People Should View Reading As A Developed Skill In The Same Vein Of Artistic Ability. I Think Most People

people should view reading as a developed skill in the same vein of artistic ability. i think most people on this website understand that artistic ability is cultivated - it’s largely a skill. a trait that is the consequence of effort and practice. not some mystical gift of innate talent bestowed by the gods upon certain gifted individuals, rigid and unmalleable.

attention span and reading comprehension are the same!! they are malleable. and you just have to consider, which way are you molding them? and are you doing so purposefully or inadvertently?

you are not unique in having an attention span destroyed by social media. you are not unique in having adhd. or many other extenuating circumstances. and this is good news! this means that you too can improve and develop your attention span, via deliberate practice. successive approximation and clear contingencies work for people, too.

try reading just one page a day. or just one article a day. or listening to an audiobook for ten minutes a day. or whatever! ANYTHING that helps strain the muscle of your attention span, anything that gets you consuming heftier chunks of information than a tweet or tumblr post. set a small and achievable goal, and create a strategy to get yourself to do it. and then incrementally increase the goal.

consider how you can arrange your environment and antecedents for success. you can have a specific spot where you sit solely to read. or you can relegate a delicious drink to when you read, or you can have a special scented candle you only burn when you read. read a page or an article while you are waiting for the kettle to heat up or the microwave to ding. schedule it for the same time each day. whatever specific iteration works for you - whatever encourages you and creates a clear contingency.

you know how dogs can learn, “this is my walking harness,” and “this is my pulling harness,” and so on? so that they know what to expect and will easily fall into the practiced ritual? WE ARE THE SAME… you just have to choose and condition yourself to a contingency (and the options are beautifully customizable), and over time it gets much much easier.

personally, i focus better when both my hands are occupied. specifically, when they are both grasping the book, or i’m clutching a pen for underlining. i don’t know why, i just know that this is so. it helps me when i am reading a book to have my phone in a completely different area. it helps me to sit outside (though Happy is not always helpful when she interrupts my concentration for a ball throw).

when i read ebooks, it helps me to sit in a hard chair and have my phone propped up in front of me (and thus create a dissimilar situation from when i scroll social media). or to pace as i read. i read an article on my phone when i am brushing my teeth and it is hard to scroll. i rotate among books. coffee drinking is relegated to reading for me. i like to save and share quotes from what i’m reading, and discuss it with friends. the social aspect creates a further layer of motivation for me.

those are just my specific contingencies! while my attention span isn’t where i wish it was, yet, i’ve gotten much better than i used to be. i used to struggle to stay focused for a page, and now, time permitting, i read a couple hours every day. it is WORK to develop your attention span - it is a muscle like any other. but by straining it regularly, your endurance and ability WILL increase.

if you are not consuming in-depth information, you can’t have in-depth understanding. when you get most of your information from bite sized chunks, it creates a real danger you are being told what to think! vs actually understanding and agreeing with concepts yourself - developing your own takes and opinions. not to mention, you are missing out on SO MUCH. the world is just BETTER when you are engaging with in-depth information.

i truly believe it is damaging to accept “oh i just have a shitty attention span” and use that to justify forgoing any deeper interaction with material. it is a disservice to yourself! you may have to set goals so small they seem silly. you may have to brainstorm and testrun concentration mechanisms that are odd. but the average person on tumblr and twitter can ABSOLUTELY raise their focus. i have faith in you.

Phrase of the Day

Die guten alten Zeiten- The good old days

ex. Manchmal denke ich an die guten alten Zeiten- Sometimes I think of the good old days

Pronunciation can be found here

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narvember

6 years ago

how have i never heard of archive.org until today.. it’s an internet library that functions just like a real one, as in you borrow the books for 2 weeks and then they are returned to the archive. you can dl pdfs as well, but you’ll lose access after the 2 week period. it’s all free tho, literally just like a real library. i was searching for a cheap copy of this serial murder book from the 90s for my thesis and i found it for free on here. there’s like.. no gimmick at all? i’m so amazed. i literally just signed up and now i’m reading a super hq scan of this book for free. i love libraries.

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narvember

3 years ago

قال صلى الله عليه وسلم يا شدَّادُ بنُ أوسٍ إذا رأيتَ النَّاسَ قد اكتنزوا الذَّهبَ والفضَّةَ؛ فاكنِز هؤلاء الكلماتِ :

اللَّهمَّ إنِّي أسألُك الثَّباتَ في الأمرِ ، والعزيمةَ على الرُّشدِ، وأسألُك موجِباتِ رحمتِك، وعزائمَ مغفرتِك، وأسألُك شُكرَ نعمتِك، وحُسنَ عبادتِك، وأسألُك قلبًا سليمًا، ولـسانًا صـادقًا، وأسـألُك من خيرِ مـا تعلَمُ، وأعـوذُ بـك من شرِّ ما تعلَمُ، وأستغفرُك لـمـا تعلَمُ؛ إنَّك أنت علَّامُ الغيوبِ.

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narvember

3 years ago

This is a compiled list of some of my favorite pieces of short horror fiction, ranging from classics to modern-day horror, and includes links to where the full story can be read for free. Please be aware that any of these stories may contain subject matter you find disturbing, offensive, or otherwise distressing. Exercise caution when reading. Image art is from Scarecrow: Year One.

PSYCHOLOGICAL: tense, dread-inducing horror that preys upon the human psyche and aims to frighten on a mental or emotional level.

