# How to work through specific media Generally, all the [rules for optimizing a routine](success-4_routine.md) apply, but each type of media has very specific methods for cutting out useless information. ## Text Avoid low-information content: - Doesn't summarize its information within the first 1-2 paragraphs. - Language emphasizes the impact of emotionally intense experiences (e.g., [deaths](hardship-death.md), [hospitalizations](body-firstaid.md), [bankruptcies](money-2_debt.md), [unemployment](hardship-unemployment.md)). - Heavy on extreme words (e.g., catapulted, killed, transformed, radical, destroyed, utterly) - Hedging words (e.g., seems to be, experts have stated, [noun] is known to be) - Many prepositions (e.g., in light of that, on behalf of our organization, in spite of this) Develop a habit of skimming text without inserting your judgments before reading it thoroughly. - For books, read the table of contents and focus on the chapters that centralize the concept of the book. - Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph. - Read the first and last paragraphs of the work. - Look for keywords and clarifying concepts, such as proper nouns. - Once you have the gist of an article, move on to something else, unless you're interested in the writer's opinion. If you find big words, research what that word was, since it's likely the most important. - If the book has *many* big words, it's possible the writer doesn't know how to simplify their content, and you might want to read a different book. Learn to speed read: 1. Only read when your mind is focused and alert to avoid re-reading. 2. Only read things that interest you. 3. Focus on controlling your comprehension, *not* your speed, by removing all distractions. 4. Use a pointer or a piece of paper to keep your eyes focused on each line. 5. Learn to read *without* speaking in your mind (subvocalize). 6. Ask what you hope to gain by reading the material, then look for that specific information instead of reading the entire text. ## Video Freely jump ahead in the video. - You don't have to watch the intro, promotional content, or 5 examples of something you already understand. Always turn on subtitles to easily catch something you missed. Unless it's a visual step-by-step procedure, treat it as audio with an occasional visual. - If you can, get a transcript instead. Stop and rewind parts of the video if you suspect you missed something important. If possible, run a cable to your TV or invest in a 2nd computer screen. - Task-switching doesn't take much time, but adds up when you do it 50 times a day. Avoid automatic playlists. - If the video cycles to a related video on an automatic feed, you'll be stuck with *lots* of information in your mind with nothing to do about it. Short videos tend to be more packed with information than long videos. - Long videos often have long gaps of time between new information, and tend to pace it out with many examples and discussions. - Short videos (especially when they're designed with a 3-5 minute goal) often contain *lots* of information that require more focus. Before watching a movie or TV show, grab the [Wikipedia](https://wikipedia.org) summary to see what it's about. - Don't worry about spoilers, since [scientific studies](science.md) have shown we like stories *better* when we know the ending. - Critics often cover themes and sensations, but the lack of spoilers often draws out the entire experience more than it should be. ## Audio It's harder to jump around with audio than with video, but you can still do it if you know the creator's general production format. If you're listening to an album, the first 2-4 tracks are often the best. - If you're curious about the rest, they can often be more interesting or unique than the first few tracks, but the memorable music is at the front. Only consume at a speed you can comprehend. - If you listen at 2x speed or more, be careful to not ignore the information. - A small bit of [understanding](understanding.md) will go 100x farther than barely comprehending something at 3x speed. - If you *only* prefer consuming the content at faster than recording speed, they're a bad communicator and you should find a better one. Podcasts are generally a waste of time unless your [personality](personality.md) prefers a social experience about a typically non-social topic. ## Photos Look for [themes and patterns](symbols.md) that can exclude information. Charts and infographics take *much* more work because they're also text, so sift through them last unless you're looking for specific information. ## Forums/comments *Only* consume comments out of curiosity or to answer a specific question. Only comment if you thoroughly understand the content, or you're adding to the useless pile of information. ## Chat rooms There's usually tons of back-and-forth, so read about 2-3 lines of text for every 50 lines of dialogue to get a gist of the content, then read the last ~10 most recent lines.