Tips to Make Your Reading Affective

The master tool for personal development may be inside one of the books that are sitting there on your shelf at your local bookstore, or the worldwide library known as the Internet. Reading challenging books could demand a considerable effort, but that effort could pay tremendously in the future. If you didn’t start a reading plan for this upcoming summer, consider these reasons on why you should start planning.

To do this, you must first understand your thoughts and ideas. Whether you’re aware of this or not, your thoughts and beliefs might be shaped based on social norms that have evolved since your early childhood. The independent ideas you have might be someone else’s ideas created by a thinker from the previous generations. Robert M. Hutchins once said, “These books are the means of understanding our society and ourselves. They contain the great ideas that dominate us without our knowing it. There is no comparable repository in our tradition.”

Let me ask you this, what do you think of love, happiness, democracy, or freedom? Okay, now that you’ve answered. Do you think these answers and ideas are your own? Are you the only one who thinks that way about love or happiness? What about democracy and freedom? Maybe there is an outside force such as cultural and social factors influencing these ideas. By reading books over time, you can clearly see how these ideas have developed overtime, and how they affect you and made you the person you’re now. Whether you’re going to accept the way you’re thinking today or not; what matters is that you will become aware that it’s a choice and you have to make the final decision yourself.

Vera Nazarian once said, “Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light”. Another excellent way to improve your reading is to get a genius twist. They say, “you’re who you associate with”, I believe it’s the same when it comes to books. There are some great books written by great thinkers and historians, and by reading them you expand your thoughts and take them to a higher level.

Selective reading is effective reading. To quote HarukiMurakami, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” When I was in high school, I noticed that people only read popular modern-day books, forgetting about the classic books and the great thinkers of history. As Descartes said, “The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of the past centuries.” No matter where you come from, or what your background is, reading classics can give you a full understanding of the different ideas in the world. It’s possible to bring your intellectual level to the same level as those great thinkers by pursuing a self-study plan of their famous work. Remember, they weren’t born ready.

One thing I ask is that you don’t focus on one specialty. Focusing on subjects related to your major is a smart move, but it will only help you earn a living. Shutting yourself from other specialties will inhibit your excelling and improving. To be a well-rounded person, one needs a good understanding of the world and the different fields of study. Be a jack-of-all-trades. Don’t limit yourself at all. Whether you’re studying information technology, computer science, medicine, or business, gaining vast knowledge in a lot of subjects covered in books will enhance your chances to excel in the future.

You must learn from past experiences. As George Santana said,” Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Winston Churchill said it best,” Study history, study history. In History lie all the secrets of statecraft.” Reading about past discoveries is a guide for us to avoid the mistakes that were made by those before us and learn from them. Everyone has to create his or her own path in this life, so why not benefit from past experiences? Not reading about these past experiences is like getting lost in the city without using a map.

Although they weren’t written for specialists, stepping out of your reading-comfort zone by reading challenging books will develop your comprehension and will enable you to read all kinds of books; as a result, no need to run away from academic or historical articles.

In the end I would like to say that reading could help you to develop your personality and be a better person. Not only will they help you to develop your personality, but alsothey will give you answers to questions. You’ll notice that a lot of books are talking about roughly the same theme,and they won’t give you one answer, but each book has it’s own view on that particular theme, so this will help you to grasp all the different views. You have the final decision to pick which idea suits you the most.

Most don’t bother themselves knowing how ideas developed and made the world the way it is today but asSamuel Butler said,” A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but a little want of knowledge is also a dangerous thing.” Reading books can bring that desire to strive for knowledge and the curiosity to learn more about the world. What’s the use of all the discoveries and the experiments that happened in the past if we didn’t learn them?

By: Faris Alothimin

You can follow the writer on twitter: @AlothiminFaris

Reading as a part of your daily life activities

Before many technologies were invented, namely the Internet, people considered reading their only way to gather information and keep up with current events. Advances in technology dominated our lives; movies, television, and video games took so much of our time when it comes to the usage of our free time. Unfortunately, many of us, especially the younger generation forgot about reading in favor of these other activities. In my opinion, the more you do these activities, the more you develop passion and love toward them, it’s exactly the same case when it comes to reading.

Medical professionals have said that the brain is a muscle like any other, and to grow your brain and broaden its ability, you have to read. Reading is essential for your brain to function properly and is one of the most affective ways to exercise it. It’s the same when you go to the gym to workout your muscles. Our brains actually process information when we play video games or watch the television, but it doesn’t come close to the same level of processing when you read. While reading, the brain does two things: It processes the information that you’re reading, and also creates imagery and visualizes the words that are in front of you. The brain does all of this. Picture this for example, “ The red car rushed through the jungle.”  Creating imagery enhances your brain function.

Another reason why you should read is that it’s an effective way to become knowledgeable in a lot of subjects. There is no limit to the categories that books, novels, and magazines can offer. You can find all these information waiting for you online no matter the topic. What should you look for, you may ask? My advice as a member of society is to be familiar with the current affairs in the society and in the world. 

