Furthering Our Intellectual Development

I've just graduated high school and realizing that i've spent the last 4 years of my life learning completely arbitrary lessons and performing mindless tasks, I want to actually learn things about the world over this summer.

Please post books, movies, websites or any other learning material that can help me become a learned person.

you could have just said school sucks

  On 5/26/2012 at 9:24 PM, ruiagnelo said:

you could have just said school sucks

Didn't want to sound like a straight out of highschool asshole but i ended up sounding like a pretentious douche.

The Art of Looking Sideways is interesting, fun, and varied. probably a bit expensive, and may be hard to find.

Cosmos by the man in your avatar is a must-read, if you haven't. Broca's Brain is also good.

the Planet Earth DVD set is really nice if you're into general life and Earth processes, and which may pique your interest for further research into specific subjects.

find a 'classic' book that interests you the most and read it. it's hard to say what in particular with the sheer diversity of classics available out there.

  On 5/26/2012 at 9:56 PM, auxien said:

The Art of Looking Sideways is interesting, fun, and varied. probably a bit expensive, and may be hard to find.

 

Cosmos by the man in your avatar is a must-read, if you haven't. Broca's Brain is also good.

 

the Planet Earth DVD set is really nice if you're into general life and Earth processes, and which may pique your interest for further research into specific subjects.

 

find a 'classic' book that interests you the most and read it. it's hard to say what in particular with the sheer diversity of classics available out there.

I've already seen a bit of the Cosmos TV series. Does the book go a bit more in depth and is it accessible?

READ NIETZSCHE!!!

Seriously, guy blew my mind when I was your age. And then from there you can move onto even more inspiring shit.

whoever said Planet Earth, absolutely.

im trying to think of some good "mindfuck" movies..but i dunno if that was what you were looking for?

Here are some that had quite a big impact on me:

The Tyranny of Words - Stuart Chase

Is There Intelligent Life on Earth? - Jack Catran

The Best That Money Can't Buy - Jacque Fresco

Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain - David Eagleman

Beyond Freedom & Dignity - B.F. Skinner

  On 5/26/2012 at 11:44 PM, Smettingham Rutherford IV said:

READ NIETZSCHE!!!

 

Seriously, guy blew my mind when I was your age. And then from there you can move onto even more inspiring shit.

 

 

whoever said Planet Earth, absolutely.

 

im trying to think of some good "mindfuck" movies..but i dunno if that was what you were looking for?

which book from nietsche?

hmm...the one I started on that made a big impact was "On the Genealogy of Morals"....i think most versions come with additional written material as well....and then of course Beyond Good and Evil is a classic.

  On 5/26/2012 at 11:44 PM, Smettingham Rutherford IV said:

im trying to think of some good "mindfuck" movies..but i dunno if that was what you were looking for?

Pretty much recommend anything that got you thinking.

Again, I feel like i've haven't really been "thinking" for the past 4 years and I want to change that

  On 5/26/2012 at 11:19 PM, Danny O Flannagin said:

I've already seen a bit of the Cosmos TV series. Does the book go a bit more in depth and is it accessible?

The book is one of my favourite books, by anyone. It effectively merges the historical and astronomical with wonderful, jargon-free, descriptions. At the same time that you're learning about the universe, you're reading about human history. It's a masterpiece really.

I really can't recommend it enough if you're willing to learn about astrophysics. I'm going on holiday to Spain tomorrow and was only going to take one book. I'm now taking Cosmos.

  On 5/27/2012 at 1:22 AM, Gary C said:

  On 5/26/2012 at 11:19 PM, Danny O Flannagin said:

I've already seen a bit of the Cosmos TV series. Does the book go a bit more in depth and is it accessible?

The book is one of my favourite books, by anyone. It effectively merges the historical and astronomical with wonderful, jargon-free, descriptions. At the same time that you're learning about the universe, you're reading about human history. It's a masterpiece really.

 

I really can't recommend it enough if you're willing to learn about astrophysics. I'm going on holiday to Spain tomorrow and was only going to take one book. I'm now taking Cosmos.

what he said. it doesn't get too 'science'-y, grab a copy. the hardcover if possible, i have fond memories of that version of the book.

What topics are you interested in? There is so much stuff...

Great novels can open a whole new world of concepts, fiction,...I can recommend you some:

I just finished the opus of Hermann Hesse, who I think has amazing topics and writing style; he really goes deep into life of a man, feelings, thoughts, love, and solitude.

I simply cannot recommed enough John Steinbeck, especially East of Eden and Cannery Road.

