5 new ways of reading in 2020

In these unprecedented times, in a year like no other when we are living through so much(mis)information and confusion, I’ve experimented with five new ways of reading that have really helped me gain some much-needed perspective and has generally restored my faith in the Internet

1) Invest in the ‘alternate facts’ universe

I have now decided that no ideological system decides where I stand on an issue. I choose to move from far left, left of centre, centre, right of centre, far-right with a story that piques my interest. (Yes, I read all my news sitting on a long horizontal bench, no seriously!). I visit Breitbart as much as the New York Times and I read Organizer (a far-right magazine from India) as much as Pakistan Tribune and it makes me see why breaking out of silos is the one thing we all need to actively do as citizens. It’s not easy because the systems are designed to keep us in our silos, but we have to let different data in so the mind can make the most rational choice.

Pro tip: Create another Facebook account and follow far left or far-right organisations and you can really start to see the existence of parallel worlds. 

2) Go from nonce to nuance

How many times have we read or felt ‘If we eliminated XXX, the world would be so much better’. Well, it could be, but there is also CONTEXT and NUANCE. I have now found that simplistic views about any problem seem unrealistic and a waste of time. Things are messy, nuanced and often have strong players attached to both sides. Which is why I have resorted more to reading more analysts and long-form content from Think Tanks rather than clickbaity articles. Also, any good criminal investigator will tell you, to truly understand an issue, you have to ‘follow the money’. For every simplistic view I encounter, I ask the question, who is benefiting from it and I find myself down to the source and it reveals the ultimate truth that AMAZON controls everything. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G ( ok, ok, Reliance, Aramco, Alibaba, Petrobras and other supervillains also control a few things).

Pro tip: If you want to search for a topic, add ‘Think Tank’ or ‘Research Paper’ at the end of the search string.

3) Introduce diverse authors in your reading list

To truly understand how the same world we live in treats people differently, follow minorities and go out of your way to include them in your list. Not only is the quality of thought dynamite, but it exposes me to experiences, humour, exaltation and suffering in ways that I have never thought of. Whatever your situation is, investing in books and journalists from around the world who have diverse voices help me understand how to articulate the injustices happening around the world and how not to get desensitised by it. Also, a shout out to Ja Rule because at any point in these ‘unprecedented times’, I would love to know what Ja Rule thinks. (If you got this joke, you and I are connected DEEP)

Pro tip: Follow Diversify Your Feed list on Twitter to completely change your Twitter experience.

4) Find people who write out their own thoughts

I now place more value on people who take time to write down their thoughts rather than people who retweet or share links. This should cut it down to 2% of your social network. People who are able to write a threaded tweet explaining their point of view or people who have hosted 10 or more episodes of a podcast should be given a medal of valour. If you are interviewing someone and you see that they use threaded tweets or host a podcast, HIRE THEM IMMEDIATELY. They are the true warriors of our generation and will be able to deal with any challenges that come up in your lame-ass job.

Pro tip: Follow Chris Jones  on Twitter. His stories are heartwarming, funny, and constantly rate as the best tweets of my day.

5) Befriend book lovers on Goodreads and read what they are reading

Stay with me on this, this is stalkerish but it’s the benign kind. First, familiarise yourself with Goodreads (Yes, Amazon acquired them. I rest my case). Find a book you really like and rate it. Then visit the author's profile. Click on the followers for that author and follow reviews of people who have a ‘kind face’ (I leave that open to your interpretation). If you consistently like someone’s reviews, add them as a friend. Voilà you are opened to a whole new world of books. You’re welcome!

Pro tip: Under the community section of Goodreads, you can find a great collection of quotes if you need something for your client presentations or donor proposals.

Additional thought:

This last one is a realisation after months of over-indulgence. Take regular breaks from reading and CREATE something. A painting, a book, a photography project, an online course, A BABY, something that you can wrap your hands around.

My quote for the day:

“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”