I finished it this summer and finally uncovered what the underlying purpose, let alone theme, of the book is.

[@timdemoss]

I'm familiar loosely but I have not read it - I know it's supposed to be brilliant. let us know if you finish it again! thanks for watching :)

[@koibubbles3302]

When I watched into the spiderverse and across the spider verse, they moved me. I had no idea why I felt the way I felt after watching those movies. I didn’t “get” them. I didn’t know if there was anything to get. It took me a while to break down why the movies spoke to me like they did, and I still don’t know why fully. As someone who has been described as the poster child of giftedness, I feel that I resonate with characters who are unwillingly handed immense potential and how they struggle with living up to their expectations. Across the spiderverse also came out at a time where I was failing (literally and figuratively) and having trouble dealing with this concept. The movies helped me feel related to, a little bit. Another interesting parallel: I own a copy of great expectations, the book that was assigned to miles at the beginning of the story. It was given to me when I took a reading assessment in elementary school and it was determined that I could read in the college level. The book was in the reccomended reads section of the report, so my mother gave it to me, hoping I would read it. Great Expectations was, to me, literally a great expectation. I never read the book, but I might, because it seems to have some kind of symbolism in the movie.

[@timdemoss]

love it - thanks for sharing! And I can recommend Great Expectations - it’s weird but interesting. But if it’s a slog to get through totally switch it for something else.

[@abhishekkapadia8315]

So true man! I went through this with Atlas Shrugged. I took a 200 pages just to start understanding what was going on.

[@timdemoss]

What a mammoth book oh my gosh

[@benjaminroe311ify]

I started reading all of Shakespeares plays this year. I'm only about 7 in so far and started in supposed order of when he produced them. (So haven't got to his best ones yet) What's incredible is I probably only understood about 40-50% of what was going on in the first play I read. Now as I have kept processing and interpreting that 1500-1600 English I am understanding more like 80-90%. Incredible.

[@timdemoss]

I’ve yet to seriously tackle any Shakespeare other than what I did in school. This is encouraging. (I do own a nice huge copy of the First Folio that a friend was getting rid of…maybe I’ll go crack that open). Thanks for sharing!

[@denisabdullah1908]

This video showed up just as I'm reading Deadhouse Gates from Malazan Book of the Fallen Series - a series known for being the Dark Souls of fantasy books. The Three Musketeers was my first book by Dumas and I really loved his writing style, so when I bought The Count of Monte Christo I got totally immersed in it. It's definitely one of my favourite books of all time now. “Those born to wealth, and who have the means of gratifying every wish, know not what is the real happiness of life, just as those who have been tossed on the stormy waters of the ocean on a few frail planks can alone realize the blessings of fair weather.”

[@timdemoss]

What a great quote! (And not to spoil things...but the video I'm editing right now will touch on this topic.) Thanks for sharing!

[@sampsoon9269]

I’m also reading deadhouse gates! Feels more like a study than the leisure fantasy reading I’m used to. Loving malazan so far and don’t understand half of it 😂

[@ZeusCannonZK3]

I think I needed this video. The tension that overtakes me when I open a book and the expectation that I must Get It has made me set down too many books. Thank you for this. It was like a flash of change in my mind.

[@timdemoss]

thanks so much for letting me know! hope you’re having a great day!

[@waterbeing]

great video! :) i really really like this sentiment, i’ve been applying it to most of the media i consume as of late and here it’s explained very well. i think most of the time even when you don’t _get_ the whole thing u can find little bits and pieces in the writing that reasonate with you or your experiences and it kind of motivates you to read more ^^

[@timdemoss]

even a sentence or two clicking with you can be more than worth it :) thanks for watching!

[@Bhagya-AP]

Just found your channel! I think this is the main reason i cant exactly say what i thought of books when someone asks me in bw reading or when I'm done. cause usually when i read, even if its a mystery, or investigation i never try hard to 'get it' or make guesses. Like not that i avoid it but it really doesn't occur to me. I just go 'i'm reading, the story will tell me' and thats fine! Like u said, sometimes the feelings and thoughts it leaves behind IS the impact. besides from the authors intentions and the *true* explanations and such. its why they say, once art is out, it becomes as much a part of the one to consume it as it is of the artist :) Awesome vid

[@timdemoss]

thanks for sharing! it's hard to remember what you read...but it still shapes you. I've started recording what I read (and this channel is a part of that) but I have to remind myself it's for my own benefit, not for keeping score or proving myself. :)

[@Magplar]

wait i cant wait to watch this video later because the intro is SO REAL as a bon iver fan. heck yes!

