Shadowing Practice: There is beauty and chaos in solitude - Learn English Speaking with Video

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There's beauty.

and chaos in solitude.

It's kind of weird how solitude can both be of a great benefit and also kind of be this very destructive thing.

And it's something that when you go through it, I guess depending on if it's willingly or not, You can...

It can do a lot of good for you, but it can also destroy you and not Not everyone necessarily survives it or can handle it.

and For me, I guess it was like sort of this...

coming of age thing.

I mean, I guess in some some weird way I'm still in it.

But it's just like this process that you just kind of go through.

And when you're in it, at least when I was in these very sort of deeper times in my life that like felt Super

or just felt lost.

and you know, like you're in this abyss Obviously you don't You don't know...

where you're going to end up.

And weirdly enough, it's in those moments that you are both Like, it forces you...

to live presently.

It's like you're not in the present moment, but in order to get through those times of solitude You have to literally take it day by day.

because trying to imagine a full life of those feelings or those experiences just living like that feels horrible.

And obviously, at least for me, it didn't turn out that way.

It's not like it's been like that forever, it's not like it's still like that.

I mean, who knows, it could become like that again.

And everything's just, you know, it's like waves.

Just things dissipate, things form.

and you don't really know where it comes from. But... With solitude, it's like...

You have to face yourself.

And crazily enough, that is the hardest thing to do.

facing who you are. And...

It's hard to face who you are when you don't even know who you are.

You know?

So you're put in this position when you're by yourself, and you're just in a room with yourself.

You know, it's like talking to a stranger.

who Apparently it's like it's like a family member.

Oh who you've known of your whole life, or like a neighbor or something, people you've seen forever, We just never talked to them.

So if you try to do it, It would be super awkward.

And like it'd be very unfamiliar. and uncomfortable.

And that's what it's like being in solitude.

you know, being alone.

It's like talking to someone who you've known forever, but just never really bothered to speak to.

And Maybe you've seen that person externally.

you know, doing things.

And that's like your external self, just who you present as who you feel like you are but maybe are not really.

and then you talk to that person,

you talk to yourself, you think And then you start to.. figure it out that That person externally isn't you.

or It's a part of you but it's a facade, it's a mask.

Or it's just...

Just a little bit.

It's just a little bit of it.

and it's hardly the rest of who you are.

and Obviously, figuring out who you are takes your entire life.

You know?

But it's like during those times of solitude, being alone, That is when you figure out the most about yourself. That is when...

in some sense you have to Either...

succumb to your fears be devoured by them, Or face them.

And it's not like...

This single choice It's like a battle, it's a fight.

where You subject to your fears.

or to your insecurities.

And they do...

just sort of They defeat you. But then...

If you keep going, Which...

You have to.

You have to keep going.

then you will get over those humps.

And it's obviously, it's not like a straight line up.

It's not a straight line down.

I mean, for me, it was kind of like this steady decline.

Well, it wasn't a steady decline.

I'd say it was like more of like a...

Kind of like a drop off. But...

Weirdly enough.

As steep as that drop -off seemed, just as steep or even steeper was to climb back up.

And not in the sense that it was...

difficult.

I mean it was difficult, but in the sense that that's how quickly I It felt like it happened.

And even if you look back, maybe you realize that it did take a long time. But it's like...

that mental change that mental switch which does take time, but it's...

that's where everything stems from all the external things from your life It...

will sort of It's slower.

It's slower to be realized.

But that internal change

is what happens the most quickly or can happen the most quickly you know just like that You know, it can just be a decision and it's not easy, you know, when you put it that way, "Oh, it's just a decision." But...

It can be.

And the decision can be made, but it's not fully realized or actualized.

Until much later. But...

Thank you.

The reason why there's there's chaos is is because you're wrestling with yourself.

and It's like that external part of you.

the external part of you that you thought was you.

you are now realizing that it isn't.

or that that part of you, the external part of you, such a tiny bit that you made the whole thing.

You know, it's just like, it's like a cover.

It's just like this big This big painting, or it's like you've seen like how there's like a painting and there's a painting behind the painting.

It's like there's this big painting that you cover your whole self with.

And then You just started to chip at it just a little bit.

It's just this thin layer.

of paint and then you see there's this whole painting behind it

and you have no idea where it came from and you don't understand it.

You know? So it's like that.

