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Why too much reading is killing your growth · Deep Thoughts

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: We often hear this advice, don't we That constant reading
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: is well fundamental for personal growth. The more books you read,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: the more you develop.
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  Speaker 2: It's certainly a prevailing idea, you know, that piling up
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: information automatically leads to becoming a better version of yourself.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Today, we want to explore something a bit counterintuitive.
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  Speaker 2: Indeed, we're going to look at how this constant drive
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  Speaker 2: for more information, especially from books or similar sources, might
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  Speaker 2: actually paradoxically get in the way of real progress.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: We're sort of diving into how this overconsumption can build
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  Speaker 1: up what you might call an illusion of more.
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  Speaker 2: An illusion of more. Yes, it's this belief that just
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  Speaker 2: by gathering heaps of information, you're automatically moving forward.
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  Speaker 1: So you keep buying books, subscribing to more newsletters, listening
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  Speaker 1: to more podcasts, perhaps all expecting some big breakthrough.
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  Speaker 2: But the sheer volume itself can just become noise, like
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  Speaker 2: intellectual static that actually makes it harder to really understand
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  Speaker 2: things or put them into practice.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: This usion of more really does trick you, doesn't it
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  Speaker 1: into believing that intake equals progress, and well, that could
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  Speaker 1: be quite detrimental.
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  Speaker 2: It's a definite paradox especially with how much self help
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  Speaker 2: material is out there now. Having access to different perspectives
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  Speaker 2: is good, of course, but the constant flow can lead
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  Speaker 2: to this state of saturation information overload.
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  Speaker 1: Basicsly and this constant consuming you mean, it pushes aside
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  Speaker 1: the actual doing, the creating, the synthesizing, the applying.
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  Speaker 2: Precisely perpetual input. If there's no real purposeful action following it,
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  Speaker 2: it risks just becoming well, an intellectual hobby rather than
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  Speaker 2: genuine development.
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  Speaker 1: It's like having too many tabs open on your browser.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe everything slows down.
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  Speaker 2: That's a good analogy. It can certainly feel like that.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, highlighting passages, taking notes, that feels productive,
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  Speaker 1: It feels like you're doing something tangible moving forward.
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  Speaker 2: It does create that sense of activity. But the crucial
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  Speaker 2: question we need to ask ourselves and ask you listening,
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  Speaker 2: is whether that activity actually translates into real change, changes
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  Speaker 2: in behavior or deeper understanding.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: Often isn't it true that reaching for the next book,
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  Speaker 1: the next article can be a subtle way to procrastinate.
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  Speaker 2: It can be learning feels like progress, and it avoids
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  Speaker 2: the vulnerability and the risk that comes with actually trying
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  Speaker 2: something new. With applying what you've learned.
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  Speaker 1: Because growth doesn't just come from knowing more, does it.
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  Speaker 1: It comes from actively becoming something different.
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  Speaker 2: That's the heart of it, knowing versus becoming Furthermore, if
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  Speaker 2: you're constantly consuming very similar information just from different authors
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  Speaker 2: or speakers, that adds to a kind of mental clutter.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: Can you give an example, Well, think.
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  Speaker 2: About reading ten books on say productivity. You encounter all
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  Speaker 2: these slightly different methods, different hacks, different philosophies.
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  Speaker 1: And instead of feeling empowered, you might just feel.
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  Speaker 2: Overwhelmed, exactly overwhelmed, maybe confused. It can lead to this
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  Speaker 2: weird inertia where you don't know which advice to actually follow,
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  Speaker 2: so you end up doing nothing.
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  Speaker 1: So the accumulation of all these perspectives, if you don't
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  Speaker 1: properly process them and filter them, can actually muddy your
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  Speaker 1: own thinking.
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  Speaker 2: It can obscure your own clarity, your own inner voice,
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  Speaker 2: and sometimes that confusion might even be misinterpreted as being
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  Speaker 2: intellectually deep or nuanced.
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  Speaker 1: So, connecting this back to personal development, the implication is
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  Speaker 1: that more isn't always better.
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  Speaker 2: Far from it. Sometimes the focus probably needs to.
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  Speaker 1: Shift from just consuming more towards what being more deliberate
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  Speaker 1: towards deliberate curation.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, asking tougher questions about the information you choose to
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  Speaker 2: engage with, Questions like questions like which books, which teachings
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  Speaker 2: have actually demonstrably changed how I behave not just what
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  Speaker 2: I think, but what I do.
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  Speaker 1: Am I really applying what I'm learning? Or am I
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: just sort of hoarding ideas like collecting stamps but never
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  Speaker 1: sending a letter.
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  Speaker 2: And also which voices, which perspectives truly resonate with my
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  Speaker 2: core values, with the direction I genuinely want to move in.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe try something like a one in one out rule.
