This post may seem banal to some. But I will tell you here about
my method of self-study and learning about the world. After all,
our civilization is rich in events and saturated with opinions. And
in order not to get lost in this hurricane of information, I have
developed a special method of self-education for myself. Today
I want to share these ideas with the entire Gopherspace.
My system of analysis "for myself" is called "mapping" or, more
simply, "creating a map". Just as the ancient map of Mercator
or Perri Reis has coordinates and unexplored territories, so human
knowledge is subject to mapping. Imagine that all the ideas, all
the books, all the knowledge in the entire history of civilization
is a huge white spot on a gigantic two-dimensional map that
is inaccessible to you. It is not clear in which direction to move,
what to study and what to do to become an erudite person.
A person who will have, instead of clear coordinates, not
a white spot in his head, but a quilt of toponyms, landscapes,
roads, rivers, mountains, and so on.
In school, in the army, at university, we are all brainwashed, we
are not taught to study and to know the world, we are made into
state or communist biorobots. Thus, many of us are unable to look
beyond the map of reality received from our teachers. Well, let's
try to expand your horizons together.
Everything that man has created throughout his history is
a consequence of the "social hallucinations" of our brain. Not
a single one of our ideas exists, it is only an object of mental
construction or imaginary projection, an interpretation of the
reality accessible to us. The borders of man's physical perception
of the surrounding world are known borders on my virtual map
of knowledge. Thus, looking at this map of the world, I can clearly
determine its borders.
As you understand, these borders today are determined by physics,
philosophy and religion. In the South, unknown territories end
with religious ideas. In the West, physics and exact sciences reign,
reaching their borders of Terra Incognita. In the East, there
is philosophy and social knowledge. And in the North, unverifiable
experimental nonsense and delirium (not from my point of view),
which periodically, when traveling through it, turns out to be
either part of the West or the East.
The most important source of knowledge for my map are books.
There are specialized books and popular science books. To think
intersystemically, you need to read a lot of books. But not all
books are equally useful for my map of the world of knowledge.
After all, my task is to get coordinates and know my location.
I don't need to know in detail how many houses there are in Hamburg.
It's enough for me to know that Hamburg is in Germany. Thus, when
you are told that a person who knows a lot actually knows nothing,
you are being lied to. Because people who claim such things do not
know how to learn independently.
Thus, to understand, for example, Ufology, which is today in the
North of my map, you do not need to study the entire MUFON
archive. You just need to find such books that cover all possible
areas of ufology. When you read the most significant books on this
topic, you will know that there are nibiorologists who are waiting
for the imminent arrival of the planet Nibiru. Contactees who
received a revelation, abducted by aliens, UFO skeptics, and so
on. Review books on the topic of ufology will help you begin
to navigate this area. The same applies to any other area of human
knowledge. This allows you to determine the borders of known
territories and choose the right directions for further research
in any area.
One of the fundamental points of my system of self-education
is the study of the origin of ideas. I imagine them as cities from
which roads come out or mountains from which rivers flow. It is
important not only to study these mental roads, but also the place
from which they come. In order not to be like many Europeans
who claim that they are communists, but do not really know what
it is. Ideas, like rivers or roads, as you understand, come from
common sources. When you trace the route of an idea from the
place where you found it to the place where this idea begins, you
will understand how much the original route always deviates to
the side. There is not a single idea that would not be distorted by
the terrain through which the idea trend.
Famous or accomplished people are legends on my map. Small
descriptions on the map area, as was customary in the 15th century.
Always listen carefully to what books famous people mention
in their interviews. If some scientist, politician, philosopher,
religious leader mentions a book that influenced him, then
immediately put this book on the list of what you need to read
first. Further, such books usually mention other authors on the
topic and other books. Be sure to read them. For clarify the
coordinates of the area in this area of knowledge, to navigate
in this direction. Until you come across the fact that the authors
mention other authors whom you have already read. In other
words, when the information will not loop or loop within itself
without carrying any new information.
If you do not have the opportunity to get a modern expensive
education. Or let's say you are a migrant who robbed half of Europe
(joke). Then, using my advice, start with the most important books
of modern civilization. And then move in the direction on the map
that you like best. The book is our main guide. But remember that,
like ideas, books are also subject to criticism. You can accept some
ideas, reject others. But you should at least do it consciously. And
not rave on the go, talking outright nonsense, as modern journalists
do.
So, by looking at your map you will be able to determine what you
know, what you don't know, and what you really have no idea about.
That's my method of self-education in a nutshell.
