Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings

Whether you are a teenager or well advanced in your adult years, you would like to participate in the beautiful and complex culture within today's society. If you've never finished reading a book, this can be extremely difficult, but this article is going to help you become a more civilized, interesting, and educated person from scratch.

To step

1. Know what it means to be erudite. An erudite person can be someone who is an eclectic reader, who watches good classic movies, and who has a refined appreciation for art. In addition, if you want to become an erudite, you will need to be well informed about the world and its languages, understand world politics and read well in world history. Above all, an erudite person is someone who is interested in and engaged in culture.
2. Read more. Much of cultural knowledge comes from books, because they have existed for longer than most other media. So it would be obvious to read classic books, but if you are going to read for the first time, it can seem a bit daunting and uninteresting.
   • Choose a genre that you are genuinely interested in, such as fantasy or a romantic story. Research and read what are the best books in that genre, at the discretion of book lovers. While you're at it, you can look up books in other genres that you're also interested in. If there's a genre you're unsure about, try it out and who knows, you might actually like it.
   • Once you feel that you are reasonably well-read in a certain genre, choose another. Also read some of the classic or recommended books. You may understand and enjoy some books from bygone cultures by reading modern books.
   • Subscribe to magazines with articles on literature, theater and music. Read articles from these magazines once a week or twice a month, or whenever your timetable allows it. Follow the information from the articles you have read for new information. Once in a while you will come across articles that inspire you to read more about a particular topic. For example, if you read a great article about Mozart, take that article to a store where you can buy CDs and ask the store clerk where the Mozart CDs you might like are. Buy or borrow some of them from the library. If you're reading an article about an artist that looks interesting, check online to find out which museums have paintings by that artist. Then make plans to visit those museums. Browse your newspaper to look for college or high school theater shows you could attend.
3. Write. You can write poems, short stories, books and even plays. Being culturally savvy or erudite means responding to culture, and the best way to do this is to create something yourself.
4. Watch movies. It is particularly important not only to read books, but also to watch movies regularly. There are tons of movies, and you may not be sure which one to watch.
   • Hearsay is the best way to find out which contemporary movies you should be watching. You may have heard friends talk about a certain movie. Go to the video rental and check the shelves to find the names of movies you might recognize.
   • Look for reviews of a movie on Wikipedia before watching it to make sure you're not going to waste your time (if you're short on time). However, keep in mind that reviewers aren't always right.
   • It is important to do research. If you don't understand a particular movie, read more about it on Wikipedia or elsewhere on the internet. Sometimes an old movie contains references to other classic movies. As a result, you will learn more about other works. When you watch these types of films, you will soon find that you can appreciate them more than was previously possible.
   • Don't limit yourself to movies in the English language. Many films have been made that are particularly worth watching, but they are simply in other languages.
5. Watch television. Watching TV programs can take a long time. However, if you don't watch more than one episode of something per day, less of your time will be spent watching television. You can learn a lot from TV shows. Television is as important a medium as any other, and often offers social commentary.
   • Look for good television shows that you could enjoy. There are many types, ranging from sitcom to drama. Wikipedia usually has information about popular TV shows. You can check out the reviews or just ask around.
   • Don't forget to keep an open mind. TV shows you don't expect to like can become your favorite show. This happens quite often.
   • If you really like a TV show and think you'd like to watch it again, buy the DVDs of it.
   • Watch TV channels such as Discovery and The History Channel. This is an effortless way to learn about topics such as the origins of Impressionism or the history of English kings.
6. Expand your musical horizons. Many people are very narrow-minded when it comes to music, but an erudite person will admire even niche music genres.
   • For example, while it is important to listen and enjoy songs without cliché lyrics, it is also important to be able to enjoy music without lyrics simply because of the mood it can evoke, or the story told without words.
   • The ability to appreciate classical music is not as awful as it may seem. Just listen to some famous musical pieces and you will understand why.
   • Be very open-minded. There is a lot of music that doesn't fit into a genre, but you might still enjoy it. Do not reject certain forms of music just because it is new to you.
   • Listen to albums and not just singles. You can start to take an interest in songs that never became very popular. However, this does not mean that you will not enjoy easy-to-remember numbers.
   • Listen to bands. Many bands have been around for a long time, but despite this, some of their music is still fresh. This gives you access to older music and the opportunity to appreciate it more.
   • Listen to music from other countries and in other languages. you will be amazed.
   • Learn to play a musical instrument. As soon as you listen to good music, it is only natural that you want to learn to play an instrument in order to make music yourself.
7. Play video games. While this was largely considered part of the "nerd culture", the popularity of video games is growing rapidly and plays an undeniable role in modern culture. Trying every cultural medium is important, and video games are no exception.
   • If you don't like "shooting games," there are many other types of video games you might like. Do your research and you will find that there is a lot more variety than you initially thought. Role-playing games, RPGs (especially open world RPGs), are very suitable for immersion. However, some people prefer something more simple, such as platform games.
   • If you actually enjoy video games, don't worry. This is a good business. It doesn't automatically make you a geek, it just adds some complexity to your personality.
   • Playing video games is a rather expensive hobby, so make sure to try them before buying one.
8. Participate in internet culture. Do not forget that the culture of a bygone era, such as music from the 1980s, was once the current culture. Those who have paid attention to it may now understand the cultural importance of that period, while those who have ignored it have passed it by. The digital age is very important and a great milestone for society. We live in historically far-reaching times. Don't let it pass you by.
   • While you may feel like you already know a lot about the Internet, it is good to learn more about the history of the Internet and watch meme and viral videos so you can better understand them.
   • Set your homepage to Wikipedia and read an article every day about something that seems "erudite" to you. In a very short time you will know a lot more than you currently do.
9. Become more deeply interested in art. Art is a universal language. It is sometimes considered the most powerful form of communication. Whether this is really the case is up to you.
   • The only advice that can be given here is to research and participate in art by going to museums (which, contrary to popular belief, do not have to be expensive).
   • If there is an art form that you like, such as dancing or sculpting, get started with it.
10. Learn to learn a new language. The best way to do this is to get into it ...
11. To travel. Reading about other cultures as opposed to actually experiencing them is like explaining what color is to a blind person. Traveling gives you knowledge of the many differences and similarities between cultures, and opens your mind. Many of the prejudices we have about a culture (good and bad) are often completely misplaced, and the only way to discover the truth about social customs is to experience them.
12. Engage in hobbies. Ask your friends about their hobbies. Most of them will be involved in some form of art or sport. As an erudite person, it's important to get as much experience as possible, so the next time your friend goes water skiing, ask if you can come along.
13. Go to places where you can learn more in a fun way. Go to the zoo, visit museums, or even go camping to learn more about the outdoors.
14. Educate yourself. Nowadays almost all information is accessible via the internet. Try to take full advantage of that by learning all those things you never understood before. Aim to have a reasonable knowledge of the following topics:
    • World History. This is probably the most important cultural asset you can acquire, as it provides pathways to other areas of knowledge and contextualizes discoveries.
    • Geography. Again, a culturally savvy person should not be ignorant of the location of countries and famous landmarks.
    • The basic sciences: physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology. Unless you are pursuing a scientific career, it is not immediately necessary to have in-depth knowledge of these fields. But do make sure you have a good understanding of the science and science subjects at the high school level.
    • Economy. This is particularly relevant for understanding today's world.
    • Psychology. A note on misconceptions: There is a great misconception that Psychology is not a science, or just plain nonsense. Learn about the experimental methods and actually learn more about them before you start believing such claims. Psychology is extremely important in today's society, something that will only increase as the world becomes more complex.
    • Art and architecture
    • Philosophy
15. Free yourself from ignorance of other cultures. Develop your innate curiosity. Immerse yourself in things you don't understand.
    • Part of becoming culturally educated is learning more about other cultures, and not just your own. Try to free yourself from ignorance and stereotypes about other societies / religions, as presented to you by the media.
    • Always try to empathize with all parties while learning. It is very important to challenge your prejudices. No human is inherently good or bad; instead, you should strive to understand the motives for actions. Otherwise you will not understand other cultures.
    • Think for yourself. Don't let others dictate your opinion.
16. Eat new foods with an open mind and full of enthusiasm, especially Indian food.

