Yesterday, I saw an article about the proper way of reading philosophy text.
I didn’t realize there’s a reading strategy for that.
Usually, I’d be frustrated at myself for going over and over one paragraph, trying to understand what it means.
Turns out, according to the article, it IS normal to reread text about philosophy.
It is how it should work.
Reading philosophy text is not similar to reading a Wikipedia entry or a magazine article.
It requires more patience and time.
After reading that article, I recalled a bad habit most of us probably have:
When we encounter a challenge, not getting it right the first time frustrates us.
That frustration often leads us to the conclusion that maybe we’re not just smart or skilled for the task.
This is wrong. And harmful.
We should allow ourselves to be rookies.
Being skilled in one area doesn’t make us automatically good in other things. So, it’s only normal to make mistakes the first time.
Be kinder to yourself when you don’t “get” something at first.
It a necessary part of learning.
Tricia Hingpit 