It's like finding that part of you that you didn't know existed.

and it can be grey.

100

It can be scary, it can be you know, Just nerve -wracking or...

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You don't even know how to grasp it or understand it.

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Thank you.

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And it's It's forcing yourself to do that.

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Like sometimes it's You can reject it you know, you can go back to that external part,

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you can cover up that part of the painting that you accidentally looked into and saw the painting behind it.

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You can cover that up and you can become that external self again.

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You can fully try and be that.

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And, you know, for some people, I guess...

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that works But...

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Also, I don't know if those people truly know themselves.

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And It's a sad thing, but also it's like, hmm, maybe...

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Maybe for them, they feel better off.

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I don't know.

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I don't know if I would...

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prefer to have stayed the way I was. But...

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Obviously I'm here now.

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It's not like I really had a choice.

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It just happened.

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Thank you. And...

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Once you're forced to face who you are, There's...

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The fight.

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And there is that like transformation of

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Everything that you thought you weren't really you didn't care about now it all comes and

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Now it is all at you at once.

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And things that maybe weren't a problem before Now they are.

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Either because you are...

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sort of, I guess, I had an imbalance.

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It's like your foundation has been shook.

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Now that things that like maybe you were

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at peace with now They're completely like all over the place and you can't you don't feel like you can handle it. And, like, I mean...

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I had like...

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There's insecurities that I never had, like my whole life.

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And then once I got to like this period of solitude during my high school years, like especially during my sophomore year, all of these insecurities came in.

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And I was like, what?

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Because it doesn't even make sense.

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I don't know why I had these insecurities.

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And I still have them today, but it's like, it's weird.

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Because all that time before I had none of those insecurities.

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I didn't even think about them.

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And now and now I do.

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And it's just weird how that works.

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And that's still something I have to...

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You know, grow from and come to terms with. But...

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It's...

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It's like...

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Finding yourself is also.. kind of It's like it doesn't obviously doesn't solve your problems, but it can bring more problems in a way.

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and It's, at least for me, What I've gained...

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at least It's...

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Trying to have that that like meta perspective.

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Trying to...

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you know, wrestle with those feelings, That is, you know, who I am.

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While also, like, knowing I have to...

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Remain grounded.

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Knowing I have to continue to build up a foundation.

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of, I guess, who I am.

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And then also...

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realizing the things that I am unsatisfied with about myself and you know, certain insecurities or whatever it is,

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They are either things that you know that you have to force yourself to improve on?

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force yourself to I guess ignore or become at peace with Or it's like...

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Thank you.

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Just.. trying to outgrow it And...

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I think...

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If more people Oh if more people went through solitude,

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and I'm not sure if this is like, Um...

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Like a understatement.

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Maybe people are always going through solitude, like tons of people, or maybe not.

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But at least from-- my perspective, just like my environment you know where i've grown up and stuff.

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It seems to me that a lot of people, they don't face themselves.

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feed.

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Kind of...

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hang out with the same people or the same type of people their whole life.

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You know, a lot of people, they kind of stay within their...

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their boundaries of like the clicks or whatever.

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And when I see that, I think...

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This person...

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At least to me, they seem the same as they were...

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Seven years ago, eight years ago when I first knew of them. And...

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Of course, they've changed.

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I'm sure they've changed.

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I'm sure they've grown in different ways.

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face different things in their life.

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But for the most part, There was no...

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External.

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Change.

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And of course, that's me, you know, from the outside looking in.

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So I can't actually know for sure.

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You know, that's like, in some way it's like a little bit I don't know if I'd say judgmental, but it's like ignorant.

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It's just a bit ignorant.

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But also then again, it's like sometimes when I talk with these people It's like...

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Still, There's not much change. And I think...

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It's a mix of just like social structure where obviously you don't reveal everything to everyone.

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You're not fully open to just everyone. But...

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At least for me, it's like...

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I am no way.. near the same as I was in sixth grade.

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Like in sixth grade, I was like kind of this sporty kid who

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wanted to be part of the popular group who was also like realizing that that wasn't really the move

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and also growing still.

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But also like...

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kind of still in this in this bubble of being

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like encapsulated in this sphere of wanting what everyone else around me wanted, without realizing that all that stuff didn't matter at all,

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And I guess I'm still doing that.

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I'm still like figuring out Stuff that I thought matter don't matter actually, but...