I agree that sometimes people don’t have enough time to read due to their busy schedule, and they get their information through other medium such as television or radio, and that’s fine, but keep in mind that this information that you hear on the radio or see on TV can be a little bit condensed. When you read a full article on a familiar topic, you will discover much more information that you other wise wouldn’t be familiar with. I also recommend reading some history, it’s said that you don’t know where you going if you don’t know where you come from. It’s really important to read as much as we can on historical topics to know how things evolved from nothing. 

Reading improves your memory. It helps to activate your memory muscles, and it requires you to remember details, themes and characters. Also the more you read, the more knowledgeable you get, and the more confident you become.  People will look at you for answers because you have a lot of knowledge on different topics; as a result, your confidence will develop, and you will feel better about yourself.  You don’t have to necessary look for an easy book to read, challenging books will improve your vocabulary and will give you some interesting information.

Reading about different ethnicities and diversities will give you an insight to a new whole world. You’ll become more aware of the different cultures and languages. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you didn’t have anything to talk about? A remedy for this is to grab a book and start reading! 

Note: If you want to break the lack of interest in your life, go grab an interesting book and introduce yourself to a world full of new information and ingenuity. Importantly, the more accurate information you have, the more it will lead you to reach your accurate goals, and the more your level of reading gets high, the more you will be able to knock on the different opportunities in this world.

"Not every reader is a leader, but every leader must be a reader."

---Harry Truman.

By: Faris Alothimin

You can follow the writer on twitter: @AlothiminFaris

Never Mind

أكره الحياة عندما أكون مخطئا

أكره الحياة عندما أكون محبطا

أكره الحياة عندما أكون مذنبا

أعلم أنها بداية "زبالة" و آسف على الكلمة

قلمي مجنون حد الثمالة

و أعترف أنه سيئ بلا محالة

لكن ليس دائما

بل و في بعض الأوقات

يكون رائعا ليس تكبرا أو غرورا !!

أشاهد شيئ في نظراتك

تريد أن تغير من أفكارك

وتعبر عن إحباطك

جراء كلماتي أو حتى طريقة أسلوبي

لكن هذه هي طريقتي

لا أهتم في البداية

لكن أعبر بكل إخلاص في النهاية

العبرة بالخواتيم

و قلمي يضحك أخيرا وليس كثيرا

أعطيني و لو قليلا من الوقت و الصبر

أحتاج إلى قلب و عقل

أعرف طلبت وتحدثت بما فيه الكفاية

و أنت تنتظر النهاية أو على الأقل حتى الفائدة

استمع لـِ

Adele

و هي تقول

Never Mind l'll Find Someone Like You

I Wish Nothing But The Best For You !!

لن أكمل الأغنية أريد أن تصل الفكرة بكل أريحية

هذه الجملة تحمل ثلاث دروس بشكل غريب وعجيب

الأولة أنها أخطأت و الثانية أنها ستجد بديل

و الثالثة ليس هنالك مشكلة أو انتهت المشكلة

كلام غير مقنع أو كلام من نسج الخيال

لكن بالفعل هذا هو الحال

عندما نكون مخطئين لا نعترف بالخطأ

و إنه حين نعترف لن نجد حل للمشكلة ألا و هو البديل و بالتالي لا تنتهي المشكلة !!!

هذا جزء بسيط من مشاكلنا المتراكمة

التي ليست لها حل !!

بقلم/ خليل خالد خليل الدباغ

يمكنكم متابعة الكاتب عبر تويتر: @Leelo_ElNino

Women Are Not Decoration

Sexists are those who base their beliefs on traditional and/or cultural stereotypes on gender roles. These gender roles are implemented in our society; it’s somehow something we’ve been raised to believe without questioning. Many of these stereotypes aren’t only descriptive, but are simply beliefs on how women and men should act and behave; anything contradictory to that is against the nature of that particular gender. For example, a man who’s thin is criticized because men shouldn’t be skinny whereas a person who’s overweight is criticized for being unhealthy only, that’s one stereotype for men. On the other hand, the ladies’ stereotype is that they are always dependent on their family, and they can’t do anything productive on their own. Discriminations such as these can affect both men and women; however, women have been receiving the tougher side of the spectrum for years, which has led to everything becoming dominated by men.

When a boy is born, that family receives congratulations from everyone. A boy gives security, and someone who will take the family’s name for one more generation and will be able to support the family. When a girl is born, the reaction is quite different; a girl here is just another expense to the family. You always hear fathers complain on how much daughters demand extra care and lots of needs ranging from make up to dresses etc. Some families believe that a girl’s place should be in home, not in the world of men. When a family treats a boy like their savior, a girl has nothing to do but to feel down; when everything around her indicates that she is less worthy, she will sense the superiority of the boy over her, and the extra attention he gets. Poverty and the strong biases against women will prevent women in developing countries from living up to their full potential no matter how rich the country.

Every time a Saudi woman appears on television, she is always judged according to the clothes she wears, the way she wears her hijab, and her looks thereby belittling what she stands for intellectually as she explains one of her achievements. We always focus on the minor details that have nothing to do with why that smart woman is being hosted. Sexism has the power to affect every woman’s opportunity to accomplish her full potential. Also, women are always treated as if they were objects. In my opinion, most likely divorces are outcomes of this gender discrimination, which is due to men treating their spouses as objects and using violence as a way to control them. Someone tell our men that it’s a marriage contract and not a property contract! Moreover, women are being taken also as sexual being; that they’re here to fulfill their husbands’ animalistic sexual needs, and also as baby vending machines.