[@timdemoss]

woo! glad to hear it :) let me know what you think!

[@ovassive5484]

I now have the courage to continue The Illiad and Odyssey thanks to this. I was interested and read book 1-3 of the Illiad and understood NOTHING. I was scared that maybe I am missing out on something so I read the summaries, but I guess I was wrong and just read it through.

[@timdemoss]

you got it! and nothing wrong with reading summaries, especially if you're trying to figure out what the heck the book is even about. a similar-ish book I would have really struggled through without an introduction was the Bhagavad-Gita - it luckily had a stellar introduction in the first few pages that explained who was who and what was going to happen. really paved the way for me to understand what I was reading. not that you HAVE to get something to enjoy it (as mentioned in the video) but it's always a little easier when you get at least SOMETHING. :) happy reading!

[@ovassive5484]

@@timdemoss Yes I realized too. Thanks to me reading the summaries, I was just able to read and somewhat understand through the Illiad. They also had the same thing for the book where they explain before hand on what's gonna happen so I was now able to follow it through. Now, I'm actually enjoying the book.

[@fufhi3102]

I feel like thats the same with music. When I grew up I had various songs where I felt quite a special connection to, without understanding the lyrics since they were in a foreign language. Nowadays I often stumble across these songs on KZbin, the feeling from past days coming back to me, but damn suddenly the lyrics are not just understandable but actually make sense and hit you in the right place. Like if you already knew it back then what the song is about

[@timdemoss]

it takes time :) so glad we can enjoy things and then save them to be understood later. thanks for watching & sharing!

[@tiana2157]

“All the Pretty Horses” immediately popped into my head when you were talking abt books that are confusing but also great. Maybe that’s Cormac McCarthy’s niche lol

[@timdemoss]

“what genre do you like?” “confusing books”

[@Luckystoic]

I am now 80 years old and when I look over my life I realize that my faith in God and adherence to my deep rooted Christian principles, never wavering from my core beliefs, has ensured my well being all along the way.

[@Kay1111.]

I’m currently in school and had picked up a Dostoevsky book (the brothers Karamazov) and been taking major breaks as I would have to write down chapter summaries and character analysis and all other research. However this has convinced me to just read the book as it is until the next time I reread it.

[@timdemoss]

Either way works! Especially if you’re reading for school, nothing wrong with a methodical approach. :) happy reading!!

[@h3868-d7j]

The feeling you described about that album!! That you feel like a hack because you can't quote the lyrics, don't know the symbolism, yet you enjoy it so much... I'm so relieved someone else feels it, too. Amongst other things, this feeling stops me from reading books because I've been awful at remembering, even if I know I enjoyed reading them. So, like, what's the point if I can't talk about it, I can't think about it afterwards? But this video inspired me to read the books I want to read, even if I don't get them or don't remember the specifics. It's a relief. I was actually just at my home library sighing at books I wanted to read, but knew I couldn't "retain the knowledge" of them, so it'd be a waste of time. On my way to pick one up now. Thank you!! I'm excited 😊

[@timdemoss]

it’s such a hard discussion to have with myself…. Because yes, I prefer to understand and remember and recall books and music and movies. and I’m trying to retain the information (part of the reason I’m making these videos). but I can get paralyzed by fear worrying that I won’t be able to do it perfectly, so I stop - and that’s sad. have fun grabbing a book!! Let us know how it goes!

[@petrolera4684]

I’ve been doing this with music in other languages. Sure I can look at translations later if I desire to, but it’s a beautiful experience to hear the passion in the artist’s craft.

[@timdemoss]

I have a couple bossa nova songs like that for me. Love it. Thanks for watching!

[@wrestledam]

I think that an introduction and a conclusion would make your videos so much better, man!

[@Michael-hw5wk]

Well said. We ONLY learn when we venture out of our comfort zone. This is why Young Adult "literature" has been such a destructive force in U.S. education. Sure, you might not get every reference, every word, every metaphor, etc., but the more you expose yourself to advanced literature, the more you grow and the more you learn. The idea that "education" can exist without challenges and exposure to new works is insane. I am so glad I have dropped out of society as the U.S. is NOT the country for me.

