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

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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

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

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and further out gambles what you would dream

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

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

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

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

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What we want is to test ourselves against challenges.

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That is ultimately what is play for us.

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And just think about it.

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This is what makes any story interesting to us.

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

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

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What we truly want is challenge.

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So what does this mean for real life?

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

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

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

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The first thing is boredom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And admittedly, the first few days were awful.

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

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

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

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

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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.

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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,

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I realized that I would just sit there

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

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

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and find something to do i started

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

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that took more effort cooking dinners

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that were more complicated than i usually would make

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

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Everything felt more vivid

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

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

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even though I wasn't actually trying to be.

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

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

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

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which seems kind of interesting to do.

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

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

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

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

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Now the second thing is quests.

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In Skyrim, you are given a direction.

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

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

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However, real life doesn't give us that.

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

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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,

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we might not know what the next steps are.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Next, you want to create side quests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Side quests are there for us to seek out novelty.

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

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

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now you can also think of skills for your character alongside

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

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

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and you are rewarded

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

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that it followed effort.

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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.

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

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And I remember feeling really disappointed about this

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because it felt like it had ruined

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Because especially when younger, anything that I really wanted,

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

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

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anything that made me excited at the thought of it.

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

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

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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.

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

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

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a little gift to yourself.

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

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

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

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

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and finally, use rewards and delayed gratification.

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

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growing stronger, and having a purpose to pursue.

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

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It is the self actualization arc.

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

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we know that there is more potential inside of us.

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

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

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

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

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

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But this is what also makes it more meaningful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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It can be incredibly fulfilling for us.

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

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Fulfillment is what makes us feel alive.

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

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

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And I really believe this.

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

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It's in fact incredibly hopeful.

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

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and giving it meaning

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

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and to give meaning and

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

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

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

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347 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “Why Life Feels Boring”. This video has 246 sentences and 3503 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:00. The speaker talks at a natural 175 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
quest noun	/kwɛst/	A journey or effort in pursuit of a goal (often lengthy, ambitious, or fervent); a mission.
reward noun	/ɹɪˈwɔɹd/	Something of value given in return for an act.
pursue verb	/pɚˈsu/	To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
enjoyment noun	/ɪnˈd͡ʒɔɪ.mənt/	The condition of enjoying anything.
distraction noun	/dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/	Something that distracts.
overcome verb	/ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/	To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.
bore verb	/boɹ/	To inspire boredom in somebody.
adventure noun	/ədˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/	A feeling of desire for new and exciting things.
instant noun	/ˈɪnstənt/	A very short period of time; a moment.
fulfill verb	/fʊlˈfɪl/	To satisfy, carry out, bring to completion (an obligation, a requirement, etc.).
motivate verb	/ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/	To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.
naturally adverb	/ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/	In a natural manner.
incredibly adverb	/ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/	In an incredible manner; not to be believed.
ruin noun	/ˈɹuː.ɪn/	The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
succeed verb	/səkˈsiːd/	To follow something in sequence or time.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
walk around verb		To walk with no planned destination; to meander.
bring back verb	/ˈbɹɪŋ bæk/	To fetch something.
come down to verb		To reach by moving down or reducing.
get up verb		To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb.
give up verb		To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
look around verb		To inspect a building or area.
look forward to verb		To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.
look out verb		To be vigilant and aware often as an imperative to alert a person to danger.

Sentences worth repeating

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

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.

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	you've been avoiding · I've been doing
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've noticed · I've enjoyed · have played
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	are usually given · be rewarded · are drawn
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	student who mostly · stakes, which is

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 39 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, didn't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: threshold /ˈθɹɛʃ(h)oʊld/, beneath /bɪˈniːθ/, worthless /ˈwɜːθ.ləs/, thrill /θɹɪl/, apathy /ˈæ.pə.θi/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, stimulation /stɪm.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/, threshold /ˈθɹɛʃ(h)oʊld/, examination /ɪɡˌzæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, anticipation /ænˌtɪs.əˈpeɪ.ʃən/, stimulation /stɪm.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/, disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like quest, reward, pursue.

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

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