Classics like Honoré Balzac, Victor Hugo, and Rabindranath Tagore are essential.

There is an Armenian philosopher, G.I. Gurdjieff, and he can really make your head spin. Marvelous concepts about human perception, life and meaning. Whole new ideas I have never before encountered.

If you like more western philosophy, I'd recommend Carl Gustav Jung, Jacques Lacan or Jean-Paul Sartre. Nietsche is good also.

I found movies by Ingmar Bergman, Bernardo Bertolucci, Federico Felini, incredibly strong in narrative and stories that convey many ideas about deep human desires, meanings of life and philosophy.

And by all means, there are tons of visual essays on art and culture, etc. Like John Berger's Ways of Seeing being the highlight I can think of at this moment, or Marcel Duchamp. You can find these and a whole lots of other here: http://www.ubu.com/film/index.html

Get on a plane a travel the world, best way to expand your everything.

I strongly recommend 'The Naked Ape' by Desmond Morris. It's a fascinating way to take a step back and see human beings as they really are.

And yeah, Nietzsche. I'm waiting to read "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", and I'm pretty excited about it.

  On 5/27/2012 at 4:25 AM, Rhombix said:

And yeah, Nietzsche. I'm waiting to read "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", and I'm pretty excited about it.

That's the first book I would recommend.

The important thing to remember with Nietzsche is to be critical of his reasoning. Don't let him lure you down thinking paths, he will set traps,

he will contradict himself sometimes only to make a sentence sound good, to develop an idea to absurdity.

Still, it's one of the best philosophical work I've read, made me a (subjectively, of course,) better person.

Edit: Maybe I'm alone in this but reading poetry and analysing it on my own time helped me develop as a person.

Unfortunately for you I can only recommend french poetry : Charles Baudelaire, Marc Favreau, Émile Nelligan, Gaston Miron

Not poetry : Jorge Luis Borges

On the philosophy side I'd start with good old Plato. If you still want more after that and have a cultural-criticism tendency with a grudge against religion, Nietzsche is a must read. With Nietzsche however, I'd recommend starting with the Kaufman book. To understand Nietzsche, you really have to understand the context and need help to sift through all the crap. Don't forget that Nietzsche's work was slightly 'raped' by his sister to help the Nazi propaganda machine.

I personally would stay away from certain philosophers and head towards scientific thinkers/authors who have a social awareness on things. Philosophy tends to get subjective in some areas (not all areas though) whereas science can be measured with some objectivity.

I have difficulty understanding the relevance of Plato and other old philosophers in the 21st century. Don't waste your time with this.

Listening to audio lectures can be a great learning experience. When I'm walking about, doing my business, I tend to listen to a lecture from my mp3 player. I'm currently listening to these at the moment from the 1970s/1980s (Jacque Fresco):

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A waste of time? The relevance of Plato? Maybe his political discussions on how to run a state? Maybe because he asked questions which are still relevant today? Maybe because you can learn a lot about the concepts upon which our society is built?

It's OK to market Fresco's ideas and all, but to be dismissive about Plato is just stupid, IMO. That's like saying people shouldn't take the time to listen to the people who started to explore making electronic music.

So yeah, stay away from "certain philosophers"...... Sounds healthy. :thinking police:

booo dont tell him about Nietzsche's reasoning...half the fun of philosophy is reading it the first time and accepting it as true. Criticism comes later.

LOL

That sounds like throwing someone in front of a train. Masochism in optima forma!

  On 5/27/2012 at 3:22 AM, YO303 said:

Get on a plane a travel the world, best way to expand your everything.

  On 5/27/2012 at 11:50 AM, goDel said:

A waste of time? The relevance of Plato? Maybe his political discussions on how to run a state? Maybe because he asked questions which are still relevant today? Maybe because you can learn a lot about the concepts upon which our society is built?

 

It's OK to market Fresco's ideas and all, but to be dismissive about Plato is just stupid, IMO. That's like saying people shouldn't take the time to listen to the people who started to explore making electronic music.

 

So yeah, stay away from "certain philosophers"...... Sounds healthy. :thinking police:

I'd rather read about up-to-date scientific understandings of the world around us coupled with a social awareness. Politics is a nothing thing. Our societies are technical constructs which need competent, technical decision making on a scientific basis - not laws or politics for that matter. Politics is completely divorced from both the natural world and up-to-date understandings of human psychology/sociology.

Ayn Rand LOL

We need an algorithm to make our decisions! Welcome to robot society!

;-)

And politics is a nothing thing....my god, where to start...