“The Frolic” by Thomas Ligotti, 1989

“Button, Button” by Richard Matheson, 1970

“89.1 FM” by Jimmy Juliano, 2015

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892

“Death at 421 Stockholm Street“ by C.K. Walker, 2016

“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1973

“An Empty Prison” by Matt Dymerski, 2018

“A Suspicious Gift” by Algernon Blackwood, 1906

CURSED: stories concerning characters afflicted with a curse, either by procuring a plagued object or as punishment for their own nefarious actions.

“How Spoilers Bleed” by Clive Barker, 1991

“A Warning to the Curious” by M.R. James, 1925

“each thing i show you is a piece of my death” by Stephen J. Barringer and Gemma Files, 2010

“The Road Virus Heads North” by Stephen King, 1999

“Ring Once for Death” by Robert Arthur, 1954

“The Mary Hillenbrand Cassette“ by Jimmy Juliano, 2016

“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs, 1902

MONSTERS: tales of ghouls, creeps, and everything in between.

“The Curse of Yig” by H.P. Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop, 1929

“The Oddkids” by S.M. Piper, 2015

“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” by Richard Matheson

“The Graveyard Rats” by Henry Kuttner, 1936

“Tall Man” by C.K. Walker, 2016

“The Quest for Blank Claveringi“ by Patricia Highsmith, 1967

“The Showers” by Dylan Sindelar, 2012

CLASSICS: terrifying fiction written by innovators of literary horror.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, 1843

“The Interlopers” by Saki, 1919

“The Statement of Randolph Carter“ by H.P. Lovecraft, 1920

“The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Pierce, 1893

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, 1820

“August Heat” by W.F. Harvey, 1910

“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe, 1843

SUPERNATURAL: stories varying from spooky to sober, featuring lurking specters, wandering souls, and those haunted by ghosts and grief.

“Nora’s Visitor” by Russell R. James, 2011

“The Pale Man” by Julius Long, 1934

“A Collapse of Horses” by Brian Evenson, 2013

“The Jigsaw Puzzle” by J.B. Stamper, 1977

“The Mayor Will Make A Brief Statement and then Take Questions” by David Nickle, 2013

“The Night Wire” by H.F. Arnold, 1926

“Postcards from Natalie” by Carrie Laben, 2016

UNSETTLING: fiction that explores particularly disturbing topics, such as mutilation, violence, and body horror. Not recommended for readers who may be offended or upset by graphic content.

“Survivor Type” by Stephen King, 1982

“I’m On My Deathbed So I’m Coming Clean…” by M.J. Pack, 2018

“In the Hills, the Cities” by Clive Barker, 1984

“The New Fish” by T.W. Grim, 2013

“The Screwfly Solution” by Racoona Sheldon, 1977

“In the Darkness of the Fields” by Ho_Jun, 2015

“The October Game” by Ray Bradbury, 1948

“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison, 1967

HAPPY READING, HORROR FANS!

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narvember

9 years ago

Lol :))))))

Have You Ever Seen So Much Bullshit In One Scene?

Have you ever seen so much bullshit in one scene?

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narvember

9 years ago

I see a lot of positivity posts about 12-year-olds just learning to draw. Posts cautioning us to be mindful of 11-year-olds with no grasp of anatomy and 13-year-olds whose characters are all the same person with different hair and clothes, and I love those posts. Those are great posts. Keep those posts coming, tumblr.

But can I ask, what about the 25-year-old who just bought their first ever sketchbook? What about the 32-year-old who’s been drawing for a month and has just about got the hang of a human-looking face? What about the 67-year-old who finally has time to sit down and learn how to paint like they’ve always wanted?

Not everyone starts drawing as a child. Not everyone learned as a preteen. Some people start in college. Some people start when their career is going well and they feel like it’s time for a new hobby. Some people start after they’ve retired.

Not all beginner artists are kids, and I just thing the adults ones deserve some encouragement, too.

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narvember

3 years ago

One of the deepest human needs is the need to be seen. To be seen in our pain and in our struggle and to be seen in our relief and in our joy. And usually we reserve these moments for those closest to us because we know they will try their best to hold space for us.

So imagine when The Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, tells us He sees us, He witnesses all of us, with all of our complexity and all of our emotions, how validating and comforting this is.

You are not alone in your pain and struggle and you are witnessed in your relief and joy. You are held under the sight of A Most Caring Creator, He knows the innermost yearnings of your heart. He knows when no one else knows and understands when others can't.

Via Instagram || @amiehoor

One Of The Deepest Human Needs Is The Need To Be Seen. To Be Seen In Our Pain And In Our Struggle And

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narvember

10 years ago

Because "everyone" are right ...

(Submitted by schalkeblizzard)

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narvember

10 years ago

Waah they look so comfy and cute!!

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narvember

6 years ago

Personality traits in German:

athletisch/sportlich - athletic langweilig - boring tapfer - brave eingebildet - conceited feige - cowardly vergesslich - forgetful freundlich - friendly komisch - funny großzügig - generous fleißig - hard working ungeduldig - impatient interessant - interesting nett - kind faul - lazy sympathisch - likeable gemein - mean naiv - naive aufgeschlossen - open minded kontaktfreudig - outgoing gedwidig - patient patriotisch - patriotic scherzhaft - playful züruckhaltend - reserved ernst - serious schüchtern - shy klug - smart kultivert - sophisticated stark - strong lerneifrig - studious dumm - stupid schwach - weak

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