Defeating the demon known as Laziness.

Dahlia

Probably a shit title but I don't really care. Anyway I've recently decided that I should take it upon myself to expand my knowledge. The only problem is that I have been procrastinating. I bought several books to read so that I could get into the habit of reading, but I just can't get myself to actually pick up the book and read. I realize that I have the time to do so, but for some reason I just putter around on the Internet and waste my time.
I'm not really sure as to why I do this, but I am aware that it is going to become a major problem later on in life. After reading the "whats wrong with our education system" thread I found that numerous Smogoners have/have had this problem.
So how should I overcome this problem? Is it as simple as just forcing myself to turn off the computer and read, or is their a trick to it? Oddly enough I have no trouble reading things online. I can sit and read 20+ pages of a thread without a problem, but reading even a few pages of a book seems tedious to me.
 
Out of curiosity, what kind of books are you trying to read? I consider myself a pretty avid reader, but I'm a bit ashamed to say that my library isn't exactly academic; what I'm trying to say is that reading comes naturally to me because I know the kind of thing I love to read. Find out what kind of genre you're into and stick with that. I can make some recommendations based on my own preferences - I'm addicted to Stephen King after finishing his Dark Tower series, but I honestly think he's a good author to get into if you really want to get into reading. King doesn't really use flowery language or imagery or anything like that, so he's really easy to read and get into.
 
Personally, I never hardly ever read a book. I hate it with a passion. Books just don't hold my attention at all.
 
First of all, try looking for a genre you really enjoy, personally, Im really interested into historical novels, I suggest you to go to your school´s library and read the first 5-10 pages of some books of differents genres. Once you have done that, go to some bookstores, look for autors who writes that genre specifically, for example, if you like Science Fiction, Isaac Asinov is a really famous author, but I would start something easier. Once you have found a book you are really interested in, take it somewhere you find boring(for example, school) and read a few pages between classes, if you like the book, you´ll get easily hooked, from there it will come naturally, you´ll look for more authors, and more complicated books, thats all I can say
 
Dahlia said:
What genre would Anthem fall under? That was the only thing I have read recently in class that actually interested me.
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I'd peg that as Sci-Fi but like the rest of Rand's stuff, it's a social commentary deal. I'm basing this off the Amazon plot summary I read, but it sounds a little bit like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, so you may want to give that a look. That, and George Orwell's 1984. Again, I'm not exactly the most scholarly of readers so I can't offer much more than that, but you may want to go along that track.
Once you have found a book you are really interested in, take it somewhere you find boring(for example, school) and read a few pages between classes, if you like the book, you´ll get easily hooked
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As an aside, this is actually great advice. I find that a lot of my reading time is spent during class downtime and stuff - I only do about half of my reading at home.
 
Ikariam said:
Personally, I never hardly ever read a book. I hate it with a passion. Books just don't hold my attention at all.
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Then why do you post here? Dahlia was asking how to get into reading, at least she is trying, you dont ever bother into trying. Reading is a magnificent tool, if you read, you can imagine the character, get into their shoes, thats something movies cant make, you wont really understand how wonderful reading truly is until you pick up a book and actually read it (and Im not talking about reading "Twilight", Im talking about classics such "A hundred years of solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
 
It's called addiction. Without addiction you would be able to control your actions. But since you're so caught up with your computer all the time you created an addiction to it. To break away from this habit, you must be willing to realize your actions. Simply locking the computer won't help because it won't change your mind off it. You must negate all your thoughts of it and try to reason with yourself.
 
Get some adderall, provigil, ritalin, etc. It will definitely do the trick, if you can get it.

Try coffee if you aren't the kind of person to go crazy on caffeine. I find coffee helps me to focus since I don't get too crazy over it.

Some classical music in the background can help.
 
chenman333 said:
Get some adderall, provigil, ritalin, etc. It will definitely do the trick, if you can get it.

Try coffee if you aren't the kind of person to go crazy on caffeine. I find coffee helps me to focus since I don't get too crazy over it.

Some classical music in the background can help.
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I don't think she is having any problems with anxiety. Rather her addiction towards the computer which is negating her from controlling her actions.

EDIT:
Dahlia said:
The real problem is that the books I have been trying to read have all been the wrong subject.
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Then read books that interest you. Unless you're trying to force yourself of reading uninteresting books, try to develop interest on it.
 
Arin said:
1)It's called addiction. Without addiction you would be able to control your actions.

2)To break away from this habit, you must be willing to realize your actions.

3)Simply locking the computer won't help because it won't change your mind off it. You must negate all your thoughts of it and try to reason with yourself.
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1) I am able to control my actions. I am disinterested in reading, but not because I am thinking about being on the computer while trying to read. This isn't at all like a drug addiction where you develop a physical dependence of the drug. I am able to live without the computer, but I stay on it because reading books has become so dull to me.