[@splitsee2526]

i have autism, and potentally ADHD (i dont know if i truly have it until i get a diagnosis) but overall i have a lot of media where i get it, and then theres some stuff i just consume it and i just say "wow that was crazy" but I still absolutely love it. recently ive been getting into music that isnt just video game music and its been fun reacting to all the songs and stuff and just writing down what i think abt it. some songs hit rlly hard while others are js nice to listen to but overall i enjoy music that is just great and i always have been the type of person to like almost any genre overall. i enjoy music and tbh i have been feeling slightly pulled in towards books and tbh i wanna go back to a library and pick up a cool book to read and skim through before leaving for the day, its so cozy over there and also the quietness and overall standstill environment is just something i absolutely adore. i would love to listen to music while in a library free of stress, especially reading a book over there ^^ its why i feel like i sometimes bash myself too much for having to judge every single thing i read or listen to but if i get it then thats great, and if i dont then thats alright too, one of my favorite artists is porter robinson, and i get a lot of his work overall and i adore his music, obviously havent gotten so hyperfixated where i did a deep dive yet but i adore his music sm, but there is some i just dont rlly get or wasnt made for me specifically and interpreted for a different audience with different problems, but i genuinely still enjoy it as its own art and not judge it just because i dont understand it. i love art and tbh i should probably be doing more artsy stuff instead of sitting infront of a computer everyday and stare at the youtube homepage LMFAO anyways thats all my ramblings, just got inspired by this video

[@timdemoss]

hey thanks so much for sharing! :) hope you have fun reading!

[@ary7093]

When I was 15, I listened to Lorde for the first time in my entire life. I believe I saw her name in a newspaper of some sort, and I don't know what pushed me to listen to her music, but I did. And it completely changed my life, I mean that her artistry changed profoundly the way I see the world. And I didn't know it, I realised that recently, to me it was just cool music I was happy to discover. I listened to her music again and again because I liked the sound, then I paid attention to the lyrics but what kept me going all this time was the feeling of curiosity I felt when I saw her name in a newspaper. Now, at 18, I realise that I owe her a serious part of how I see the world (especially as a teen from the suburbs, Pure Heroine made me love the suburbs). Just as you said, I didn't understand everything that went behind it - and i still don't! I know some information, pretty much more than someone who doesn't listen to her but that's not the point. Her music poured into my being even though I didn't know it or did'nt fullty "got it". Because comprehension was not a factor of that experience. Art is about experiencing a new landscape. Go for it, and you'll see that, in fact, a piece of art will stay in you longer than you've stayed with it.

[@timdemoss]

so interesting that you can remember such a specific way of being introduced to something. sometimes things like that stick with you. thanks for sharing!!

[@peteradrian9466]

"Gravity's Rainbow" was one of those for me. I'm a sucker for a good opening line and that book has one of the best.

[@timdemoss]

this book keeps coming up. might have to try it :)

[@enyarodriguez996]

I’ve been reading 50ish books a year and I’m on pace for around 80 this year; there are so many times when I finish a book and I understand what it’s saying at a surface level, but there’s elements to the book that I just don’t “get” it. There’s a second level where the author has just had a tremendously different life experience from me, or just has knowledge of how to string along words on another plain of existence. And it used to bug me, in the beginning, because it had to be me. All of these people who “got” the book and raved about it and I didn’t get it and I felt like I was missing something. I could read summaries and explanations online but I just couldn’t “get” it. Now that it’s happened to me a lot more, I feel almost comfortable knowing that there is a door that’s been cracked open for me and perhaps I’ll get to understand what’s beyond it someday. Some things I’ll never know, but others are a life experience, an age, a moment away and through reading I’ve become privy to it.

[@timdemoss]

what a fun feeling. good luck continuing to push forward on your reading journey! :)

[@birdsnestcreations]

For me, I’m still currently reading it. It’s called Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and The Vampire. It’s a book about war and death. It’s very beautiful and sad. I don’t fully understand it yet, but I love Annotating my books. I annotate books for fun. Helps me understand and really break down everything. It’s a beautiful book and I hope that I’ll be able to further understand the book better as I continue to read it and reread it

[@timdemoss]

when it’s got that second “or” title you know it might be a challenge! and I think with books of that theme it’s good for them to be complex - war and death aren’t simple and easily understandable topics. thanks for watching!

