Shadowing Practice: Why Life Feels Boring (And Skyrim Doesn’t) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

Elke modus opent een volledig scherm oefenruimte.

246 zinnen

Als zinnen te kort of te lang zijn, klik op Bewerken om ze aan te passen.

Why is it that we can spend hours walking around games like Skyrim, completing quests, and improving imaginary skills,

yet we struggle to apply this same motivation to our real life?

I don't believe that games like this are only fulfilling for us because they are a form of escapism,

they also satisfy one of the most essential parts of human nature, that is, the will to power.

This is a term made popular by Nietzsche and it describes the desire to pursue challenges.

It is that drive in us towards self -actualization.

And this is exactly what is at the heart of video game psychology.

Think about one of the biggest differences between real life and a game like Skyrim.

In a game, there is always a path forward.

You may not know exactly how you are going to defeat Alduin, take out the Emperor, or whatever quests you choose to do,

but you do know that you can.

You are the protagonist.

The game itself holds your hand and guides you to succeed.

And I believe it is that certainty that changes everything.

You are a lot more willing to take risks

and to put in the effort to develop skills because you know that you are going to succeed.

In real life however there is no such thing as certainty.

We have too much freedom and I think as a result of this we don't always know what we want to become.

Even when we do have a goal there is no quest log

that tells us the next 10 steps we need to take in order to achieve it.

Nobody tells us you need to go to this place, speak to this person, or improve the specific skill in order to progress through the story.

Games also present us with challenges that are perfectly calibrated to the level we are at.

It is always a push for us, but still within our reach.

In real life, we don't know what is too difficult for us or what is within our reach.

And I think we can very easily attempt things that are outside of our skill level.

And when we fail, we think that we are not good enough and we just give up.

However, I find that there is one other thing

which I believe has the biggest impact on how motivated we feel within a game versus real life,

and that is the use of contained boredom.

In games, you are usually given the freedom and time to explore on your own.

It is up to you to seek out stimulation.

I've noticed that when I play, I really enjoy just walking around, sitting in an inn and talking to people,

taking in the atmosphere, but once I've enjoyed it enough, I am very eager to head back out and do something,

to take on a new quest.

And in that world, what else would I do?

If you imagine Skyrim as a fully immersive reality,

you are sitting in a little wooden house and there is literally nothing to entertain you.

There's no phone, no TV, you pretty much have books and farm work,

you would eventually be bored out of your mind and it is that boredom that drives you to just do something.

Now imagine introducing something like TikTok into that world.

Instead of having to travel across half the land to do some tedious quest,

you can stay at home and just scroll and get instant entertainment every few seconds.

You would no longer need to seek out challenge, novelty, or achievement?

Why would you put in the effort to seek out stimulation when you have it on demand?

And I think that's very similar to how many of us live today.

I notice it in my own life.

As a student who mostly works from home, I can spend days within the same four walls just staring at my computer screen all day.

And sometimes I really wonder, if I didn't have all of these very easy distractions, how bored would I be?

What would I seek out to do instead.

We are really living in the age of instant dopamine, where any moment we feel bored, there's something new waiting for us within arm's reach.

Usually achieving goals in real life is what releases dopamine, or more specifically, it is the anticipation,

the pursuit of goals that releases it in order to help keep us motivated.

However, a lot of modern distractions, such as social media trigger

that same release of dopamine without having to put in any effort or struggle in order to receive it.

And because of this, we become stagnant, unable to motivate ourselves to do anything more difficult in comparison.

And I think this is what becomes so dangerous because the threshold is on the floor.

It is so low because we no longer need to put in the effort to pursue anything to be rewarded.

You can just sit there on an app like TikTok and any second you feel disinterested, you scroll and you have something new served up.

You're just like that rat hitting the dopamine button while it starves, even if it's ruining its own life.

But the thing is, this isn't just a waste of the finite amount of time you have in your life,

it also has a far worse effect.

It lowers the threshold of how much you're willing to struggle in order to succeed.

So why do we need challenge in the first place?

Why should we seek out challenge instead of just being comfortable?

Well, how many of you have played games where you have everything you want and everything is perfect,

easy, and comfortable? probably no one so why is it then

that we are drawn to challenge and difficulty

and overcoming struggles why do we choose to do this with our free time

and why do we gain enjoyment from it one of the

most basic human instincts is described in the will to power it is the desire for more

but it isn't just about the attainment of our desires because

that would then leave us without an object to desire

that would just be boredom it is the desire to pursue our desires it's what's also described as self -mastery

or self -actualization humans are made to desire to always want more

and that is what games understand

so well at the beginning of a game you are weak you have limited skills

and equipment and you are in a world full of things

that can easily defeat you but through Through every challenge you overcome, you grow stronger and you're eventually able to take on challenges

that would have been impossible for you to do at the beginning of the game.

