The more classic literature and philosophy I read, the stupider I feel. It becomes easier and easier to see the capacity to process and focus when you can see the speed and comprehension which other people read, who may even be significantly younger than you, and see how it is no different from sports where some people run faster. It's miserable looking at people around you and know that you have such a severe disadvantage. I've always been very slow at reading, and taken a much longer time to complete tasks, but only now that I'm older do I feel that my languor has cost me the developmental capacity for higher levels of focus.
Sometimes I can only read 20 pages of a more difficult book a day, if I pick it up and read few pages, then put it down throughout the day. Sometimes less. Right now I am only taking 2 classes in college right now, because math is difficult and I want extra time to spend in the math lab, so I can complete both classes with good marks. My capacity to handle work is lower than most people, my capacity to read and comprehend, my capacity to read social cues. It feels like I was given a silly toy brain, and it's simply inadequate for normal function.
Compete against yourself rather than other people.
Camden Jones
I relate with feeling dumb. I used to watch movies all day but I havent been able to find a pair of glasses that don't give me headaches. Literature is enjoyable though, just stop trying to turn enjoyment into a competition.
Levi Sanders
Sometimes I feel like I can't enjoy literature anymore, because it just reminds me of how stupid I am.
Samuel Anderson
Do you measure your interpupillary distance accurately?
Ethan Harris
Why not read easier books?
Adrian Hill
Yeah, it's not a lens issue, just the arms on my temples and the back of my head. I should probably just get contacts but I figure forcing myself to do something besides look at a screen all day could be good to try for a while.
Chase Morgan
If I get a migraine I just plain cannot look at screens easily for a few days. I work with fucking computers for my high paying work too, so I've been working on making an eink monitor for a little while, so I can limit my screen time when needed.
Jordan Ramirez
I struggle with this too, though I think it stems from having a low self-esteem rather than being stupid. Whenever I'm reading something difficult, I always feel like other people "get" it immediately and I have to strain to make the connections. I'm also insecure about my memory--always testing myself to see if I can remember the books I've read, etc. It sucks because reading has become an intellectual competency test. It's like I'm always trying to prove to myself that I'm not stupid, meanwhile being aware that being insecure enough to test myself like that reveals some truth to my insecurity. Intelligence has become my greatest insecurity, especially since it's the deciding factor in being successful in most areas of life.
I'm trying to get rid of this mindset though. Part of the trap of this way of thinking is that you assume everyone is smarter than you, "gets" things you don't, etc., which ignores the work that people do to know things. Viewing yourself as lacking a fixed quality like IQ is like incels thinking they need height to be attractive. Not only does it ignore the many other qualities that make you up, but it also conveniently gives you an excuse not to work towards improvement. Sure, some people have better brains, but no one achieves anything intellectually without working. My new mind-set is to see reading in terms of work (and pleasure). How hard am I really working to understand this book? The more work that I put in, the faster/better I will be able to read in the future.
Nolan Lewis
If you're interested in these topics at all, even on a superficial level, you can already be sure you're smarter than probably 90% of people.
Carter Moore
90% of people are niggers though
Landon Thompson
Based
Leo Williams
Practice makes perfect, user. The less time you spend online the better your focus will be. All the stimulation that electronics provide wires your brain to receive the stimulation.
Brayden Jenkins
Just reach the absurde and realize how meaningless everything is, so what if you are slow, slow but steady. Think about how most people don't know shit, blue collar workers, average joes, housewives, plain janes, chads and stacys, most third worlders, you are "making it", because I guess that's what you want to do, be happy with it, fuck, love yourself, there's no shame on that.
James Jones
Most people are retards who comprehend nothing and just regurgitate. Do what you believe makes you a better person.
Ryder Torres
I believe I'm not stupid since I can understand literature, philosophy, or even mathematics when explained in English, but I lack these same abilities in other languages I've tried leanring, like German or Japanese.
Daniel Rivera
>Compete against yourself rather than other people.
Yeurp. So much philosophy/classics authors are irrelevant to living. However, if you actually want to, then just put in the hours and don't stress. It's not like anyone in the real world cares if you can quote Cicero.
