Choice Paralysis & Books

1. 93

   Jessie L Watsonposted 16 months ago

   Almost every day I'm recommended a "must-read" book from somewhere. And almost every day I put something in my amazon cart based on those suggestions. When it comes time to check out, I have to remove a bunch from the cart lest I spend hundreds of dollars in one pass.
   
   Also, as an academic, there are innumerable texts out there designed to keep me up to snuff in my field. I can't possibly get to all of them. One part of me wants to start out with the classics like Socrates or Nietzsche but how does one prioritize their reading content???
   
   There's a modern concept gaining popularity called FOMO or Fear of Missing Out. I'm beginning to understand this in my own strange way.
   
   

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2. 92

   MelRootsNWritesposted 16 months ago

   It's funny, because I have a completely different response when someone recommends a book to me, especially if they give me the book.  I feel burdened.
   
   It's as if this book is the last book I now want to read.  But, I feel the weight of the recommendation. 
   
   Maybe it is the sense of obligation.  I tend to be a spontaneous book chooser, selecting my next read on a whim, or I get in a mood for a certain type of book.  Now I feel I have to read this darn thing!  Of course, I feel more like this when they give me the book over if they just give me a recommendation.

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   1. 93

      Jessie L Watsonposted 16 months agoin reply to this

      Funny you mention that. I was just browsing a list of "recommended books" by a certain doctor I happen to like and it occurred to me that what I was looking at was "a list of things that would lead me to draw the same conclusions as the person recommending them". So, it was a humbling experience. And these lists are on many websites owned by scholars of one field or another.
      
      In the best interests of my own development, I should just read in a way that would allow me to draw my own conclusions about the world. I feel a bit silly, to be quite honest.

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3. 43

   jordancollinsposted 16 months ago

   So what is this book about?

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