It’s really disappointing seeing someone getting upbears for saying that if you don’t read theory, you’re a counterrevolutionary liberal.
I can’t even get out of bed in the morning for like 3 hours, let alone make time in my day to read after the pile of stuff I have backed up that I need to do.
Am I the only one that feels this way?
What would be an easier medium for you to consume theory? If you did not know there are audio books versions of some of these books. Some are on YouTube, you can pirate others and you can also check out marxists.org' collection: https://www.marxists.org/audiobooks/index.htm
Something I like are podcasts or YouTube vireos that analyze theory "with you", like a pretend book club. David Harvey's video on Das Kapital were often recommended to me: https://youtu.be/gBazR59SZXk
There is Rev Left Radio's Red Menace where they do the same for more than Das Kapital: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9VMwPK_SqUuE-DQkFtceSbIjE5dzN6QA
The Book Club on hexbear could be a good thing if camaraderie would help. I do not know how to join, I think it is on !literature@hexbear.net, but you can look into that. Or maybe this comm could have it's own book club? I don't know.
There is also text to speech if you prefer. I do not know desktop options for that, but c/libre can probably help. On Android, librera reader is FOSS, so no ads, and has TTS. Check it out here: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.foobnix.pro.pdf.reader/
Finally, if books themselves are the problem, you can try videos like Paul Morrin's Socialism 101, they are short and to the point and he plans on doing 201s and 301s, he also does livestreams with interesting people check it out: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0J754r0IteXABJntjBg1YuNsn6jItWXQ
This is not to say that your problem is easily solvable, I do not have ADHD, I do not know the struggles you face. But I hope those will help you or anyone else find a workable solution. Because expanding your understanding of Marxist theory is important for you and the people you want to help. However, anyone telling you are "counterrevolutionary" is an asshole. This attitude is the one stopping us from moving forward. We are here to help people, to change material conditions and being an ass because someone struggles in a way you don't is probably a type of liberalism, if it is not, add it to the list!
Thanks for the resources, and while reading is indeed a problem, and audio books/TTS are great, the issue is a lot more nuanced than “just read something but in a different way.”
Namely, I can’t even go through my day to day getting (like I mentioned) the basic tasks of human existence done. I can’t eat consistently, or make food when I want to eat, and that’s just one aspect.
The other aspect is in that, even if I start a book, I just cannot will myself to read it. I mean it took me close to a year to read wage, labor and capital, because I’d read a paragraph and not pick it up for 6 weeks or something.
So if I’m answering your potentially rhetorical question pointedly: the medium isn’t the problem (for me at least) the problem is in my general life and with being able to be consistent on any given task that doesn’t come with some mechanism of giving my brain dopamine at video game levels.
That is what I suspected from the little I know about ADHD. I hope you find a system that works for you :stalin-heart:
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Exactly this, take your time. You are not at school, if you prefer to jump around, do it. If reading one page at a time works, do it. Find your rhythm and do not compare yourself to others, discipline and consistency will get you far.
Saved, thanks for the resources!
No problem comrade! Good luck to you.
I've had that one on my listen later for ages now I really gotta set aside time this weekend and listen to it. I love revleft's podcasts anyways I literally just gotta actually start it.
For sure, if you already listen to RevLeftRadio, you'll probably like it.