Current Events > How have you staved off mental laziness?

Topic List
Page List: 1
Vol2tex
07/23/18 1:20:17 AM
#1:


I think there's a tendency once you settle into a job to fall into a monotonous routine that lacks intellectual engagement and challenge...what do you do to address this?
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
Manocheese
07/23/18 1:21:57 AM
#2:


I keep learning new things and working on interesting problems.
---
()_() Hardcore - We'll probably be modded for this...
(o.o) http://manocheese.googlepages.com/manocheesery
... Copied to Clipboard!
EpicMickeyDrew
07/23/18 1:29:23 AM
#3:


Learn a language.
---
Just how, pray tell, does your dick "take life"? How could a dick take a life? - XciteMe
... Copied to Clipboard!
Johnny_Nutcase
07/23/18 1:33:14 AM
#4:


I'm too lazy to stop being lazy so I just roll with it. I don't actually roll, I just kinda sliiiide.
---
I've learned that life is one crushing defeat after another... until you just wish Flanders was dead. - Homer Simpson
... Copied to Clipboard!
thronedfire2
07/23/18 1:35:06 AM
#5:


most of my coworkers suck so I have to bust my ass if I want things to go smoothly
---
I could see you, but I couldn't hear you You were holding your hat in the breeze Turning away from me In this moment you were stolen...
... Copied to Clipboard!
SSJCAT
07/23/18 1:35:28 AM
#6:


I thinks its good to have a hobby that uses creativity/intelligence like me with music. always trying to get better and learn more

edit: tho my hobby is also a source of income for me
---
PSN: SUPER_KITTY_JAM
FC: SW-2262-4005-7054
... Copied to Clipboard!
LinksLiege
07/23/18 1:37:52 AM
#7:


In terms of work-related things? Or just, how do I keep my brain occupied when I'm doing monotonous tasks?

If it's the former then, nothing. I know my job all the way through. For the latter, I read during my breaks and lunches. I also reflect on what I want to do with my own writing when I have a moment of downtime while working - changes I want to make, ideas for new stories, etc.
---
This is LinksLiege's signature. It is fantastic.
... Copied to Clipboard!
YonicBoom
07/23/18 1:46:14 AM
#8:


EpicMickeyDrew posted...
Learn a language.


this

learn 20 new words a day, commit them to flash cards/anki

It adds up. Grammar can also be studied along with this, but once you can start reading stuff like books/news/etc and get something out of listening to stuff, your learning becomes very rapid.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
EpicMickeyDrew
07/23/18 2:55:53 AM
#9:


@YonicBoom posted...
EpicMickeyDrew posted...
Learn a language.


this

learn 20 new words a day, commit them to flash cards/anki

It adds up. Grammar can also be studied along with this, but once you can start reading stuff like books/news/etc and get something out of listening to stuff, your learning becomes very rapid.

Wow this is so inspiring. What language are you learning?
---
Just how, pray tell, does your dick "take life"? How could a dick take a life? - XciteMe
... Copied to Clipboard!
YonicBoom
07/23/18 7:04:49 AM
#10:


EpicMickeyDrew posted...
Wow this is so inspiring. What language are you learning?


Sadly, the worst meme language that I don't recommend learning - Japanese.

If I was studying French or Spanish, I'd be done with it by now and moving on to the next language. I've sunk hundreds of hours into just learning to read it alone, and still have quite some ways to go.

I'll probably do Mandarin whenever I decide I've had it with Japanese, just because I already have a bit of a foundation in it from being surrounded by the language for a few years (and foolishly never actually trying to learn it then). Half the work will be done for me already since I'll know a few thousand characters, so I'll just have to learn their new readings and the easy-peasy grammar. I'm already used to listening to it and hearing it, so applying that shouldn't be too tough.

Anyways back to my earlier post, here's the winning strategy:

- Play pokemon in your target language
- If you see a word appear more than once (and preferably more than that) you write it down on a card/anki it, take down its meaning, etc.
-CRITICAL - YOU must make the cards yourself. This is part of the process. Using someone else's premade decks or an app like Duolingo takes away a lot of the internalization of this.
- The first month or so is gonna be miserable because there's a lot of common ass words you'll have to deal with, but endure. It gets really good very soon.
- 20 x 30 = 600, so after just one month you'll have a shit load of nice words under your belt
- You probably took an interest in studying some of the grammar at this point. It's advised that you start making sentence flashcards to go along with your words so you can see the usage in context and with any applicable inflections/conjugations.
- end of month 2, you'll have 1200~ words. You can now understand 85% of all written words in your language. Assuming those 1200 are mostly common/useful things, you're basically adding icing to the linguistic cake from this point on.
- by month 6 you're sitting pretty at 3600 committed words, possibly more in sentence cards (and more, passively). This is the point where you can basically give up the cards and learn in a natural fashion. If you've been reading and grammaring hard, you should basically be good to go.
- You should have been doing listening practice as well during all stages of this, but do that even more now. Any input is good input.
- The sky is the limit from here.

Unless your target language has some huge obstacle like Hanzi/Kanji, or if the available "input" options (games, film, websites) are shitty or hard to navigate for some reason, you should theoretically be able to attain useful ability in your language in a year or less. Don't fall for dumb memes like Duolingo, you have to do this for yourself.

*final edit - If you do choose a language like Chinese/Japanese, do NOT fall for the "I'm just going to learn to listen/speak" crap. There's a reason all those posters in your middle school lunchroom had pictures of Celebrities with books that said "READ" - reading is POWER. That said, your teachers were right about one other thing - Comics/manga are NOT legitimate reading. Too few words, and often contain surprisingly difficult slang/grammar patterns which are meant for people who are already really good at the language. This won't affect easier languages as badly (still, read BOOKS) but Japanese learners in particular go in thinking "I'll just read this manga" and give up after realizing that none of this crap was in that grammar book you read the other day, and that's IF you miraculously knew every kanji/word on the page.
---
... Copied to Clipboard!
Topic List
Page List: 1