What happens when you read with "serious intent"...
This is a thought experiment on what happens if you read with serious intent, assuming that you will "never be able to read this again."
Something not covered in general reading techniques?
Sometimes, when reading, we let our guard down thinking, "I can always look at this later," and the content doesn't sink in. I realized this myself this morning by chance, and I felt that this psychological element might be a blind spot not covered in general reading techniques.
It is a hypothesis that if you read with the premise that "you will never be able to read this book or article again in your life," you might absorb the content much better.
I tried it out myself for the time being
At that time, there was an article in a magazine in front of me about energy issues and religion that I hadn't been very interested in, so I read it through with the premise of "reading it as if it were the only time."
As a result, the awareness of wanting to learn everything in a single reading kicked in, and I felt that the retention rate after reading increased. I was also able to learn in a way that sought to grasp the background and intent of the article.
I have read many times in books and have experienced for myself that the way the brain works changes depending on where you place your focus, but I was surprised at how much the absorption rate changes depending on your mindset when reading.
Why don't you try it too?
To meet the request of "I want to try it, but which article should I use?", I have prepared an article. It is a summary of the book "Behavioral Economics Rules the Outcome." This summary seems to be available for free (as of October 2014). What happens if you read this article with "serious intent"?
If you read the summary above with the feeling that "if I miss it here, I will never see it again," what kind of impressions will you get? The following is an example of my impressions. How about you?
・Are there situations in my life where I am kicking the ball downward during a penalty shootout or repeating sacrifice bunts? Do I realize that I am suffering losses as a result?
・It is fine to take risks in a losing situation, but am I properly getting a commensurate return? Can I create a mechanism to properly double-check every time I perform risk assessment and decision-making?
・Is there a part of me that lets my guard down when my grades exceed a round number? If I am deceived by the magic of numbers, will I be unable to perform properly? What kind of goal setting is there that is not misled by the rounding effect?
・Let's try not to gather too many talented people for tasks that require teamwork. It will actually hinder performance. It will become a "waste of Beckham."
The time you can actually look back at something is limited
As a practical matter, the time to look back at what you have read in the past is limited. While reading the same book repeatedly increases retention, in reality, due to time constraints, it is difficult to read the same book many times.
If that is the case, you should change your mindset during the first reading and take measures to absorb as much as possible.
Spending the same amount of time
I feel this is similar to how one enjoys a meal. Even a delicious meal, if you are not focused on it, will end up in your stomach without any delicate flavor or anything. It is only because you have the mindset of enjoying the ingredients while also enjoying the appearance and aroma that you can truly enjoy the meal.
Similarly, if you face even the casual actions of daily life with serious intent, your life might change. For example, what would happen if you were serious about washing your hands or tying your shoelaces?
How to get yourself into a serious mindset
Now, as for how to get yourself into a serious mindset for reading, it requires the realization mentioned earlier: "If I miss this opportunity, I will likely never see this again in my lifetime, and looking back at my own reading history, that has actually been the case."
Another simple thing you can do is to decide, "For now, I'll just try to get serious for three minutes (or even one minute if that's too hard)," and set a timer. If you can spend a few intense minutes in that way, that experience will become a driving force, and I believe that getting serious will shift from being a burden to being a pleasure.
For those who find it easier to visualize emotions, an illustration like the one below might be helpful. If you approach your reading with the image of throwing this book into this fire once you've finished it, it might help to fuel your level of seriousness.
Summary
I suddenly realized the fact that "reading seriously" is something rarely touched upon in the many books about reading. I think it hasn't been addressed because it is too obvious, and there is no methodology for specifically bringing oneself into that state.
On the other hand, having tried it myself, I personally felt a significant effect. Therefore, I believe that incorporating such an analog method, especially in this digital age where recording and archiving are easy, will improve your quality of life.