4 ms·

Learning well requires two circumstances for me. 1. I need a goal. 2. The time I need to practice to reach that goal needs to be reasonable. This makes endea

by k__ 2y ago

Learning well requires two circumstances for me. 1. I need a goal. 2. The time I need to practice to reach that goal needs to be reasonable. This makes endeavours like learning to speak a language, to play an instrument, or getting buff unsustainable for me.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
082349872349872 2y ago
What do you consider a "reasonable" amount of time? (I probably come from the opposite viewpoint: I consider the few axes along which I've devoted over a decade to learning as being the particular high-dimensional corners making me me, rather than any of my 8 billion other conspecifics)
input_sh 2y ago
> This makes endeavours like learning to speak a language, to play an instrument, or getting buff unsustainable for me. I think your goals are just far too abstract, you're thinking years into the future instead of something more immediate. Here's how I'd "atomize" them: - Learning to speak a language → Being able to answer some basic everyday questions: What time is it? What's the weather like outside? How am I feeling? When's my birthday? - Playing an instrument → Being able to play one popular song of my choice to a reasonable degree. - Getting buff → Being able to look myself in the mirror and see progress. Suddenly all of them are very achieveable within a month or two. I then either lose interest or set myself some "higher" goal. Can I up that to three songs? Can I describe my work or hobbies in $targetLanguage? Is there a body part I'm especially interested in improving? Then that becomes my new "project" for the next couple of months. Rinse and repeat, all the way until I can speak German (not quite, but I can point to my A2 certificate and call myself an advanced beginner), or play a piano (not quite, but enough to easily impress anyone that never tried), or until I feel good about the way I look (not quite, but it is an indisputable fact that I look better than ever before).

by k__ 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

082349872349872 2y ago

What do you consider a "reasonable" amount of time? (I probably come from the opposite viewpoint: I consider the few axes along which I've devoted over a decade to learning as being the particular high-dimensional corners making me me, rather than any of my 8 billion other conspecifics)

input_sh 2y ago

> This makes endeavours like learning to speak a language, to play an instrument, or getting buff unsustainable for me. I think your goals are just far too abstract, you're thinking years into the future instead of something more immediate. Here's how I'd "atomize" them: - Learning to speak a language → Being able to answer some basic everyday questions: What time is it? What's the weather like outside? How am I feeling? When's my birthday? - Playing an instrument → Being able to play one popular song of my choice to a reasonable degree. - Getting buff → Being able to look myself in the mirror and see progress. Suddenly all of them are very achieveable within a month or two. I then either lose interest or set myself some "higher" goal. Can I up that to three songs? Can I describe my work or hobbies in $targetLanguage? Is there a body part I'm especially interested in improving? Then that becomes my new "project" for the next couple of months. Rinse and repeat, all the way until I can speak German (not quite, but I can point to my A2 certificate and call myself an advanced beginner), or play a piano (not quite, but enough to easily impress anyone that never tried), or until I feel good about the way I look (not quite, but it is an indisputable fact that I look better than ever before).