Ask HN: When do you think?

#1

Post by hungry_haibt » Fri, Jul 31, 2020, 5:31 PM UTC

By think, I mean the process by which you form new opinions about the things you read in a book or an article in a newspaper.

I have come to realize that most of stuff I read, I am just passively consuming it. I do understand a fair bit of the concepts but never really bother to analyze or critically think about it.

Do you take a pause after reading stuff and think about it, forming your opinions or may be building analogies to understand the concepts at a deeper level ? Or do you take breaks and devote some time to think about an interesting topic you might have come across during preceding days or weeks ?

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#2

Post by nonsapreiche1 » Fri, Jul 31, 2020, 6:10 PM UTC

I mostly do when sleeping, staring just before fall asleep and when a wake up everithing seems much clear

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#3

Post by forgotmypw17 » Fri, Jul 31, 2020, 6:43 PM UTC

Going for a walk around the block

In the shower

Sitting around quietly at night

Try to keep a notepad around

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#4

Post by giantg2 » Fri, Jul 31, 2020, 10:10 PM UTC

I tend to process as I read, which makes me a slower reader. I will also reflect on it at the end of the book/article/show as well.

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#5

Post by sangli » Fri, Jul 31, 2020, 10:29 PM UTC

Mostly while running or sitting by window and staring outside.

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#6

Post by persona » Fri, Jul 31, 2020, 11:42 PM UTC

Trying to tell / explain to somebody (or even an imaginary someone) what I’ve read or studied. Most good insights or opinions happen at that moment for me.

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#7

Post by l33tbro » Sat, Aug 01, 2020, 12:03 AM UTC

For me, synthesis is a mode of cognition that is often paywalled by the endless trivia of everyday life. So, as you say, I'll often read something quite passively and just not have the time to think deeply on it.

I do think we all approach knowledge and creativity quite differently. I've got lots of friends that are very logical, deductive, and first principles. Whereas any nuanced opinion I form generally comes from daydreaming or spacing out in the shower.

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#8

Post by cheez » Sat, Aug 01, 2020, 12:22 AM UTC

persona wrote: post #6

Trying to tell / explain to somebody (or even an imaginary someone) what I’ve read or studied. Most good insights or opinions happen at that moment for me.

My son is reading a book about conquerors and came across the portion on taxation, how the conquerors would tax the conquered and send the profits back home. We talk about what he is reading on our daily walks.

He said "there are no more people to conquer, so we tax ourselves"

I said "maybe we are the conquered"

Both of our minds were simultaneously blown.

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#9

Post by muzani » Sat, Aug 01, 2020, 1:23 AM UTC

I regard all books as a conversation between the author and the reader. If the author is the only one saying anything, you are passively consuming it. To have a proper "conversation", you have to criticize the content and compare what you know with what the author knows.

HN is actually a nice product that does this - someone can share an article and other people can compare notes (and even have a conversation with the author!)

I also make sure to take notes. If there are no notes worth taking, maybe the book wasn't worth reading in the first place? Some information dense work needs you to even write a kind of glossary, comparing the author's terms as she defines them, instead of using terms you're familiar with. This is especially the case with technical/academic work.

Re: Ask HN: When do you think?

#10

Post by brudgers » Sat, Aug 01, 2020, 1:30 AM UTC

I write.