[@greenlexf]

I love this video and I think it validates what a lot of readers might feel or experience. I remember in 8th grade when I decided to pick up the Lord of The Rings - it was so daunting and dense, and I almost felt like a fraud because I couldn't understand it all, like I was supposed to 'get it' to be able to say that I read them. Truthfully, I just loved immersing myself in its world, and the attachment I have to them is still very special to me. So yea. Read that book, no matter how daunting, no matter the 'level' you think you need to be at :) everyones experience with a book will be different and thats the beauty of it.

[@timdemoss]

Some of my very favorite books I started trying to read when I was too young (Lord of the Rings and Huckleberry Finn come to mind). but I’m just so glad I approached them anyway. thank you for watching!

[@SerbAtheist]

The best suggestion I could make if someone wants to read a set of books that will: 1) Train them to read deep and difficult books 2) Completely expand their notion of what is possible in a book and, 3) Go down easy because they are absolutely cracking books on their own merit is... Samuel Beckett's trilogy: Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable. Seriously, how is Waiting for Godot a household name while these three gems languish in obscurity? Godot is but a light lemonade in comparison with these three strong shots of head-clearing slivovitz. Molloy is a surreal journey that effortlessly mixed the mundane with the profound, Malone Dies are the musings of an old and isolated man on his deathbed and, last but not least, The Unnamable describes a an inconceivable being stripped of all around it and forced wrestle head on with the terror of raw existence. You read these three books and you'll be able to tackle almost any difficult book out there.

[@clara5924]

What a coincidence. I currently reading Monte Cristo, I also don't remember all the names, hence I wrote them in my note for easy reference. I am a non-native of English speaker, and the more difficult the book is, the better the challenge for me to get the gist or at least try to make sense of it. It teaches me to understand a whole sentence and paragraph and not only focusing on a single difficult word. I'd say that the most difficult book I read till today is Robinson Crusoe (in original writing, not abridged version). But yeah I enjoy to experience classic reading, and hopefully to understand it along the way.

[@timdemoss]

Monte Cristo's so good! I hope you enjoy! (And I totally get it about loving the challenge - me too.) Thanks for watching :)

[@necronicles]

Love this channel. This needs to have more views.

[@timdemoss]

it feels like it’s got a lot to me! but if they come I’ll take ‘em :) thanks for the encouragement!

[@necronicles]

@@timdemoss what's important is that you're proud of what you created, anything else is just a bonus. Keep it up!

[@lunapond7652]

Amazing video, criminally underated!

[@timdemoss]

Thank you! six videos in we’ll see how it goes!

[@lunapond7652]

@timdemoss1060 I've watched all of them so far and am really looking forward to the next ones! It was very insightful and relaxing. I sent the playlist to my friends who don't read for fun. (Maybe they will finally understand why I always say it's beneficial.) Wishing you grand success, you're well-spoken and doing wonderful, important work!

[@timdemoss]

This makes me so happy to hear! Maybe they’ll convert :) thanks for the encouragement!

[@gwilymthomas3699]

Thanks for this - it’s good to have this point stated. I think it applies to non-fiction too. At times I’ve felt fraudulent reading books and not fully getting it. However, I now give myself a break and liken the process to sediment in a lake: there’s bits everywhere and everything is cloudy. Over time though, the sediment sinks to the bottom, the lake regains clarity and the bed grows. I think the unconscious can do a decent job of pulling things together even when the conscious mind thinks it’s not picked up much.

[@timdemoss]

brilliant. love this. thanks for sharing!

[@flyingroses]

there's a book called The Towers of February (De Torens van Februari) by Tonke Dragt, and I didn't understand it one bit. Not even because of vocabulary or symbolism, but just because the book was written to be a diary of a fragmented mind of a person who lost his memory of himself and how he got where he was. it was literally written not to be understood, and it was fascinating! I remember as good as nothign of the actual contents of this book, except for a few vague images in my mind and a feeling of awe and curiosity. one of the best reading experiences i've had

[@timdemoss]

thanks for sharing! sounds like such an interesting approach. :)

[@tobiassanders9455]

*picks up my major-specific textbooks* "finally"

[@timdemoss]

they cost enough. gotta get your money’s worth!

