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This is partially a rant, but also an honest question. How do you get people to learn to help themselves?
There are many discussions here on CD about what makes people smart or dumb; successful or failures. Usually people try to relate this question to the all encompassing CD catch alls of "liberal or conservative", the equally condescending "rich or poor", and who can forget the other CD favorite "Black or White." I think it crosses all these classes and comes down to one thing. Those who read vs. those who do not.
As a person in the community who is known to be a computer professional, I get calls from friends (and friends of friends) who ask for help solving some problem on their computer. Most of the time it should be a simple 5 minute Q&A and they should be on their way. For Example, trying to get someone to do a print screen, paste it to paint, and send it to me. More and more, I find that it takes hours for me to explain these simple things because they don't know what "print screen means", they don't know how to paste into a document, and they don't know how to save to another folder - or find the saved file from the mail attachment dialog. I usually have to give in and go fix the problem for them, or send them to the local geek squad if they are located too far away.
I tell most of these folks that the problems they are having are happening because they do not know how to use their computer and that they need to take time to learn them better. I suggest that they go get a copy of "Windows for Dummies" or the "Idiots guide to Window." (This really extends to almost any subject and not just computers.) "Read the book, and if there is anything you don't understand call me and I will explain it to you."
I tell them that they would be able to solve their problems on their own - or that it would just take a few minutes on the phone for me to explain things if they would just learn the basics -- if they just get and read these books. But A few months later, they will call again with the same or a similar problem. When I ask them if they got a copy of the book I suggested, "what book" is usually the answer. This will repeat over and over until either they get frustrated with me telling them to read, or I tell them "Sorry, I can't help you with that."
I find this to be the same for many of my friends and it does not really matter what their background is. And it really doesn't matter if we are talking about computers, cars, home repair, woodworking, or gardening.
What is it that makes it so difficult or undesirable for people to get a book and read. I know that many people would rather just ask someone else to fix their problems for them, but how do we get more Americans to just read?
Do we need a PSA, that says "Most of the solutions to your problems are in a book?"
Instead of just teaching reading and math, should we have kids spend a lot of time in a class devoted simply to RESEARCH?
As far as the computer problem goes, maybe they are ingrained with the push the one button to solve everything.
As far as getting people to read, I don't know. As an adult, my primary basis for reading is that I've been a spook, been in intelligence where reading is a massive part of it. Have a task to do, need to get up on a subject, read and research to develop a background in it.
To me, it is a great compliment, flattery, when someone tells me, "Heck, if there is something you don't know, we'll just give you the text book and in a week, you'll be up on the subject." OR "You took that course to get a background in your assignment." The latter was from a graduate mentor for criminal justice reviewing my credentials where the course was Early North American Archaeology and the assignment was antiquity theft.
Maybe that is the way to do it. Find a way to flatter them where they take pride in their reading.
Yes, I do this with my friends and I try to help therm individually, but on the WHOLE, we as a country need to somehow get people to understand that almost everything they need to know or learn is on a book somewhere - or also in many cases located on the internet. We need to teach people how to learn instead of JUST telling them what to study.
I'm not gonna sit down and read a thick book. There's nothing in the world that interests me enough to sit down for long periods of time and read endless pages about it.
I'll read long news articles that get my attention but that's about it. I physically can't sit still for long enough to read an entire book. I've tried audio books as well, but it's the same thing.
People say I have ADHD, which may be the case, but I don't personally feel at a disadvantage simply because I can't read books.
I'm not gonna sit down and read a thick book. There's nothing in the world that interests me enough to sit down for long periods of time and read endless pages about it.
I'll read long news articles that get my attention but that's about it. I physically can't sit still for long enough to read an entire book. I've tried audio books as well, but it's the same thing.
People say I have ADHD, which may be the case, but I don't personally feel at a disadvantage simply because I can't read books.
Reference books do not have to be read from cover-to-cover. You have a problem, you look up the subject, read the portion you need to understand, fix your problem, and move on.
Last edited by blktoptrvl; 02-01-2015 at 12:14 PM..
Instead of just teaching reading and math, should we have kids spend a lot of time in a class devoted simply to RESEARCH?
I think this is a great idea. All the world's information is online or in books these days, but I see a lot of people of all ages who do not know how to find it and won't read multiple sites/articles/books to learn it.
It's the whole instant gratification thing coupled with lack of self responsibility.
You could always tell everyone to take their computers to someone else and pay to have it fixed.
That will lessen the amount of time you spend trying to explain how to do things and will lower your stress level tremendously.
Problem solved for you and no one else has to do something they don't want to do which is read anything.
I am not quite sure about me- I won't get mad like you because some one asked me to explain something they don't know how to do. But I do get mad when people trying me out as they don't know,
Last edited by toobusytoday; 02-01-2015 at 02:45 PM..
Reason: fixed typos. Left the grammar mistakes.
Since you're giving them computer advice, can you give them a link to a website which will educate them on computer basics? There's got to be one out there, somewhere. If there isn't, you could make one and only have to answer the questions once.
This is partially a rant, but also an honest question. How do you get people to learn to help themselves?
There are many discussions here on CD about what makes people smart or dumb; successful or failures. Usually people try to relate this question to the all encompassing CD catch alls of "liberal or conservative", the equally condescending "rich or poor", and who can forget the other CD favorite "Black or White." I think it crosses all these classes and comes down to one thing. Those who read vs. those who do not.
As a person in the community who is known to be a computer professional, I get calls from friends (and friends of friends) who ask for help solving some problem on their computer. Most of the time it should be a simple 5 minute Q&A and they should be on their way. For Example, trying to get someone to do a print screen, paste it to paint, and send it to me. More and more, I find that it takes hours for me to explain these simple things because they don't know what "print screen means", they don't know how to paste into a document, and they don't know how to save to another folder - or find the saved file from the mail attachment dialog. I usually have to give in and go fix the problem for them, or send them to the local geek squad if they are located too far away.
I tell most of these folks that the problems they are having are happening because they do not know how to use their computer and that they need to take time to learn them better. I suggest that they go get a copy of "Windows for Dummies" or the "Idiots guide to Window." (This really extends to almost any subject and not just computers.) "Read the book, and if there is anything you don't understand call me and I will explain it to you."
I tell them that they would be able to solve their problems on their own - or that it would just take a few minutes on the phone for me to explain things if they would just learn the basics -- if they just get and read these books. But A few months later, they will call again with the same or a similar problem. When I ask them if they got a copy of the book I suggested, "what book" is usually the answer. This will repeat over and over until either they get frustrated with me telling them to read, or I tell them "Sorry, I can't help you with that."
I find this to be the same for many of my friends and it does not really matter what their background is. And it really doesn't matter if we are talking about computers, cars, home repair, woodworking, or gardening.
What is it that makes it so difficult or undesirable for people to get a book and read. I know that many people would rather just ask someone else to fix their problems for them, but how do we get more Americans to just read?
Do we need a PSA, that says "Most of the solutions to your problems are in a book?"
Instead of just teaching reading and math, should we have kids spend a lot of time in a class devoted simply to RESEARCH?
How do you get people to read?
I generally agree with you that people are lazy and don't want to read. At the same time, I think your computer example isn't the best. Some people have a really, really, really hard time learning computer stuff from reading a book. I know I just detest that kind of stuff. When it comes to computers I really want someone to show me. People who are good at computers just can't relate to this. They don't realize how easily it comes to them compared to other people....but I'll concede that maybe I'm a bit lazy, too...it's just computer stuff is just sooooo boooooooring, especially reading about it.
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