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  Speaker 1: For every new podcast you listen to or book you read,
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  Speaker 1: you make a point to actively apply or synthesize something
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  Speaker 1: from a previous one.
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  Speaker 2: That's a practical approach. Curation really requires discernment. It requires
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  Speaker 2: a conscious effort to look for depth, for applicability over
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  Speaker 2: just what's new and shiny.
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  Speaker 1: It sounds like a more mature way to learn, Maybe
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  Speaker 1: filtering for lasting value instead of just chasing the next
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  Speaker 1: trend or the next promise of a quick fix.
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  Speaker 2: It is, and paradoxically, when you become more selective about
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  Speaker 2: what you let in, the impact of what you do
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  Speaker 2: choose tends to be much greater, it lands more effectively.
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  Speaker 1: So how can someone practically speaking start implementing this, this
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  Speaker 1: idea of deliberate curation in their daily learning habits well,
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  Speaker 1: it starts.
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  Speaker 2: With awareness, pausing before automatically consuming. But it's also crucial,
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  Speaker 2: I think, to remember that growth isn't only about intellectual input.
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  Speaker 1: You mean, it doesn't all happen just through reading and
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  Speaker 1: learning in that traditional sense.
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  Speaker 2: Not at all. Some of the most significant shifts, the
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  Speaker 2: real breakthroughs, can come from places we might overlook if
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: we're only focused on a acquiring.
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  Speaker 1: Information, like what kind of places?
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  Speaker 2: Think about the power of silence, Just intentionally creating space
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  Speaker 2: for quiet reflection, letting your own thoughts surface without constant
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  Speaker 2: external noise.
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  Speaker 1: That feels almost radical in today's world, it could feel
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  Speaker 1: that way.
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  Speaker 2: And then there are embodied practices, things like mindful movement,
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: breathing exercises, meditation. These offer ways of knowing and growing
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  Speaker 2: that go beyond just the intellect.
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  Speaker 1: Connecting with the body, not just the brain.
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  Speaker 2: Precisely, and even simple observation. Spending time in nature, for instance,
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  Speaker 2: can provide insights and a sense of clarity that you
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  Speaker 2: just won't find in a book.
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  Speaker 1: It's interesting how these seemingly passive things, silence, embodiment, nature,
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  Speaker 1: can actually lead to quite profound internal changes.
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  Speaker 2: They absolutely can. They allow for integration, for a different
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  Speaker 2: kind of understanding to emerge.
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  Speaker 1: So ultimately, the goal isn't just to be a collector
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  Speaker 1: of information, is it.
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  Speaker 2: No, The goal is to shift towards becoming an active creator,
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  Speaker 2: an embodied leader in your own life. The world needs
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  Speaker 2: people who can synthesize knowledge and turn it into meaningful action.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: Not just people who hold vast amounts of well unprocessed
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  Speaker 1: data in their heads.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly, So, the next time you feel that pull, that
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  Speaker 2: urge to just consume more another book and other podcasts, another.
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  Speaker 1: Course, maybe pause, pause and ask yourself some honest questions.
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  Speaker 2: Ask yourself, am I genuinely learning here to expand my understanding,
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  Speaker 2: my capabilities? Or am I perhaps using learning as a
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  Speaker 2: comfortable way to delay taking action to put off the
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  Speaker 2: real world engagement.
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  Speaker 1: Because growth really boils down to aligning what you know
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  Speaker 1: with what you do and with your values.
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  Speaker 2: And that alignment doesn't come from just accumulating indiscriminately. It
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: comes from mindful selection, deep integration, and courageous application.
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  Speaker 1: So reflect on it which specific books or teachings have
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: genuinely changed your behavior. Are you consistently applying what you
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  Speaker 1: learn or mostly just collecting ideas?
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  Speaker 2: Which voices truly align with your deepest values and your
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: vision for the future. Even ask what do I need
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: to stop doing to create space for more effective learning
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: and action?
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  Speaker 1: Remember that those breakthroughs can come from unexpected places, to silence,
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  Speaker 1: like you said, getting grounded in your physical experience, or
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  Speaker 1: just noticing the world around you.
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  Speaker 2: Maybe try scheduling short pockets of silence, even just five
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: minutes into your day for reflection. See what emerges.
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  Speaker 1: So the final thought to leave you with is.
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  Speaker 2: This, are you learning to genuinely expand your capacity for
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  Speaker 2: understanding and for action, or are you, perhaps without realizing it,
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  Speaker 2: learning mostly to delay the very application that leads to
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  Speaker 2: true growth.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the
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  Speaker 1: Deep Thoughts podcast.
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: I hope you found insights and inspiration to take with
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  Speaker 2: you on your journey of self growth. If you enjoy
• 7:45
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  Speaker 2: to help you grow and explore you a full potential