Post: #1

I recently re-read "How to Live On 24 Hours a Day" (find the free download link in this thread: /thread-27962.html) and the author urges you to pick a field of self-study, like a subject or time period you want to know more about, and to commit to reading on that subject (or exploring it in some other way - hands-on exp. is more than acceptable too) every other evening for an hour and a half.

It's up to you how long you want to delve into the the subject, but the point is to commit to it for a certain length of time and to develop it as a "specialty" area of knowledge for you.

I really like this idea. My Amazon wish list and unofficial list of subjects I have a light interest in is gargantuan and at this rate I'll never know even a fraction of what I'd like to. And all the hopping around from subject to subject gives me a very superficial knowledge in a lot of stuff, just further whetting the appetite more than anything else...

The approach Bennett suggests brings a structure and focus to self-study. You can still learn about multiple subjects, but you focus on something specific for a while, immersing yourself in it and seeing where it takes you.

I've written out a list of things. A couple that stand out to me are Khmer Culture & History (relevant to the country I'm in right now), Gemology (also relevant to my location and a possible biz path someday), or copywriting/writing skills (would radically increase my income).

Bennett warns about taking on too much in your schedule at first, but I'm thinking of focusing on two areas of study - one in the morning related to my work and then another at night related to an interest.

My idea would be to stick with the subject for a 3-month time period and then choose something else, unless it led me down some other channel I wanted to explore more.

Do any of you guys do this? What would you make a conscious effort to learn more about?

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #2

Slightly OT: I'd imagine "Khmer culture and history" is a short list, unless Coedès was just being an asshole when he wrote that the history of Cambodia from the start is just a long series of disastrous wars. Meaning that besides really boring Sanskrit inscriptions I once read through, no old writing survives.
If you find good anthro stuff about modern Cambodia please post it here, always wanted to visit.

Post: #3

1) Clearly depends on how you learn. Do you learn best by doing, listening or reading? For me, it's doing (or perhaps a slight combination of methods).

2) Reading anything except history or fiction, which is meant to be read from end-to-end, can put me straight to sleep. So maybe in winter, you can do history or a musical instrument, in summer something more useful, like carpentry?

I like the idea of learning a trade. In places with high income taxes, the value of doing-it-yourself can be big - you save money and keep all the value-gains.

Post: #4

(09-19-2013 08:42 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  Do any of you guys do this? What would you make a conscious effort to learn more about?

I have been doing this for the last 3 years.

My field of study is Day Game.

I study it at least 2-3 hours a day. Usually, by doing it.

Post: #5

(09-19-2013 12:43 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 08:42 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  Do any of you guys do this? What would you make a conscious effort to learn more about?

I have been doing this for the last 3 years.

My field of study is Day Game.

Didn't expect that one to pop up in here.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #6

I jump from subject to subject and sometimes without finishing what I was currently reading. They're usually things that improve/entertain (interest) me.

History, how-to's (i.e. gardening, food, cars, etc.), poetry, auto/biographies, motivational, comic books, business, and other stuff.

The link doesn't work btw. I would like to read that book.

Post: #7

This is an easy one: cooking. Fits the evening timeframe perfectly.

I recently decided to cook everything from fresh foods and learn more dishes and I'm very happy with that decision.

Post: #8

(09-19-2013 12:52 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 12:43 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 08:42 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  Do any of you guys do this? What would you make a conscious effort to learn more about?

I have been doing this for the last 3 years.

My field of study is Day Game.

Didn't expect that one to pop up in here.

Really? I would think that most guys on this forum would be interested in studying how to better talk to women and how to improve their sex lives.

I think the most important thing to study is ourselves. Primarily our weaknesses and how to conquer them.

In my opinion, many people fill their minds with knowledge but a lot of this knowledge has very little practical use outside of an academic setting.

Personally, I put Self-Knowledge above all.

I hope I don't sound like I am down playing this thread because I am absolutely not doing that. I'm just stating my feelings about where to focus our attention in terms of study.

Edit: I also like to study food, cooking, exercise, sport and science!

Post: #9

Right now mine is advertising, the history, techniques, trying to read all of the best books in the category.

Also doing country guitar instruction now. Found a great video series online. Very fun.

Languages, dance, history, coding, math are all up there as well. Problem is time and being consistent to seeing things through.

Post: #10

(09-19-2013 11:41 AM)Rutting Elephant Wrote:  Slightly OT: I'd imagine "Khmer culture and history" is a short list, unless Coedès was just being an asshole when he wrote that the history of Cambodia from the start is just a long series of disastrous wars. Meaning that besides really boring Sanskrit inscriptions I once read through, no old writing survives.
If you find good anthro stuff about modern Cambodia please post it here, always wanted to visit.

