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/lit/ - Literature

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7194786 No.7194786 [Reply] [Original]

>> No.7194807

define smarter

>> No.7194820

like enlightenment and stuff

>> No.7194827

>>7194820

well what do you want to get better at? are u depressed? is ur life in shambles? there are books for everything and we have recommendations but we need to know what you need help with man.

>> No.7194829

>>7194820
define enlightenment

>> No.7194832

>>7194827
Not them but Im depressed constantly and lack any sort of motivation. What's something I can read to resolve this?

>> No.7194835

>>7194786
Books can't increase fluid intelligence.
The only thing you can increase is knowledge. Find something you want to know about and read about it.

>> No.7194845

Books don't make you smarter
Education makes you smarter, and being smart isn't even desirable. Having a job and being self disciplined, on the other hand are great, and both lead to and are caused by by hard work and a certain amount of natural aptitude and the gentle guidance of an instructor.

Only children and failed adults will have an obsession with being smart

>> No.7194849

Interesting things, non-fiction.. I'm not entirely sure

>> No.7194855

my diary tbh

>> No.7194870

what's in your diary?

>> No.7194881

any book will do as long as you read it the right way

>> No.7194883

>>7194832

i've been in the same position and obviously ended up reading a lot of books to try to get me out of the dumps. i've meditated, i've thought about it over cigarettes, i've had long stupid all-night conversations with people about existential shit and all i can come up with is this:

1. walk more, drink more water. stretch often.

2. write in a journal

3. tell your girlfriend that you never pay attention to that you love her, and mean it. talk to your parents more.

4. quit thinking youre better than anyone at anything. youre not that special and you cant look down on anyone.

5. install an internet blocker on the 3 or 4 sites u spend a lot of time on. you wont miss them.

6. literally become busier. Take more classes, do more stuff at work, volunteer somewhere, put obligations on yourself. The depressive funk wont go away but what happens is you end up paying less and less attention to it.


if you want to share more about yourself and the specific problems plaguing you i would be happy to give you a third party perspective.

>> No.7194885

>>7194832
The Bible.

Worked for me. Probably won't work for you though.

>> No.7194896

>>7194883
Some serious norms browsing /lit/ today.

Get out, and so on and so on.

>> No.7194897

>>7194883

7. become more spiritual. i grew up an atheist and am still not totally convinced, but i find that when i pray and try to be a better, more honest, more spontaneous person, i feel better. read: Power of Myth - Joseph Campbell. Antifragile - Nassim Taleb. the writings of Kierkegaard on anxiety, and yes, the psalms of the bible.

8. occasionally take a full scoop of preworkout and lift weights in a tank top with a friend. very, very important one.

>> No.7194907

>>7194896

i know that you're being ironic but i would bet my life savings on the fact that a lot of this generations problems with depression and anxiety can be traced back to the egoism that comes from thinking they're better than anyone else.

>> No.7194914

>>7194883
>>7194897
Fucking normies, having friends and obligations IS what makes you unhappy. You cannot be free if you have a job/relations.

Become a solitary NEET OP, it is the only way to achieve true and lasting happiness.

>> No.7194938

>>7194914
Yeah because someone on /lit/ is in a position to say what makes a fulfilling life
Uh huh

>> No.7194948

I think I'm looking for some kind of escapism and i find books a reliable way of finding that but, i want something more than just some story that might or might not effect me.

>> No.7194955

>>7194948
If you want escapism play videogames.

Nothing else lets you waste hours in what appears to be seconds.

>> No.7194964

>>7194955
I used to play games all the time like racking up 800 hrs+ on darksouls but I lost interest in games.

>> No.7194972

>>7194964
tbh it's a good thing. Escapism doesn't help you develop.

>> No.7194986

>>7194948
fuck i'm so sorry you feel this way...

escapism is not the answer... what you used to escape from reality BECOMES your new reality and you have to find something stronger/more distracting to take you out of that. it's like becoming a drug addict.

this seems counteractive... but the antidote is to find something fulfilling about your actual life. you have to deal with it sometime, so find something about it that drives you.

