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Thread: Speed Reading

  1. #1
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Speed Reading

    This is something that I have investigated on and off for several years. I've personally never really been able to speed read and I'm not even one hundred percent sure yet if it is a legitimate thing. It seems to me that it can be done but you are probably not fully absorbing everything you read. I've tried the humming while reading (as a way to suppress the vocalization that most of us do in our heads while reading) but then don't seem to pay attention to what I'm reading. So I'm wondering if anyone here has been able to speed read effectively and if so which techniques do you find to be the most effective. Also, how long does it take to become a proficient speed reader?
    Last edited by Digital_Man; 11-23-2014 at 06:25 PM.
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    Member Brian Griffin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    I've personally never really been able to speed read and not I'm not even sure yet if it is a legitimate thing.
    Neither am I

    I suspect dropping some speed before reading what you need to would be more of a sure thing

    BG
    "When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."

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    I can remember when there seemed to be a lot of discussion about speed reading. It was probably one of those things for which there were lots of courses advertised, in much the same way as the old "build massive biceps in 60 days" ads.

    You would think that if anything, speed reading would be even more useful these days, with so much written information available on the Net to be scanned. I think many people have dealt with the issue not byincreasing the speed of their reading comprehension, but by simply spending less time reading a given piece of text, often missing important points. I get this all the time. I send an email, or post a message on a forum; someone responds in a manner that makes it clear that have only read the first half. By saving themselves several seconds initially, they missed important information that was only conveyed to them hours or days later when the original poster had to say "Read the rest of my post." A time equivalent of the old "spending dollars to save cents".

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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    ^ That doesn't sound to me like speed reading so much as just not reading the whole thing(as in just the first paragraph and not the second). Apparently though speed reading can and does mean not reading every single word. It just seems like it would take more time to master than it would be worth(if it is in fact something that can be done and is effective). Here's an analogy. I can drive my car 100 miles per hour. It would get me to places faster and save me time. However, there would be a price to pay such as possible accidents, speeding ticket etc. My guess is that with speed reading the price you pay is not absorbing all the information and comprehension is compromised even though I have read that it can increase comprehension(not sure I believe it though).

    Here's an article that somewhat debunks the speed reading myth or at least points out that maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be. http://lifehacker.com/the-truth-abou...ing-1542508398
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    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    Oh, its real. I just read this entire thread in 10 seconds.

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    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    What's this about anyway?

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    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    You may get more substantial and useful information by searching for speed reading tutorials, interest groups or discussion boards than from here. Speed listening, on the other hand, may be another matter.
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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Poisoned Youth View Post
    You may get more substantial and useful information by searching for speed reading tutorials, interest groups or discussion boards than from here. Speed listening, on the other hand, may be another matter.
    Never heard of speed listening. Lol. Well I just wanted to hear other opinions on here about this but just like many threads on here there's always going to be a certain number of people who won't take it seriously. That's just the way it goes I guess.

    I know what you mean though Cozy. The thing is if I searched online for speed reading stuff(and I already have) I would more than likely be taken mainly to places that are promoting it. I wanted unbiased opinions so I thought I would post here. No harm in that right?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    ^ That doesn't sound to me like speed reading so much as just not reading the whole thing(as in just the first paragraph and not the second).
    Exactly. That was my point.
    Quote Originally Posted by Digital_Man View Post
    Here's an article that somewhat debunks the speed reading myth or at least points out that maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be. http://lifehacker.com/the-truth-abou...ing-1542508398
    I'd read that, it sounds interesting, but I really don't have time to read it in full.

  11. #11
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    [I'd read that, it sounds interesting, but I really don't have time to read it in full. ]

    That's because you haven't learned to speed read yet. I haven't read it yet for the same reason.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

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    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    It also very dangerous, and you run a big risk!

    Its an american software/app company that have some succes teaching people to read faster.
    There are several on the market, but I dont have any personal experience, some of them gets good reviews and recommandations by users & schools.
    Search and thou shall find.

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    Member Brian Griffin's Avatar
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    I think speed *dating* might be a better solution!

    BG
    "When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."

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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Griffin View Post
    I think speed *dating* might be a better solution!

    BG
    Yeah because you can really get to know someone in five to eight minutes.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

  17. #17
    I took a speed reading course once. Developed the ability to read a page in less than fifteen seconds. Then deliberately slowed down because I am a word freak and reading at that speed does not let you enjoy the writer's style. There is simply no excuse for speed reading good fiction.
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

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    Member davis's Avatar
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    I took a speed-reading class in high school. I did not learn to speed read. the main thing I remember is the other guys in the class making fun of the teacher for going by "Ms." instead of Miss or Mrs. In unrelated news, someone tried to teach me to play chess, to no avail.

  19. #19
    Pendulumswingingdoomsday Rune Blackwings's Avatar
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    I am the complete opposite of a speed reader. I sometimes read the same line several times because my mind did not understand the way the words were put together. This makes reading Lovecraft akin to climbing Mt Everest for me...
    "Alienated-so alien I go!"

  20. #20
    Member Plasmatopia's Avatar
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    I also am one of those slow, plodding, methodical readers. At one point I remember really wishing I could read faster and also considered finding a speed reading course. But I really can't remember now why I thought that was important. It was probably because I wanted to fast-forward in my acquisition of knowledge on some subject I was interested in at the time.

    But (perhaps expanding on Sturgeon's point) I can't really justify such an effort since if I were to read something purely for pleasure I would want to savor the writing style and absorb and appreciate the particular choice of words. And if it's something more technical, well...I'm reading such things because I want to absorb the details and learn.

    I remember reading a couple of political books by a certain author that were full of facts with relatively little in the way of editorializing. I enjoyed them thoroughly. Later, I read a review on Amazon that said those books read like "shipping manifests". I completely understood what they were saying, but to think of them as "dry" never occurred to me until that moment. I had been completely immersed in the enjoyment of substance. It kind of ruined the enjoyment of many other political books where the authors seem to lay on the characterization of certain events a bit too thickly, sometimes going so far that I question their ability to truly know if their characterization is accurate. That tends to make me suspicious of the author's motives/agenda.

    If I listen to music when I read I slow down even more and will end up having to re-read entire paragraphs. Music seems to demand my attention over just about anything else.
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    Reading people's comments above, I have decided that when someone is taking a long time to read something, the fault very often lies with the writer rather than the reader. If one sentence is just rehashing a point made in a previous sentence without adding any new information or any additional clarity, it's all very well to say that the reader should skip over it rapidly... but i would say the second sentence should not have been there in the first place.

  22. #22
    Well, Bob, it depends on how you look at things - your second sentence might be considered just an elaboration of your first.
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

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