The seven commandments of quick reading

- Dude, sharpen the ax!
- Yes, I have no time! Firewood needs to be cut!

Not every habrayuzer can afford a systematic speed reading course , whether it be Oleg Dominov’s “Dominant” (as one of the stages of complex intellectual development) or Khromov’s “Quick Reading Technique”. In this article I will try to describe in simple language the basic techniques that can be easily remembered and try to apply them in practice without interruption from work or study.

First of all, it is worth noting that the warhead is not a magic wand and not "reading diagonally." None of the people using this method  jumpswords, or whole lines. Paradoxically, the situation is exactly the opposite: reading is faster if comprehending information is an active and time-consuming process. It's no secret that an interesting text is easier to read. Thus, our main task is to make ourselves fall in love with a boring text, arouse a certain interest in it, and make our brains work .

1. Do not reread the text.
   
   One of the main problems of warheads is the so-called regression (involuntary returning eye movements within the same line). Remember a simple thing: regressions are evil. Because of them, each person reads the same text several times. There are two reasons for the regressions: strength of habit and lack of attention. No, do not reread these words,% username%. Do not re-read, I say!
2. Design an algorithm for yourself.
   
   Moreover, for each type of text - its own. You do not read RSS-feeds from Habr just like RSS-feeds from Bashorg, right? That's right. All texts are different . But practically in each of them there is not only its own structure but also information on which you should focus your attention. Here they are, these magic fad that will allow you not to drown in the boundless ocean of excess information:
   
   • Author
     
     Source
     
     Problem (in our language - a subject, subject)
     
     Facts (dates, places, names, events)
     
     Features of the material presented
     
     In this paragraph, you should "put" your own critical attitude to what you read. Most psychologists note that a critical attitude helps to remember information much better. ANY. Good skepticism!
     
     NEW! (The information that is really new to you).
     
     I want to add on my own behalf that these magic fad can be easily divided into any other sub-paragraphs, and call the new method of "puncturing" technology, pantant and sell to someone for crazy money. Just kidding, of course. But about punctuation - I'm not joking. My account went to dozens of points and I think this is very good .
     
     Highlight keywords, and dominant among them.
     
     This is perhaps the most important. We all know how much “water” is in texts. You will be very surprised if I tell you that this is good? So that's great! Because it really is . Moderate redundancy allows you to enter yourself in a very important state, for which at the moment there are dozens of notations. I call it search state. I think this term is understood by most of those present here. Search is useful. Search is good. Even robots are able to search and find keywords in the text, but the algorithms that people use in doing so are so different from the primitive IF-Els!
     
     Try (right now) to recall the keywords in this text. I will honestly help you:
     
     Active process, regressions - evil, algorithm (patent, money, joke), keywords (recursion has begun), dominant (the main idea that fits at least a line of the screen).
     
     As you can see, this is simple. But  extremely useful . In fact, your brain thus compresses information, forming in itself such neural connections that allow you to unzip this information back. That is, brains work more actively. And,  as I said , warhead is an active (dominant) and time-consuming process.
     
     Do not articulate!
     
     Neurophysiologists argue that without a special “tapping” technique, a simple person will never be able to get rid of articulations (involuntary internal pronunciation of words). As you already understood, articulation is also evil. They interfere with translating convulsions of the tongue and larynx into  internal speech., thereby significantly inhibiting the reading process. Unfortunately, the neurophysiologists who have been studying these problems in our country for forty years are absolutely right. If you want to get rid of articulations, then you have to sit for two weeks to learn to read the text for two hours, loudly tapping the table with your right (then left, and together) hand a special melody . At the same time, you will experience very interesting sensations: at first you will not understand what is happening in the text , then you will understand, but  you will not remember , and after that you will understand and remember but you  will finally go crazy and will be lost forever for Habrahabr. Joke. I would venture to suggest that everything here is special. And when the desired reading speed is reached, the articulations will disappear by themselves. Try not to pronounce the letters to yourself .
     
     Keep your back straight.
     
     A short and funny item. A respite. The point is happiness.
     
     Expand your “field of view”
     
     Readers quickly do it this way: visualize a vertical line (for the Japanese, of course, it’s more difficult), which divides the text exactly in half. And they "read" not like you and me two or three words at a time, but in whole lines. Cool, of course. After all, they have a wide field of view ! How to make it like that? Play games that require peripheral vision work. Quake III Arena will do the same ( oh! Come in handy! ). But even better - football.
     
     Read carefully.
     
     In addition to “merge with the text into a single whole”, “visualize yourself as indigo children” and “do not pretend to be electric slippers”, this point should include the most ordinary, simple things: do gymnastics for the eyes (which you can!), Smoke less ( drink less and smell), read more, laugh more often and live a full healthy life. It also helps to read fast!