>> No.7195006

If you're not brilliant already, chances are you'll never be
No book is going to change that

I can tell you some of what I know but realistically it would be wasted on you

>>7194964
Honestly what is there to do that long in Dark Souls?
I put 100's of hours into Oblivion but I doubt I touched 800

>> No.7195007
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7195007

>>7194786
start with the greeks

>> No.7195028

>>7195006
what can you tell me?

>> No.7195049

>>7194845
>Having a job
I think your mistaking having a job for having money. Two very different things

>> No.7195068

>>7195007
No, don't.

>> No.7195069

>>7195028
He's got nothing to contribute. It's just painfully transparent trolling.

>> No.7195166

>>7195028
Ways to meditate with regards to physiologically based outcomes, the point if life - again, nothing that'll help you

>>7195069
Telling the harsh truth that no amount of books will make up for a lack of brilliance, or that most people are by definition destined for mediocrity, isn't trolling

>> No.7195211

>>7195166
It's not a harsh truth, it's a useless question meant to inspire despair or arrogance depending on where you stand. If there's some gene required for excellence or whether it's just outlook and upbringing, people still want to grow in those regards. Telling someone not to bother trying because they lack the certain something after a two minute discussion on a himalayan surfing forum is retarded and you're retarded.

>> No.7195226

>>7194845
> Having a job and being self disciplined, on the other hand are great
no, performing tasks which are fulfilling and devoting yourself to accomplishing them is great. Learning things can be a task like this. fuck off dad lmao

>> No.7195243

>>7194883
Thanks anon. Sorry for not getting back until now.
It's difficult to pinpoint what's causing my depression. My thoughts feel foggy. In fact I am unable to piece together a grammatically correct/coherent sentence as I can no longer think properly.
However I think a large cause of it is due to me only having a few amount of friends . I only see them occasionally, as they're typically busy or with other friends. (I can't ask to tag along with them too, as the times when they see their friends are typically erratic, and far away from where I live.)
Like you suggested, being more busy would likely be a resolution for this, as I'd be able to meet more people. I'll also start writing in a journal in hopes that I'll be able to recall proper english.
I haven't had any girlfriends yet -- I was asked out a couple of times during middle and high school, but rejected every one who asked, as I wasn't interested in them at the time. I did start talking to my friend's girlfriend through text several months ago, however, I haven't responded to her in a month (as she kept complaining about her exes nonstop).
But anyway, it just seems to be a case of being lonely. I could be incredibly wrong however

>> No.7195268

>>7195243
See a psychologist or psychiatrist or counsellour.

>> No.7195296

>>7195268
I actually saw 2 about it. They both just basically called it a "phase"

>> No.7195301

>>7195243
Also, does anyone have download links of kierkegaard's works on anxiety?

>> No.7195423

>>7195166
Greatness is out of reach without brilliance, excellence is not.

It is best to be the best you can possibly be, so your life is not wasted, opposed to settling for mediocrity when you're aware that you can in fact do better.

I live my life by this tenent, because while I know I'll never write a Ulysses or compose a 9th Symphony, I could make something of some quality with dedication and diligence. The key is to do these things for your own edification, as opposed to doing them for posterity in order to feed your vanity.

>> No.7195476
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7195476

>>7194885
This.

>> No.7195673

>>7194883
>girlfriend

fucking normie. get out.

>> No.7195679

>>7194883
what is this shitty advice?

>> No.7195764

>>7195423
Agreed

>>7194881
Also this
Also if he just said 'read it right away', considering

>>7195679
Taking advice from normies I don't think is a bad idea
A lot of our problems are of own making
It's probably good to look at things with a transcendental eye, and often the simpler the better

>> No.7195859

>>7194907

Realizing I was just another schmuck actually got me down for quite a while. I think you're on to something

>> No.7195876

>>7194897

9. search for wicked hot slash on weekends with your bros.