The reward isn't just the loot, but the feeling of improvement you get from it.

And this is exactly why we enjoy the process of playing the game more than the completion of it.

It's the age -old paradox how with any game, you can only gain enjoyment from it if you have a genuine desire to win,

but the moment you win, you lose enjoyment because the game has come to an end.

The will to power is found in that in -between.

It is the process of striving before you have reached your goal.

It's why the most fulfilling goals can never be attained once and for all.

And if you attach yourself to a specific goal that you want so badly, often when you achieve it,

you are back in a state of apathy or boredom.

You may feel disappointed even, and it's because it was the pursuit of it that gave you fulfillment.

I feel like this is also reflected really well in Alan Watts' concept of the dream of life,

and I want to read you just a few lines from it.

Let's suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream you wanted to dream, and that you could, for example,

have the power within one night to dream 75 years of time, or any length of time you wanted to have.

And you would, naturally, as you began on this adventure of dreams, you would fulfill all of your wishes.

You could have every kind of pleasure you could conceive.

And after several nights of 75 years of total pleasure each, you would say, well, that was pretty great.

But now let's have a surprise.

Let's have a dream which isn't under control, where something is going to happen to me

and I don't know what it's going to be

100

and you would get more and more adventurous and you would make further

101

and further out gambles what you would dream

102

and finally you would dream where you are now you would dream the dream of living the life

103

that you are actually living today this is something i have thought about

104

so much and i find it to be very true it's

105

that very idea that we don't just want happiness or the eternal fulfillment of all of our desires.

106

What we want is to test ourselves against challenges.

107

That is ultimately what is play for us.

108

And just think about it.

109

This is what makes any story interesting to us.

110

Even as kids, when we use our imagination, there are always stakes involved.

111

There is nothing but boredom in the attainment of all of our desires.

112

What we truly want is challenge.

113

So what does this mean for real life?

114

How can we use this same framework to apply to our own life?

115

To live as the main character, to go after our goals and overcome challenges while finding enjoyment in it?

116

I've broken this down into three mechanisms that games use that you can also apply to real life.

117

The first thing is boredom.

118

Boredom creates the kind of Skyrim environment that leaves you seeking out adventure.

119

Last year, as an experiment, I did what people would probably call a dopamine detox,

120

but really, I was just trying to remove any and all easy distractions from my life.

121

It was exam season for me, so for a few months, I really wanted to try to get my focus back,

122

and I still used my computer for study and work, but everything else I avoided.

123

I left my phone on airplane mode, I didn't use any TV, social media, even listening to music,

124

all of those kind of little things that I would just use to fill my time.

125

And admittedly, the first few days were awful.

126

I found it incredibly hard, which I didn't actually expect, and it made me realize how dependent

127

I had become on this kind of instant stimulation to fill any moment of boredom or silence.

128

But the good news is that after those first four days, it completely changed.

129

I instead felt dread at the thought of having to use any kind of device.

130

After just a few days of this, I also noticed that I started to become a lot more productive, even though I didn't even mean to.

131

It was just because as soon as I would finish what I was working on, I would close my computer, and all of a sudden,

132

I realized that I would just sit there

133

and look around the room for maybe 10 minutes look out the window

134

and i would get so bored that i would naturally get up

135

and find something to do i started

136

so many creative projects in this time i started working out more i actually enjoyed doing things

137

that took more effort cooking dinners

138

that were more complicated than i usually would make

139

i did a lot of writing in the time i enjoyed reading so much more because it really felt like a reward.

140

Everything felt more vivid

141

and I also noticed how much my attention span improved just by not having any quick entertainment to pass the time.

142

And it's funny because I was also the most productive in that month that I had probably been in the whole year,

143

even though I wasn't actually trying to be.

144

It wasn't hard, it wasn't a matter of having to lock in and force myself to be disciplined,

145

it just came down to the fact that I would choose to do something over doing nothing.

146

Without all these kind of distractions, it really felt like in Skyrim, where you just wander around until you find a quest,

147

which seems kind of interesting to do.

148

But this experiment really made me realize how much all these distractions

149

and quick dopamine are ruining our natural desire for adventure and pursuing our goals.

150

So instead of trying to force yourself to do the things you know you should be doing, use boredom just like games do.

151

If you have nothing else to do, you will naturally reach for those things you've been avoiding.

152

Now the second thing is quests.

153

In Skyrim, you are given a direction.

154

You have a main quest, side quests, skills to improve,

155

places to discover, you always have a clear sense that there is always more waiting for you to do.

156

However, real life doesn't give us that.

157

We aren't told that we are dragonborn, handed a map, and then told where to go and what to do.