According to the United Nations, there is no society where women are not being discriminated against, or have equal opportunities as men. Even in the West where women’s rights have improved the lives of women, they still suffer from this discrimination and the unfairness of something called ‘glass ceiling’, which is a term that refers to women in the working field in which they can’t get promoted beyond a certain level. Our social dictionary has defined women as primarily sexual beings who are unproductive, and dependent by connecting their dreams and achievements to their dependence on men. 

When this will end? Because the last time I checked a lot of women are being denied the opportunity to continue their studies and achieve their dreams because their families believe that they should stay at home and comfort their men’s needs. 

Note: "Men of Quality respect women’s equality" I believe that women are human, as well as men. The only differences are physical, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t have their rights; both sexes in humanity are equal.

By: Faris Alothimin
You can follow the writer on twitter: @AlothiminFaris

The Saudi Community Committed to “Equality”

     There are lots of ways to corrupt a community. It can range from all kinds of corruption to violence. But the main obstacle that faces a community and prevents it from functioning very well and makes it a better place to live is racism. Racism is a disease that tares the community apart. Will we Saudis overcome the distrust of the foreigners and the racism amongst ourselves? 

     In my opinion, I doubt that the authorities have done enough to minimize the deep and profound racism and xenophobia. As a community that takes the Quran and the Sunna as its main resource in dealing with life, we don’t see people actually following everything because if they did, we would not see this kind of discrimination in our community should it be against the foreigners or our own citizens.

     “They’re judging me on my appearance. They’ve disrespected me because I’m not Saudi and rich” Sudanese National Abdulrazzag Ahmed, a 50 years old driver who works in the city of Jeddah, was stopped near his home by a policemen and started to throw all these questions at him. This is his twenty-fifth year in the country, and he has a valid work visa. However, last year, he started to get a lot of questions from the police asking about his identity and his work place on almost a daily basis. He was aware that the police were doing their job, and they were on duty, but he didn’t take kindly to the fact that they judged him simply by his appearance.

     An experience of my own that happened years ago that I could easily recall is when my friend of a Hijazi background and I were on Malik Road and the police stopped us. We were asked to hand in our IDs, we cooperated with the authority and handed in everything he asked for, but what was unusual is the way he reacted to my friend’s name on his id; starting to make jokes and asking question like “ Where do you come from?” though my friend is a Saudi and his whole family is as well. He didn’t do the same to me because I was from the same region he was, and as a Najdi, I don’t usually get the same reaction from people as others would. If we happened to be in the United States at the time, we could have easily reported what had happened to police, but there is no law against discrimination in Saudi Arabia, so there’s nothing the police are able to do about it.

     As you can see, racism isn’t necessarily restricted to foreigners, but also amongst us. It sometimes goes to the extent that marriages do not take place because of different backgrounds. For instance, a family from a Najdi background most likely won’t allow their son or their daughter to marry from a Hijazi family background, and this goes under the name of  “Cultural Values”? Seriously? Because they don’t have the same background you’re simply not going to marry from their family? What ever happened to wanting “ A good, educated, independent and God fearing man?”

     I’ve seen lots of maids getting punished for simple, stupid stuff; people get on their nerves because of these stupid mistakes. If those maids were from an Arabic background, I assure you they wouldn’t be treated the way that those people from poor eastern Asian countries would be treated. Is it the sense of superiority that makes us commit those actions and behaviors with them? Why won’t most of us do the same with Arabs? Why don’t we feel compassionate with those who flew all these miles from their countries to provide money for their poor families? 

     A person who experiences daily racial discrimination can result in the accumulation of negative thoughts and ideas that can affect his performance in his work or in his day in general; it can also affect them psychologically, and it might lead to depression! It can also make them violent, angry, and unproductive. It also destroys the connections in the community and creates division amongst us. Having someone judging you by the look is ugly and unacceptable. Knowing that you can’t change your physical appearance or your background is a hard thing to accept.

     I ask these questions not rhetorically, but hoping to find an answer, and with it, find a solution to the issues amongst us. Addressing a serious matter such as racism isn’t something simple; it has a huge affect on us. The world has changed and developed significantly. With all the technology around us that defines our generation, things we thought were impossible are possible now, we can connect with our families and friends from all around the globe. Countries’ political views around us changed, but at the end people are people no matter what are the changes around us. You can’t strip people’s respect and dignity; we are all human beings. There are millions of people in the world who all have different beliefs, religions, and lifestyles. I can say that I never experienced racial discrimination directly, but I’ve witnessed it a lot, and I have no tolerance for it whatsoever.  So why are we still dealing with the issue of racism and discrimination till this day?

Note: Thanks for reading this article, and I’ll be flattered to have your opinion on it, thanks.

By: Faris Alothimin

You can follow the writer on twitter: @AlothiminFaris