2) Clearly I have realized that there is a problem, otherwise this thread would not exist.

3) The real problem is that the books I have been trying to read have all been the wrong subject. My mind is not focused on the computer 24/7.


@ chenman: I do not have attention deficit disorder. I would not be able to get those medications from any legitimate doctor. Besides Caffeine is a stimulant which means that for "normal people" such as myself, it will only detract from our ability to focus.
 
Gir! said:
I think I got an idea, tell me, what are you top 5 favorite movies, in no particular order
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Trying to see what books I would be interested in based on my movie preferences? I am afraid that won't really work considering most movies I have seen have all been horror flicks and I don't find horror stories scary.

However just in case I am wrong:

1) Saw
2) Saw II
3) Enchanted
4) Pulp Fiction
5) Titanic

Please note that these aren't really my favorites. I actually haven't seen many movies because I don't like to go out a lot. So this is pretty much a list of the 5 movies I liked well enough to remember. The only exception is Enchanted. I absolutely loved that film.

I think my best bet for now is to read some more of Ayn Rand's work.
 
What does "Enchanted" have? I´ve heard many people loved it, I just didnt watch it. Anyways, judging by Titanic, it seems you like romance stories, have you ever tried reading "Sense and Sensibility"? If you didnt, I think it would be a good book for you to start, female characters are the main protagonits, so it might be even more attractive for you
 
Gir! said:
What does "Enchanted" have? I´ve heard many people loved it, I just didnt watch it. Anyways, judging by Titanic, it seems you like romance stories, have you ever tried reading "Sense and Sensibility"? If you didnt, I think it would be a good book for you to start, female characters are the main protagonits, so it might be even more attractive for you
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What about Saw and Saw II, those are almost opposites of Titanic....

If she's trying to find a book that would interest her, then she should've just asked us what kind of genres she prefers. ^^
 
Gir! said:
stuff
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Actually I absolutely hate romance novels. Titanic just got a mention because I remember it from my childhood. You could say that Enchanted was also a romance film, but I liked it because of the singing. It reminded me of a Broadway musical.

@ Arin: If you read the previous posts you would see that I am unsure of what genre I actually like. However we have established that I would probably like social commentaries based on my interest in Anthem. I am going to borrow a copy of Atlas Shrugged from a friend of mine. If I am interested in that then I will know what types of books to buy and my problem will be solved.
 
Yes, it is a terrible title, as laziness is hardly a "demon" - it is inadequacy and weakness and nothing more. There is no "defeating" it, one fucking does something instead of not doing something. It is not at all difficult.
 
Can't respond properly; too lazy.

If your purpose is to seek knowledge rather than entertainment, find the one subject you're truly interested in and read books about that.
 
not too lazy to use proper punctuation though i see!

you should probably find a time and a place where you feel comfortable reading, then just take a few minutes of your life to go find some books you may like and read them. you might enjoy reading outdoors on a nice day, the comfort of your own room, or even the solitude of the library. if you can't manage to read something because it's boring, then maybe it is and you should move on.
 
Read Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. It's a pretty deep read since it is usually published in six volumes, but on the plus side you can be a total dick about Roman history after you've read it all.
 
im similar, i find it hard to pull myself away from a computer screen.

you know the one thing that really helped me, getting a job in IT, now i cant stand to be in front of my own computer for too long.

These days i goto the gym everyday, im motivated to clean, read, goto bed at a decent time.

You may also want to improve your diet if it is not good already. Surprisingly enough this will help a drastic amount when you need the motivation to do something. Regular exercise is good to keep your mind thinking clearly and happily.

not saying you do, but smoking weed wont help...for any stoners reading this thread in the same position...i smoked weed for a good 2 years, and the difference in lifestyle is amazing once youve quit for about 2 - 3 months.
 
Jack Goomba said:
Out of curiosity, what kind of books are you trying to read? I consider myself a pretty avid reader, but I'm a bit ashamed to say that my library isn't exactly academic; what I'm trying to say is that reading comes naturally to me because I know the kind of thing I love to read. Find out what kind of genre you're into and stick with that. I can make some recommendations based on my own preferences - I'm addicted to Stephen King after finishing his Dark Tower series, but I honestly think he's a good author to get into if you really want to get into reading. King doesn't really use flowery language or imagery or anything like that, so he's really easy to read and get into.
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Agreed, he is an awesome author, but he does like to use complex subjects such as the time paradox...

Oh and I'm still pissed at Stephen King for killing Edie in The Dark Tower -_- *spoiler alert*
 
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