158

We have freedom, but that freedom can just become uncertainty because we don't know what we're supposed to be doing, and even if we do,

159

we might not know what the next steps are.

160

So you have to start creating quests for yourself choose a big goal you have this is your main quest

161

and look it doesn't have to be perfect this doesn't have to be your lifelong dream

162

because even in games or stories we read a main quest is more often than not something

163

that is placed upon a character but they can still find fulfillment through pursuing it

164

because at the end of the day we just need any goal to strive towards

165

This can be completing a degree, building a business, or choosing to become really good in your craft.

166

Next, you want to create side quests.

167

This is something I've been doing for a few years, and I really, really recommend.

168

You want to keep a list of any little thing that you have wanted to do.

169

And this can be a lot of fun if you sit down and you just create a big,

170

long list of anything that's ever caught your interest.

171

Maybe you want to learn an instrument, maybe you want to visit a certain place, a few spots in your city.

172

All of these kind of things will go into side quests.

173

And the reason why this is important is because we can get

174

so stuck in routine that we stop living and enjoying life.

175

Side quests are there for us to seek out novelty.

176

When we get bored of working on the main quest, we can choose something

177

that will give us new experiences side quests are what keep life interesting as the main quest develops slowly

178

now you can also think of skills for your character alongside

179

this what skills do you need to develop in order to reach these goals

180

and finally we have rewards in a game you complete a quest

181

and you are rewarded

182

you may receive experience loot access to a new place a new weapon whatever it is what matters is

183

that it followed effort.

184

I remember the first time I ever played Skyrim, I played on someone else's account and I didn't realize that it was heavily modded.

185

So I started the game with pretty much all the best items already from the get -go.

186

And I remember feeling really disappointed about this

187

because it felt like it had ruined

188

so much of the value of these things for me because now that I already had them, they were worthless.

189

It didn't mean anything to me and now I wouldn't get to experience the enjoyment of pursuing them for myself.

190

If you already have everything that you will desire throughout the game from the start, then there's no point of playing it.

191

And this is the problem with, in real life, giving ourselves rewards before we have the chance to actually earn them.

192

We tend to only value things for the effort it cost us to get them,

193

and this is a really good thing because it means it's something you can use in your favor.

194

Like I mentioned earlier about dopamine being released in the anticipation and pursuit of a desire, this is the part we enjoy the most.

195

In real life, we can use delayed gratification to bring back this sense of anticipation.

196

This is something that I have always loved doing and I think I unknowingly had used to motivate myself.

197

Because especially when younger, anything that I really wanted,

198

I would hold off on getting it in order to savor it and make it feel more special.

199

This could be a movie that I really wanted to watch, a little thing that I wanted to buy,

200

anything that made me excited at the thought of it.

201

I would save these up and then I would use them as rewards for myself

202

when I've done something I don't want to do.

203

This way, not only do I have something to look forward to, but I also enjoy it so much more when I actually get these things.

204

So try to make a list of all of these things you can think of

205

that you would want or that you would enjoy, such as episodes of a favorite show, a snack, any little thing like this,

206

a little gift to yourself.

207

And keep these things as rewards when you've done something to earn it.

208

Think of them as the rewards you get at the end of a little quest.

209

Obviously, the bigger the quest, the bigger the reward you can give yourself.

210

So to sum it up again, remove instant dopamine and create boredom use quests to pursue your goals in life,

211

and finally, use rewards and delayed gratification.

212

Games feel meaningful to us because they simulate the arc we want in our real life, beginning from nothing, overcoming challenges,

213

growing stronger, and having a purpose to pursue.

214

And I'm pretty sure many protagonists you admire will have this exact same arc.

215

It is the self actualization arc.

216

I think this is why so many of us feel unfulfilled in life, because beneath all those distractions and the uncertainty,

217

we know that there is more potential inside of us.

218

That is why it's worth taking game psychology seriously.

219

You can take all the same mechanics that make you want to explore

220

and overcome challenges and get stronger and apply them to the one project with real stakes, which is your life.

221

And sure, it will be harder and it will take longer, there will be more distractions,

222

and there's no guarantee that you will get exactly what you want.

223

But this is what also makes it more meaningful.

224

You have to start seeing your life as the most real open world game you will ever play.

225

And it's up to you to decide what your character is going to become.

226

In games, anyone can start playing and experience the thrill of adventure

227

and developing their character to become exactly who they want to be.

228

But in real life, we often neglect this, even though it is our nature to do exactly this.

229

It is normal that we will always want more, and that is because one of our greatest needs is the need for self -actualization.

230

We want to pursue and overcome challenges in order to grow.

231

And while this might not be comfortable, we can find enjoyment in the challenge.

232

It can be incredibly fulfilling for us.

233

I think people often mistake happiness and comfort as the goals in life, but that is very different from fulfillment.

