Have you ever thought about what a vehicle actually is?
This is a car, this is a plane, and this is a train.
They all look completely different, yet you call all of them a vehicle.
This is because a vehicle is an abstract concept; we can say that it’s a thing that transports
another thing.
YouTube is a vehicle for ideas and videos.
Concepts are like mental tools — they often emerge based on our goals.
Practically speaking, concepts can be learned, updated, and forgotten.
You can pick up new concepts from anywhere: movies, music, podcasts, nature, friends,
and books.
You can think of your brain as a concept library.
The more concepts you have, and the more precise these concepts are, the better you can understand
the world around you.
The better you understand the world, the better you can achieve your goals.
Concepts are useful tools.
For example, you might not care about the difference between azure, ultramarine, and
sapphire.
But, if you had these concepts, you might be better equipped to be an artist or a designer.
Precise concepts help you define the world in a precise way, and precision often leads
to efficiency.
Defining a problem precisely leads to precise solutions.
Books changed my life by expanding my concept library which allows me to slice up and view
the world in more ways than before.
This helps me be more flexible when solving problems and to look at the world with a new
perspective.
I can step into someone else’s consciousness, think their thoughts, and store the concepts
that I like.
While there are other ways to expand your concept library, I think books are the most
efficient.
Because they are often revised and refined, they give you the most concepts for the amount
of time you spend when compared to other activities.
On top of that, if a book has been around and passed down for a long time, there’s
a good chance it contains some timeless or powerful concepts.
So, that’s how reading changed my life and why I read.
I know that it can be hard to change a behaviour without a strong reason for doing so.
I hope that this video can serve as motivation for some of you looking to pick up the habit.
I’m by no means saying that reading is the only way to update your concept library.
I think a good movie, song, tv-series, conversation, or video game can also do the same.
What’s your favourite way of getting new concepts?
Let me know in the comments.
As always, thanks for watching and happy holidays!