Confused about which books to read and when

[MM1988]

I struggle to put what I read on books into my overall world view, or better yet the view of myself - how thoughts work, emotions and so on. I like books I can put into categories for specific stuff like, "the sedona method" or "the power of now" for more shallow-level emotional problems, while the spirituality books are more deeper.

However, most of these books come with there own perspective on life, like the sedona method has these categories for emotions, while in another book emotions are defined completely different. Another classic example is books about enlightement vs. books about stoicism like meditations. How do you integrate this? Or I see Leo has tons of books about enlightenment on his book list, what good can it be to read all of these perspectives on enlightenment? In theory its better to know more than less, but in practise which perspective do you take?

I cant put it into words very good, but the problem is basically this. I see when I read a book (for example the sedona method) the next few weeks maybe I see all through this perspective. Then some more week go by and I read another book, now the sedona method is forgotten and I see everything through the models presented in the new book - it just seems so random! Wouldnt it overall be better to stick to some few books, and read them more times over?

[Leo Gura]

That's why it's a journey. You don't know where each step will take you.

You are taking this process for granted. The whole point of doing research is that you do not know what you'll find unless you do it.

Read 200 books over the next 5 years, and your life will never be the same again. Apply what you can. You certainly won't master all those books, but you will have a big picture map of the field, which is the key.

If you cannot read 20 books about enlightenment, you have no business pursuing enlightenment. It is too tricky, and you will fail.

[MM1988]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

That's why it's a journey. You don't know where each step will take you.

You are taking this process for granted. The whole point of doing research is that you do not know what you'll find unless you do it.

Read 200 books over the next 5 years, and your life will never be the same again. Apply what you can. You certainly won't master all those books, but you will have a big picture map of the field, which is the key.

If you cannot read 20 books about enlightenment, you have no business pursuing enlightenment. It is too tricky, and you will fail.

I guess the core of my problem is that I understand this in theory but in practise it just feels like I confuse myself more and more by ingesting more information.

[Leo Gura]

@MM1988 Learn to deal with confusion, not-knowing, and paradox. That's part of doing research.

By your logic, no one would ever be able to do any research into anything.

The things you don't understand are precisely the things which need the most research.

Life is a learner's game. So learn how to learn.

[aurum]

4 hours ago, MM1988 said:

I guess the core of my problem is that I understand this in theory but in practise it just feels like I confuse myself more and more by ingesting more information.

That’s the point.

Confusion means your mind is processing new ideas. Did you just understand math the first time you stepped into a classroom? Or was there some confusion?

You don’t need to read every book, and there are books you should read more than once.

But I also I agree with Leo. Read 200 books and many of the questions you have will be answered. You’ll still be confused, but you’ll at least be confused while understanding more than 95% of the population. 

Understand that life is far more complex than you may have previously believed. For every good point an author makes in his book, there’s likely a counter argument that’s just as valid. 

So you need a mental model of the world that is ultimately contradictory. You should be seeking those ideas out, otherwise your thinking will be too simple to really navigate at a high level.

[Dan Arnautu]

@MM1988 Every book is like a lens you use to see a certain way. But each lens will help only in very specific situations. What you need to start to do is learn which lens to use when. And that takes patience. It starts to make sense only after you read a lot and start being more comfrotable with confusion and paradox.

That's the catch from all I've read up until now. It's not all that uncommon to read two books with completely opposite positions from one another, yet both conceptions compel and convince you. It's not easy. But you're here to learn, right?

[The White Belt]

@MM1988 Very well observed. I feel the same way. One book and I'm thinking it through thoroughly and applying the concepts until the next book comes along.

Perhaps we should take the main lessons from each book, write them down, and make a plan of how to incorporate them, considering the information we already have. A good way to do this would be to utilize the use of a COMMONPLACE BOOK that Leo has spoke on.

I'm planning on creating one fairly soon.