Ascension of the Exiled Freethinker

Listen to everything they’re taught, not just hearing

Take notes

Listen to opinions they don’t like

Be open to having their minds changed

Don’t listen to music with words when studying

Practise

Commit

Keep a regimen of self-discipline even in the face of a lack of motivation

Take breaks

Sleep regularly and more than expected

Work very hard during the day

Exercise

Plan in advance

Get small tasks done when there isn’t time to do bigger ones

Engage

Take failures as a learning curve

Think positively

Do their best work at the start of the year so they get more slack later

Talk to those who teach them

Debate

Do a little every day instead of all at once

Ask for help

Help others

Drink water

Work hard but work smart

Know what study setup is their most productive

Hold themselves accountable

Figure out which work is a priority

Don’t waste time re-reading as a form of studying

Find out things they don’t understand

Test themselves frequently

Work backwards through things to understand why something works

Learn more than they need

Have more interests and hobbies than just academics

Find out the most important concepts in a course

Learn the most important 20% of the course to get 80% of the grade

Don’t complain

Tailor their courses to focus on what interests them the most

Play hard after working hard

Read in advance

Know how to say no but don’t say no unless they have to

Take every opportunity they can

Eat well

Defend their personal beliefs

Don’t use other people’s successes/failures as an excuse for anything they do

Don’t let studying become the main part of their life

Understand that everything is temporary

Set goals, short- and long-term

Put their phones away/on silent when studying

Social Media: ‘Attention’ is the New Addiction

“Stop allowing yourselves to become addicts and approval junkies on social media platforms by seeking attention, recognition and validation from others (triggered by a deep seated sense of lack, insecurity or incompleteness). 

Social media has become a never-ending stream of distraction; a hall of mirrors reflecting everything back on itself so that nothing escapes. These computer generated algorithms (recommendation engines) study your habits and patterns of behaviour in order to send you with a series of ads and interactions that keep you slaves to instant, short-term dopamine hits that lock you into your own narcissistic bubble of reality. 

These techniques are designed to keep you online for as long as possible to extract your data and energy (via attention) because if you are continuously scrolling (digital hamster wheel), you are not going anywhere. From the moment you wake up you are bombarded with emails, notifications, endless content and advertisements which feeds you endless distractions and redirects you away from your personal growth, self-reflection, critical thinking and wellbeing.

It is well documented that humans have a negativity bias in which we will watch at something negative than at something positive. This meets algorithms that are designed to maximize the harvesting of attention in order to you selectively scrolling. Your emotions are a currency in the system, the social media is designed to evoke strong reactions to keep you hooked and not in control. 

You do not have to play by the societal narrative of conformity, codes of conduct, conditions or expectations: you were guided to follow a script that wasn’t written with your unique potential in mind. If you play by their rules (group think), then you are controlled by their rules. Your energy is your greatest power and they have been taking it from you. Protect your energy and be selective to what you let in your mind and heart that serve your growth. This is your opportunity to reclaim your inner sovereignty that’s rightfully yours by taking back your power, attention, sense of dignity and self-worth.”  

–Anon I mus (Spiritually Anonymous)