[@totalbrootal]

Earlier this year I read The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. I picked it up mainly because of the Sisyphus memes and didn't realize what I was getting into. I quickly found it way more philosophical than I expected and making tons of references to the works of people that I only had shallow knowledge of like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Kafka, and more. Even though it was difficult to fully understand everything, I still found it interesting and very fulfilling to read. I then went on to watch some videos that go into further depth about the topic to better understand it.

[@timdemoss]

haven’t read that first one but it is crazy cool how often books reference other books and can lead you down new paths. happy reading!

[@gahangwasteve8789]

this is so true ! i recently i was reading the book Complexity which is really very technical and very detailed about nature & computers and i kind got it and i can't stop visual Ing everything i did read in my mind but i can't explain any.

[@timdemoss]

when the book is called "complexity" you know you're in for it.

[@mattwalker3]

Great video! I love that, u don’t have to get it. It may still have a very subconscious impact on you. Now that’s valuable content. I appreciate the handwritten text and the natural way you are speaking to really feel like it’s just a convo between friends. Lookin forward to the next one brother!

[@timdemoss]

hey thanks so much! and I appreciate what you said about the handwriting…glad it’s worth it :) this one took way longer than I’d expected. thanks for watching!

[@reyd286]

I like this. A few thoughts - I recently read Dark Matter, before the show based on it began. I found out upon reading the trailer that yeah, I missed a massive chunk of what the "deal" was until about 4/5ths through the book. It was still a very enjoyable read, and the ending had some beautiful imagery that stuck with me. I've also been reading classics lately, not with the intent of "broadening my horizons" or anything but just to get what people are talking about As an artist, a lot of my work I make with the intent that "these things look nice together." I bring the same mindset into jewellery making that I do into sculpture or drawing - This is primarily to grow my skills, make beautiful things, and explore my medium. After that, if I manage to weave in some meaning, then that's a bonus. But I still made the art. I did my thing. On the flip side, my pieces that I *do* make with an intent of displaying a meaning or a message usually falls flat. I drew one about bodies and a few people interpreted it as s,xual. sigh. I have an entire playlist called "Lyrics? who cares!" for songs that have a really good sound/vibe, but also have fucked up lyrics - whether I knew that initially, or found out after translating/looking up the lyrics after having it in my library for a while.

[@timdemoss]

love that about when you try to imbue meaning sometimes it falls flat. for me sometimes I try to put meaning into a piece and it comes out with meaning, but a totally different meaning than I’d started with. thanks for watching!

[@Bhagya-AP]

Do you think a part of it comes from our inherent guilt of picking up something to solely enjoy? this whole idea that there's no point to doing something unless we can meaningfully derive a complete understanding (grind culture relates perhaps?) of it. When literally, consuming art is about the doing itself rather than the processing. and yes, thoughts impact us long before we can put a finger on them soo, dont hesitate to pick up a book everyone. Find something you think you'll enjoy, steel yourself through the first 50 pages if you have to (in case you haven't read in a long while) and then the book will work its magic (you'll be too absorbed to quit).

[@macro776]

You also just need to realize that even if you only pickup one or two things per chapter, it still goes a long way

[@timdemoss]

sometimes it’s even less than that for me, at least long term. after awhile sometimes it’s just one main takeaway. but that’s super worth it, if it sticks :)

[@bkop.i]

Thank you for this. I'm currently reading "Tinkers" by Paul Harding and although it's a very short book, I feel like I am trekking through deep snow and mud to understand what Harding is trying to do here. It's nice to have some reassurance that it's ok. I just discovered your channel and it's been great! Keep going!

[@timdemoss]

thank you so much & welcome to the channel! and good luck with Tinkers! totally relate to that feeling of trekking through deep snow. :)

[@Soybeans34]

I feel the exact same way about a Bon Iver album, except it’s 22 a million. It’s my favorite album of all time, though I barely understand what he’s “saying” in them, it just speaks to me?

[@timdemoss]

I haven’t listened but my friend has the vinyl and it looks wildly incomprehensible. But super cool. I’ll give it a listen!

[@bzylarisa]

Well, now I want to read Huckleberry Finn.

[@timdemoss]

i think you won’t regret it!