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Comment on Is there any way I can study Marxist theory in a way that wouldn't seem too boring or dry?

If they are interested in it, then why is it boring to them? Genuine question.

There is value in learning things that at first glance seem boring or dry.

Is there? If the school system is any indication, people can spend literal years studying things they find boring without retaining them. Plus they can develop a hatred for the subject. Plus all sorts of bad intellectual habits like pretending they know the answer so they’re allowed to move on.

I agree that things that feel boring to someone can turn out to be important to them, but that’s a contextualization issue, not a nose-to-the-grindstone one. As the game design adage goes; you have to show the lock before having them hunt for the key.

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wassup@kbin.melroy.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

If they are interested in it, then why is it boring to them? Genuine question.

Being interested in something is not the same as being entertained by something. You can value the knowledge you gain from studying something even if, while you're studying the material, you find it challenging.

Is there? If the school system is any indication, people can spend literal years studying things they find boring without retaining them. Plus they can develop a hatred for the subject. Plus all sorts of bad intellectual habits like pretending they know the answer so they're allowed to move on.

Yeah you can have some bad outcomes studying stuff you're not interested in, but it can also be very rewarding. I can't really argue with you about this because I'm just pulling from my own personal experiences here. If you've never had the experience of studying something dry and finding it rewarding, then there's not much I can say.

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- Tiresia@slrpnk.net ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Boredom isn’t a lack of entertainment, it’s a lack of interest. Learning something challenging feels frustrating, captivating, even maddening, but never boring.
  
  I can’t really argue with you about this because I’m just pulling from my own personal experiences here.
  
  In the business, that’s called “anecdotal evidence”. The reason you can’t argue with me is because anecdotal evidence is kind of irrelevant compared to the statistical observation that children spend decades reaching a median fifth grade reading level.
  
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  - wassup@kbin.melroy.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    
    In the business, that's called "anecdotal evidence". The reason you can't argue with me is because anecdotal evidence is kind of irrelevant compared to the statistical observation that children spend decades reaching a median fifth grade reading level.
    
    I am not making a scientific claim. I am making a claim about my personal experience. That's like someone saying "I find painting to be personally fulfilling" and then you're like 'um acktually that's anecdotal evidence". Touch some grass
    
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