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It's like Hmm, some people didn't go through that change yet.

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or they might never.

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So then they never really... do change.

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They never really...

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Transform in that way.

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Yeah.

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And that's not a bad thing, I guess.

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But to me, it's just interesting to observe.

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Because, you know, I've...

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I feel like...

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Everything's changed for me.

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And some people I think Maybe nothing's changed.

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And I mean change is not always a good thing obviously. But...

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I wonder...

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more people went through some type of solitude. Would that...

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make them better.

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You know?

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And obviously like it's like an overgeneralization because like everyone, everyone's different.

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Everyone will deal with things different.

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You know, people could end up worse.

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I mean, I certainly ended up worse at many cases at many times.

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I mean right now I'm doing a lot better. But...

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It's just a wonder. But...

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If you are going through solitude, How do you feel?

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What is it?

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What is the...

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sort of feeling as the outlook to the future or the past because for me I

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I don't know if I thought about the future very much.

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I thought...

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I had no future.

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And All I thought I had was the past. And now I think...

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I still have the past. But...

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Really?

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All that matters is right now And the future is just something...

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I can.. just be hopeful about.

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And if I'm not hopeful about it, then...

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Maybe I just shouldn't think about it.

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Yeah.

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So many things.

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and so many different inputs and outputs that make you who you are.

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And it's just weird, like, I could have never planned it. And if I knew...

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how things were gonna go, chances are I probably wouldn't have taken that path.

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And that would have been a bad thing.

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At least in the long run. So...

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Maybe...

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Maybe you don't want to see too far.

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Because.. or you don't want to try to predict too closely.

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Or you don't want to...

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think that right now is All there is. So...

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Because then you kind of prevent yourself from The possibilities.

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of something better. But...

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I guess it just depends on the situation you're in.

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Because if you're living great now, then...

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Don't worry about the future.

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Okay.

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I don't know where I'm going with this, but...

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Yeah, beauty and chaos and solitude.

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There certainly is.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “There is beauty and chaos in solitude”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: solitude, guess, obviously. This video has 260 sentences and 2349 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:42. The speaker talks at a steady 141 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
solitude noun	/ˈsɑlɪˌtud/	Aloneness; the state of being alone, solitary, or by oneself.
insecurity noun		A lack of security; uncertainty.
steep adjective	/stiːp/	Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward or downward at an angle approaching vertical.
externally adverb		on the surface or the outside
weirdly adverb	/ˈwɪə(ɹ)dli/	In a weird manner.
wrestle verb	/ˈɹɛs(ə)l/	To take part in (a wrestling bout or match).
hopeful adjective	/ˈhoʊpfl̩/	feeling hope
ignorant adjective	/ˈɪɡ.nə.ɹənt/	Unknowledgeable or uneducated; characterized by ignorance.
depend verb	/dɪˈpɛnd/	To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition
actualize verb	/ˈæktju.əlaɪz/	To make real; to realize.
crazily adverb		In a crazy manner.
devour verb	/dɪˈvaʊɚ/	To eat quickly, greedily, hungrily, or ravenously.
dissipate verb	/ˈdɪsɪpeɪt/	To drive away, disperse.
encapsulate verb	/ɪnˈkæps(j)ʊˌleɪt/	To enclose something in, or as if in, a capsule.
facade noun	/fəˈsɑ(ː)d/	The face of a building, especially the front view or elevation.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
go through verb	To travel from one end of something to the other.
end up verb	To bring to a conclusion.
figure out verb	To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
drop off verb	To fall asleep.
back up verb	To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so.
build up verb	To erect; to construct.
cover up verb	To conceal or disguise.
get over verb	To overcome.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

You know, it's like talking to a stranger.
I'd say it was like more of like a...
You know, it's just like, it's like a cover.
I don't know if I would...
It's not like I really had a choice.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	it's been · you've known · you've seen
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be devoured · be realized · can be made

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 78 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, you're, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

Long words — get the stress right: actualize /ˈæktju.əlaɪz/, encapsulate /ɪnˈkæps(j)ʊˌleɪt/, understatement /ˌʌndɚˈsteɪtmənt/, unfamiliar /ˌʌnfəˈmɪli.ə(ɹ)/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like solitude, insecurity, steep.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: There is beauty and chaos in solitude - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?