tfw told that you're "so smart" going through school

> tfw told that you're "so smart" going through school
> ride the narcissistic wave until you realize everyone around you is catching up up and some are surpassing you
> all those good habits you had as a kid like being able to crush a book (yeah, a kiddy book, but still) in a day are gone
> trying to get back into reading but find it hard to concentrate
> don't know where to start
> Start with the Greeks
> concerned I won't be able to understand them
> bit of a perfectionist so I didn't try
I'm tired of being stupid. I'll never know anything, but I at least want to expand the circle of things that I'm aware of

Read instead of shitposting.

You're not a perfectionist, you're just telling yourself that to avoid responsibility.

WHERE DO I START

Maybe you're right, but unlike movies where I can blow an an hour and a half, or 2 hours on some bullshit, I don't wanna waste my time reading garbage or something I don't understand

>Bit of a perfectionist
You're so fucking dumb.

>comparing one's life to another.

movies are garbage, you silly pleb

>> bit of a perfectionist so I didn't try
Fix this before you can do anything else

also this

That's what I'm trying to do, I guess. How do I concentrate better and internalize what I'm reading? Where do I even start reading?

If you avoid what you don't understand, how will you ever understand it? Nobody understands what they do not know.

Try to care less about the experience of a novel, whether it's good or bad, instead just take in concepts and perspectives. Your opinion s will change, though the information won't.

Don't "start" anywhere. You're having trouble sticking with or do not want to stick with something. Look at a bunch of different things and find something you really enjoy the time with so much that you almost don't want to read it for fear of losing the feeling, then finish it anyway. Then you look for recommendations until there are no more, and do the process again.
Starting with the Greeks isn't a meme, but it's not where you want to be right now. You can always go back to this. Also, be sure to keep the book down to 250 pages or so at first.

I'm just looking for knowledge about the world around me. History, religion, classic literature, etc. And what's held me back to an extent is the apprehension that I wouldn't be able to understand and internalize what I'm reading. Like reading Shakespeare without the notes on the side telling you what the fuck this shit means and what context it was written in

Try 1984. It has themes of identity and self discovery which to me encourage objective thinking, which seems to be your problem.

you can carve your own lane. you don't need to do anything if you don't want to. you sound disinterested. just read something that interests you.

honestly a lot of the things smart people are praised for are just characteristics attached to their intelligence but isn't necessarily, like, THE THING about them

like being genuinely curious, interesting, etc aren't really unique to smart people and frankly a lot of the people i know who are very very very smart are actually pretty shitty people. when you're smart enough you can literally coast off your intelligence your whole life without really growing or developing as a person

No son, you're going about this all wrong.

First, you need to familiarize yourself with failure. Second, reading should be the first and last things you do everyday. When you wakeup do not browse your phone, read. Third, you should start reading action/thriller novels (tom Clancy etc.) or any sort of book that really sucks you in, this will acclimate you to reading. 4) After you have developed a habit then you should expand from here.

Optional: get books on tape/podcasts for driving

You want a book that is objectively understandable? Read the dictionary.

I doubt anyone has ever read a book and truly understood the entire intention of the writer.

I'm sorry if I'm shitting up the board, but I really do wanna improve, Is there anything you guys do to help with reading? Listen to white-noise or alpha waves while you read? Do it at a place like a library so you're kinda forced? Log your stuff on Goodreads?

I crushed that back in grade 9 before it was assigned 2 years later, then BNW which wasn't part of the curriculum. Last I heard, some grade 12 kids were doing it in summer school, even. But I tapered off and I don't know how to get back on the horse

It's more like "there's so much I want to know, I don't know where to start."

This is what I've been doing and I'm tired of it

More like knowing the context of the book and being able to understand it for the most part. Like the Shakespeare example I used earlier

It's clear your problems are entirely unrelated to literature. Lack motivation? Go to fit or adv.

Read Camus' The Stranger. It's short and offers an insight into Camus' absurdist philosophy which can then lead you into existentialist novels(Dostoevsky,Sartre, etc.) and even some philosophical works in the same school (Kierkegaard,Nietszche). The book is also a good example of 20th century literature which is usually short (Hemingway,Steinbeck,Kafka).

>so I didn't try
there's the problem

closed

Start with the presocratic fragments.

Starting with the Greeks is a meme. Find some Bukowski or something like that which you really enjoy to foster the habit of reading, then work towards more difficult texts.

People here will tell you the Greeks shouldn't be difficult, but the reality is that it is a type of reading that you are probably not used to, so you need to beef up your reading/focus skills before the dense stuff. As long as you don't read John Green for the next 40 years, you'll be fine. Challenge yourself, but not to the point that it makes you fail.

> bit of a perfectionist so I didn't try

That's not what a perfectionist is

>History
there will never be a worthwhile book on history that will tell you everything. you have to pick a broad period and then maybe pick a particular niche to get further into. then expand out from there. honestly, knowing a lot about history is a big endevour and you have to constantly be reading. start with something easy because all the really amazing history books will be inaccessible to you otherwise. they assume you know a lot already.

also if you think reading wikipedia will suffice, you have to kill yourself

t. history knower

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And
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