@Smudger:
as with learning any subject I guess.
I think its about having more of an all-around level of improvement, as opposed to just focusing on one area. I want to be diverse in this.
This has always been an issue for me. My biggest flaw revolves around dates and names. I just don't know how to better myself here, or if that is just a flaw i wont be able to change.
Decision making can always be worked on. But in truth, i tend to over analyse most things in my life, which includes taking into account a huge multitude of outcomes, scenarios and solutions to each and every problem, in an attempt to determine the outcome better. The downside is the stress that spawns from making an everyday simple decision or reaction so complex.
That's for sure. But i can't really pinpoint one single subject as I don't think any one subject gives a good level of improvement that can be applied to everyday life.
How do I become more cultured? I want to know what my thoughts are compared to your own or others. That too is something I would like to work on more. Some of the most interesting people I have met seem to be pretty knowledgeable with the world. And this doesn't come from them being rich/well traveled.
I can't narrow it down to any one specific group, as good knowledge should be thought of in a much broader sense.
My thoughts revolve around art, music, documentaries, novels, literature, science etc. It would just be cool to see a way to get my foot in the door of each, as well as the other areas I didn't mention that stand to have a noticeable impact on my being.
I'm open to people just reeling off random names of things that they consider helped them grow. Just any better solutions than aimlessly wondering the net for articles and fun.
Wow, this thread exploded, so I'll just respond to you directly.
When it comes to stuff like basic cognitive skills of the brain, frankly put, what in my opinion helps tremendously … is games. Well, the right kind of games.
Naturally, placing yourself in actual environments that force memory or decision-making or problem solving is best, but it's hard to control for these things happening in real life and when they do, there's no failsafes or ways to backtrack from errors.
Given that, games are literally made to practice cognitive skills. If you can play team sports, decision making and problem solving skills are bound to improve, as well as memory from learning plans and counterplans and all sorts of things.
If team sports are not your thing, other competitive sports and games do just as well, as you have to consider other variables and in a sense, there's more degree of independence (even though codependence and actions of others are good factors to consider when developing planning skills.) For example, I would recommend a game like Go, which I'm familiar with, although there are probably thousands of others that work just as well.
Obvious examples too are video games. Even things as simple as playing puzzle games, or a mario game, or something like an RPG, will allow you to practice all those cognitive skills that allow for better decision in life, assuming of course you go for games with mechanics and puzzles built with the purpose in mind to challenge (eg. Zelda) as opposed to addict (eg. WoW.)
For purposes of becoming more cultured, my approach was simply to study history from a variety of textbooks (to account for bias) and from there to look up sources on the side that could expand on information. Something as simple as learning about artistic movements and then actually making the effort to see that art yourself or read the books themselves, and then explore the books that were inspired by that or that explored more of those techniques, etc. Just from a chain like that you wind up learning about ways of thinking in different periods of time, how they influence us, how the travel across borders and become new movements, etc etc.
Being cultured comes naturally from curiosity. From learning about the world and naturally wanting to pursue the little things that sound interesting to you, and then listening to others when they talk about the little things that were interesting to them.