234

Fulfillment is what makes us feel alive.

235

It's like Camus says, the purpose of life is whatever keeps you from ending it.

236

Now, I've obviously had to rephrase that for YouTube, but it's the same idea.

237

And I really believe this.

238

I think it isn't as pessimistic as it seems.

239

It's in fact incredibly hopeful.

240

It is that very existential task of creating your own project in life

241

and giving it meaning

242

because we live in an inherently meaningless world every game you play you are choosing to take seriously

243

and to give meaning and

244

that is why you find enjoyment from it you can do the exact same thing for your own life

245

so i hope you enjoyed this video i would love to hear your thoughts on this as well

246

so please let me know in the comments and i will see you next time Bye.

App downloaden

Alles wat je nodig hebt om vloeiend te spreken

AI UitspraakScoor elke zin

IPA OefeningBeheers elk geluid

WoordenschatBouw je woordenschat op

WoordenspelLeren terwijl je speelt

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

FOR YOU

Aanbevolen Video

347 zinnen

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze spreekles is gebaseerd op de video “Why Life Feels Boring”. Deze video bevat 246 zinnen en 3503 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 20:00. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 175 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. 86% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

15 woorden uit de video die het leren waard zijn, met uitspraak en betekenis:

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
quest zelfstandig naamwoord	/kwɛst/	queeste, zoektocht
reward zelfstandig naamwoord	/ɹɪˈwɔɹd/	beloning, prijs
pursue werkwoord	/pɚˈsu/	achtervolgen
distraction zelfstandig naamwoord	/dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/	afleiding
overcome werkwoord	/ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/	overwinnen
bore werkwoord	/boɹ/	vervelen
adventure zelfstandig naamwoord	/ədˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/	avontuur
instant zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈɪnstənt/	moment, ogenblik
fulfill werkwoord	/fʊlˈfɪl/	vervullen
motivate werkwoord	/ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/	motiveren
naturally bijwoord	/ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/	natuurlijk
ruin zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈɹuː.ɪn/	ruïne, bouwval
pursuit zelfstandig naamwoord	/pɝˈsut/	achtervolging
anticipation zelfstandig naamwoord	/ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/	voorpret
stimulation zelfstandig naamwoord	/stɪm.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/	stimulatie

Phrasal verbs die je zult horen

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
get up werkwoord		opstaan
give up werkwoord		zich overgeven
look forward to werkwoord		uitkijken naar, zich verheugen op
sit down werkwoord		gaan zitten
work out werkwoord	/ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/	uitrekenen

Zinnen om te herhalen

Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:

You would no longer need to seek out challenge, novelty, or achievement?
Why should we seek out challenge instead of just being comfortable?
However, real life doesn't give us that.
I think it isn't as pessimistic as it seems.

Grammatica in deze video

De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:

Structuur	In de video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — iets dat eerder begon en nog bezig is	you've been avoiding · I've been doing
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt	I've noticed · I've enjoyed · have played
Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet	are usually given · be rewarded · are drawn
Betrekkelijke bijzinnen who / which + zin — extra informatie over een persoon of ding	student who mostly · stakes, which is

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 39 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals don't, didn't, I've. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De “th”-klanken: threshold /ˈθɹɛʃ(h)oʊld/, beneath /bɪˈniːθ/, worthless /ˈwɜːθ.ləs/, thrill /θɹɪl/, apathy /ˈæ.pə.θi/
De klanken “sh” en “zh”: distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, stimulation /stɪm.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/, threshold /ˈθɹɛʃ(h)oʊld/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, stimulation /stɪm.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/, disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: reward /ɹɪˈwɔɹd/, succeed /səkˈsiːd/, disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/, productive /pɹəˈdʌk.tɪv/, threshold /ˈθɹɛʃ(h)oʊld/
/æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, happiness /ˈhæpinɪs/, protagonist /pɹəˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/
/g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: protagonist /pɹəˈtæɡ.ə.nɪst/, guarantee /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/, trigger /ˈtɹɪɡɚ/, eager /ˈiɡɚ/

Zo oefen je met deze video

Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als quest, reward, pursue.

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

Shadowing Practice: Why Life Feels Boring (And Skyrim Doesn’t) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

App downloaden

Doctor Explains: How to Train Your Brain to Crave Doing Hard Things

The Freedom of Loneliness

A deeper psychological driver of motivation. @Dr.ShadeZahrai

Once you see this, You’ll see Competitive Games Differently

The Most Dangerous Mindset I See as a Therapist

Psychology of People who Imagine FAKE Scenarios

the desire to simply not exist

Should I Choose Passion or Duty?

Why being bored is a good thing

Mark Manson: Self-control is a complete illusion

Discussing My Beliefs.. (Nihilism)

The Psychology of People Who Want to Do Everything