Mason Young
I'm 25 years old. I feel like at my age I should be able to read Virginia woolf easily, or Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. I feel pathetic and worthless and I want to force my pathetic brain to process things higher than it can comprehend.
Evan Flores
How long have you been reading for pleasure?
John King
one thing i know that i know nothing. this is the source of my wisdom
Samuel Brooks
In the waves i was like, 5min to 6min per page. I remember that one of Rhonda's page i read for about 10min trying just to understand, so hard that i had to search the english version to see that it made more sense. This book taught me how to let myself feel the book and not worry about being fast or comprehend 100% of what i read. Sometimes is just like this, some poetry is hard for me easy for you and some are easy for me hard for you
Jaxon Ramirez
>Sometimes I can only read 20 pages of a more difficult book a day That seems about average. If you want to increase your speed then practice speedreeding or skimming. Point your finger to the first word of the sentence and move your finger to the right to force your eyes to keep up. Skip the parts you don't understand and come back to them later.
Wyatt Johnson
4 years
Brayden James
I know this exact feel, I particularly relate to feeling behind people who are much younger than me and who can seemingly devour+comprehend books at exponentially faster rates than myself.
Sebastian Morris
It's the same for me user. I have a brother who's something of a prodigy. He can go through a 400 page medical textbook in just two days. He barely studies yet scores significantly higher than me. I get frustrated watching booktubers too. They go through three to five books a week like it's nothing. It's really depressing.
Jeremiah Morgan
There are students and professors at ivy league universities who can't understand Hegel. That's too high a bar.
Charles Foster
You are probably just more honest than others. Most everyone finds great works challenging, but those with sufficent confidence resist admitting defeat. You recognize the weight of education, its seriousness. Maybe you need to start recognizing its levity too. Please give yourself credit for working hard. Don't give up, no matter what.
Jonathan Rogers
Most people are swine. I see single mothers swearing at their children and feel that they are a different species.
Jacob Hughes
That's true tho. Some people are like "that shit is easy af" and get 50% in exams and some people are insecure to death and get 80%
Cameron Cook
I try to get nothing less than an A on any assignment that I do, so there may be some truth to the honesty thing. I am scared to death of being incorrect or sounding stupid, so I take extreme pains to make sure I comprehend everything. It costs me a great amount of speed, because instead of continuing on reading when I don't understand something it's like I reach a snag, and I can't force myself to continue until I can feel the intended purpose of the author inside and out. That becomes very difficult with authors like Virginia Woolf, but I can handle a little bit of Kant because Kant is so well written.
Jacob Evans
You realize children coddling and participation trophies are the reason we're in this debacle right? Discipline is important.
Landon Sanchez
Slowing down or interrupting your reading actually prevents comprehension in many cases. It is best to divide yourself into two inner camps: 1. the reader or writer who surveys and absorbs the information at a steady pace making brief notes as you go along. 2. The critic/pedagogue who goes back over the notes later filling in any gaps in comprehension. Trying to carry out both roles at the same time paralyzes focus.
Jason Cruz
Give up your ego, user. Just let it slip. Its okay.
Austin Reed
Screaming at your child for no good reason and using them as your personal stress-ball is not discipline.
Kevin Ramirez
This is why you're a failure. Please don't have children
Jayden Ortiz
So many people misinterpret this quote. Socrates wasn't talking about being dumb, he was making reference to the Noumena.
Elijah Brooks
I didn't say scolding your kids and being strict is a bad thing. But what that user was talking about, single mothers swearing at their kids in public, has nothing to do with scolding. Most of the time the child has done nothing wrong, the parent is just a cunt who is having a bad day and cannot control themselves.
Jose Young
Stop beating yourself up about it and most importantly stop looking at literature (or music or cinema or whatever) as a competition or a rank. These things are meant to act as tools for your personal development and your aggrandizement as an individual. It's very easy to feel inadequate around people that apparently are more knowledgeable than you in a certain subject (and even more so on Yea Forums/the internet in general where people deliberately go out of their way to give the illusion of superiority even if they have no idea what they're talking about), but that shouldn't affect you. Be happy that knowledge is infinite and use that fact as a purpose in your life, something to remind you to never actually stop seeking new things to learn.