Maybe. But I'm not just talking about the history.

Khmer culture as it exists today, for instance, is something a person could devote a lifetime of study too if they wanted, and it would open a lot of doors up for them. My learning in this area wouldn't be just with my head in a book but could include studying language, taking cooking classes, trips to museums and areas of interest within the country, reading modern books written about relationships and business with Khmers, and so on.

Talking to and observing locals in different situations. Going to interesting ceremonies. The list of possibilities goes on. For a few months I think there's enough to cover, and one of these areas would possibly open up an avenue of further specialization.

Even on the historical level, many have made it their life's work to study Angkor Wat alone. My uncle has made the language his life's work. Specialization can really blow up a single subject into something much bigger.

(09-19-2013 02:54 PM)Edmund Dantes Wrote:  The link doesn't work btw. I would like to read that book.

For some reason the ")" got included in the link. Here's the thread where the book was mentioned: /thread-27962.html

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #11

(09-19-2013 03:30 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 12:52 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 12:43 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  

(09-19-2013 08:42 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  Do any of you guys do this? What would you make a conscious effort to learn more about?

I have been doing this for the last 3 years.

My field of study is Day Game.

Didn't expect that one to pop up in here.

Really? I would think that most guys on this forum would be interested in studying how to better talk to women and how to improve their sex lives.

lol Gio, I was being facetious.

Yes, Game is a definitely a legitimate place to focus study efforts. It was actually on my list of possibilities but for various reasons am saving it for a later time. Though that doesn't mean I won't still be gaming - just that it's not a current priority for my study time.

Quote:I think the most important thing to study is ourselves. Primarily our weaknesses and how to conquer them.

In my opinion, many people fill their minds with knowledge but a lot of this knowledge has very little practical use outside of an academic setting.

Personally, I put Self-Knowledge above all.

If you read the book, the author also puts knowledge of the self as the highest priority.

As for knowledge not having practical use outside of an academic setting, I think you may be misunderstanding the point of this concept. First off, what may seem a trivial field of knowledge to you can through self-study become a fascination and a life's work for someone else. If someone stuck in a career they don't like can explore another life path 1 1/2 hours every other day without disrupting their current job, it can become very relevant to them if they find themselves swept away by this interest.

And the idea, at least for me, includes choosing an area with practical application - even better if it can possibly make you money.

Khmer culture might seem like a strange thing to study, for instance, but since I'm currently living in Cambodia and have been located in Southeast Asia off and on for years, knowing the language and culture here could possibly open up a lot of business opportunities while greatly enriching my experience of the place (not to mention my game with the caliber of local women often inaccessible to foreign men).

As for gemology, I've had a strong interest in the gem trade for a long time as a way to make my travels more interesting (and more financially-rewarding). There is a ton of opportunity in this industry here, but it's an endeavor fraught with risks; serious study is a must if you don't want to get ripped off. Beyond studying the science of gemology, identifying gems, spotting fakes, etc, I would be studying the business as well.

Someone who is bored with their current career might even find that immersing themselves in books about the industry awakens a passion within them and gives them skills and knowledge they can use to advance.

Quote:Edit: I also like to study food, cooking, exercise, sport and science!

Yep all great areas of study.

That said, I think your skills in these areas would improve even further if, say, you focused on Italian cooking for a month or so (maybe much more) instead of cooking in general. Then once you felt you'd reached a level you never dreamed of in that area, you could move on to another cuisine. Or some specific, interesting, and applicable branch of science instead of science in general. And then on to something else later if it didn't carry you away.

That doesn't mean you cut all this other stuff out of your life completely. It just means you've chosen an area of deliberate study for an hour and a half every other day. You might think you give the above list a decent chunk of your time, but I guarantee any of them would improve in great measure if you did this (I'm sure you already give more time than that to sports and game).

Anyhow, the idea is that it's the specialization and deeper exploration that really enriches your life and improves your thinking skills. Of course, some people would rather be a jack-of-all-trades, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. It's just not what this idea is about.

Given the nature of this subforum, I think it's a very relevant concept.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #12

(09-20-2013 02:09 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  I think it's a very relevant concept.

Agreed.

Thanks for further explaining this concept.

I'm going to take your advice and be more specific and specialized in my studies.

(09-20-2013 02:09 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  1 1/2 hours every other day

Personally, I prefer to study everyday. When I take a day off, I fell that I lose momentum.