10. experiment with mind-altering drugs like LSD and DMT

11. do something high-octane to get the adrenaline pumping. rock climb. sky dive. just don't sit around. you'll regret it later.

>> No.7195885

Fixing op's shit question:

What books will introduce me to generally relevant knowledge that is not obvious to the poorly-read person?

(Pls answer)
I think secondary sources on Marx/Engels would be an example.

>> No.7195915

>>7195885
I don't have specific books in mind but if you read a bunch about how the Fed, treasury, and banking system as a whole work you'll have a really massive amount of relevant knowledge that most people ignore their whole lives.

Here's an interesting paper, not sure how much you know already so it's hard to say if it's a good place to start: http://www.cfeps.org/pubs/wp-pdf/WP47-Kelton.pdf

>> No.7195921

>>7195068
well pleb'd

>> No.7195922

>>7194835
How do you increase fluid intelligence

>> No.7195976

>>7195922
I cum in your mommy's mouth thats how

>> No.7196091
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7196091

>>7194786

>> No.7196148

>>7194786
Prometheus Rising

>> No.7196151

>>7195922
Mathematics

>> No.7196171

>>7194786
Allowing muslims into control the jewish population made her the worlds first super star.

Checkmate homosexuals

Heterosexuals 7 : Homosexuals 0

>> No.7196199

>>7194845
Lo iq detected

>> No.7196205

>>7195915
thanks, good idea

>> No.7196612

>>7194883
you forgot: just b urself ::DD

>> No.7196619

Books by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

>> No.7196844

>>7194883
>2. write in a journal

Write what? I have nothing to say.

>> No.7196920

>>7194845

Education is reading books.

>> No.7196964

>>7196920
it's more than that
you have to read books seriously, and to do that you need a good environment and sufficient motivation (intrinsic or not)
I think education is just reading books, yes, but it takes more than just reading casually to actually learn anything and education is the only way 99% percent of people will summon up the motivation to sit for hours a day and read.

>> No.7197057

>>7195007
>start with the greeks
>posts a painting depicting a pre-republic roman event

As someone who actually started with the greeks, this triggers me.

>> No.7197064
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7197064

>> No.7197988
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7197988

>> No.7198000

>>7197064
Is this any good?

>> No.7198006

>>7198000

No.

There's some dude on /lit/ who has a huge hardon for it and posts it all the time.

>> No.7198153

>>7198000
If you want to know how the human brain works, then read it.

Pretty much we all work on sound, words.

Information in it's rawest sense.

>> No.7198186

>>7194883
>drink more water.
real men drink lava

>> No.7198253

>>7198153
>information in it's rawest sense
opinion discarded

>> No.7198935

>>7194786
food of the gods

>> No.7199411

>>7194786
Atlas Shrugged

>> No.7199606
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7199606

>>7194786
This one is pretty good, OP.

>> No.7200078

>>7196844

u prolly have a lot to say and just cant find the words to express it. if youre depressed, anxious, whatever - it's probably for specific reasons that you try 2 block out b/c youre scared of ur inability to express them properly (srs)

>>7195243

hey

stop rejecting girls.... ur not trying to marry them or whatever, just take them out for a coffee and get to know them. this stuff gets harder as you get older so you might as well rack up some XP now tbh.

i need you to call/text/FB message ONE friend or classmate this week and ask how they are. if you can manage to hang out one person, one time this weekend then u have done ur job.

>> No.7201346

>>7200078
No, I really just don't think I have anything to say. I have a journal but nothing to write.

>> No.7201376

Only an idiot could believe that books don't make you smarter. Stretching to comprehend something complex makes you smarter. The content itself is probably irrelevant. This is why people who study difficult subjects such as physics or math end up smarter than people who simply read novels for their degree (literature majors etc). Analyzing religious texts (in a serious way, not a faggy cute academic way) and doing complex historical analysis also deserve respect and bring these benefits.

>> No.7201518

>>7194786
who made this image? where is this from?