: Re: What can I do to improve my concentration when reading? (I hope this is sufficiently on-topic - couldn't find anywhere else in Stack Exchange more suitable...) Currently I am having to do a

@Hamm6328258

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Whenever I start reading the same lines over and over again, I start skimming. Whether it's fact or fiction.

When a text stops engaging, it is either written in a way that doesn't "suit my mind", or I don't have any "cognitive pegs" to stick the material to. Either way, reading it carefully won't help me.

I start skimming, and as soon as the text gets interesting again, I will naturally slow down and pay attention. Usually I have unconsciously picked up bits and pieces along the way. I usually discard the book if the skimming continues for too long. If the book has interested me at some point, I can go on for a while. If it is unengaging from the start, I give it max 20-30 pages.

(I took me a while to understand that I don't have to read and understand everything. If I had realized that earlier, I probably would have finished 'The Lord of the Rings', instead of giving up at the council of Elrond. Twice.)

People are different and will convey and absorb material differently. If you find a book on a subject matter hard to read, find another one. There are usually tons of books written on every thinkable subject - you just have to find the ones that suit your way of learning.

Academic papers are awkward since they often relate to other papers, and talk about them as if you know what they are saying. You usually read academic papers in search of specific knowledge, so I tend to read them they way I browse the internet, filtering out the parts that interest me, and following the references.

Life is too short to read books that doesn't appeal to you. Especially since there are so may others out there that probably will - even on the same subject. Everything can be taught and everything can be interesting, if it is conveyed in a way that appeals to YOU.

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