Self-learning Encyclopedia - Reading Reflections

This book feels like it will eventually be translated into Chinese, so I’d like to share my thoughts on it while it’s still only available in Japanese. It’s a hefty volume of over 700 pages, and in Japan, it's even referred to as the “#Dull Weapon Book,” having made its way onto bestseller lists. The content is incredibly rich and is perfect for beginners who want to thoroughly learn a subject but don't know where to start.

Introduction

The book summarizes various self-learning methods into three main parts.

The first part discusses why we should learn and explores various ways to find answers;

the second part addresses what to learn and presents different methods to discover what you want to study;

the third part teaches you how to learn, covering not just knowledge acquisition but also how to summarize, organize, and form knowledge connections.

Part One: Recognizing Why You Want to Learn

Why do we learn? Typically, people learn to achieve certain goals and to change their current situations. For example, someone may need to learn computer science to transition to a career as a software engineer, or someone may need to study law to become a lawyer. Thus, setting a goal is one of the crucial preliminary steps in learning.

When deciding to learn a specific field or piece of knowledge, one often encounters confusion and frustration.

1. Clarifying Goals and Current Status

One method mentioned in the book is to write your goals on one side and your current status on the other, with the knowledge needed to achieve those goals in the middle.

2. Recording Time Usage

Many people plan, but few actually record their activities. To improve the quality of your learning, you first need to understand how you use your time. Personally, I've found this area lacking; many times, despite intending to do Task A, I end up scrolling through my phone or playing a game, and time slips away.

3. Enhancing Time “Quality”

The book notes that the quality of our time is determined by what we can do during that time:

Action	Write	Listen	Speak	Read
Having Breakfast	X	O	X	X
Taking the Subway	X	O	X	O
Commuting Home	O	O	O	O

The more checkmarks, the higher the quality of the time, making it easier to enter a state of deep focus. If time is tight, start by improving the quality of your time. For engineers, it might be helpful to add a column to this table: "Can I use a computer?"

4. Possible Steps

In unfamiliar fields, there are often many blind spots. You can start by listing the knowledge you already possess, gradually outlining more advanced concepts. This way, you can understand your current level and determine your next steps. In the area you wish to study, identify what you already understand and what more complex concepts you haven't yet mastered, and arrange them by complexity to guide your learning direction.

For front-end development, here’s a rough progression from simple to complex:

1. HTML, CSS
2. Basic JavaScript syntax
3. Browser JavaScript
4. Front-end frameworks

If you've previously learned HTML and CSS, you can then proceed to deepen your understanding step by step.

5. 1/100 Learning Method

Using “front-end” as an example, the range of definitions for terms is incredibly broad, so it helps to break it down step by step. For instance, start by learning HTML, then narrow it down to specific tag names. For today, focus on learning the <p> tag and the <div> tag. This way, you won’t be left staring at the terms; at least you’ll have a clear direction to move forward.

6. Setting Habit Leverage

Humans are creatures of habit, and our actions are largely driven by our routines. The book mentions several methods:

• Trigger conditions
• Actions
• Feedback

For example, in a gym context, putting on workout clothes and shoes is the trigger condition, moving toward the gym is the action, and actually exercising is the result. To cultivate good habits, make the triggers for positive habits easier to occur, such as preparing your outfit the night before so you can quickly get dressed in the morning or placing your phone far from your bed. Conversely, make the triggers for bad habits harder to occur, like turning off your phone so that if you want to scroll, you'll have to wait a long time, which might deter you from doing it altogether.

7. Action Contracting

Make a pact with friends or family; if you fail to follow through, you’ll face a penalty, like treating them to drinks or donating money. The penalty should be somewhat painful but not overly so, to effectively reinforce the commitment.