Tips

• The biggest barrier to becoming more erudite is time. You have to make becoming an erudite a priority if you want to make progress. Read books in the hour before going to sleep, listen to music while doing chores; these are all great ways to integrate culture into your lifestyle.
• Like the previous tip, you shouldn't just focus on gaining knowledge about culture, but integrate it into your lifestyle. It is there to be enjoyed, not just to be seen once and never to think about it again. For example, if you've read all the classic books, it doesn't mean you should stop reading. You should keep going with the more obscure texts or reread those books that you really enjoyed.
• Creation versus consumption is a very important distinction to be aware of. Most of the steps above provide an overview of how to absorb the work of others, but it is also important to create your own work.If you have certain criticisms about someone's work, try to make something that you really enjoy. This is also great for great hobbies.
• A very important part of culture is learning to be critical. You should always evaluate something after experiencing it. Note the good and bad points. You may not have many standards or norms to compare it with at first, but try to do it anyway. Later on, your criticism will become much more refined.
• You don't have to immerse yourself in every aspect of the culture to become erudite.

Warnings

• Be patient. It takes time to become an erudite person. Rather focus on being complete and interested.
• Some of these activities (for example, reading, watching TV, playing video games, etc.) can be addictive. Try to spread the time you need for this. Don't put your work, family or health at risk, as they should always have a higher priority.
• Don't be snobbish. As with anything, remain a polite and conscientious person.
• Don't try to be erudite just to impress others. This is not the intention of becoming more culturally educated. People want to become erudite out of genuine curiosity to understand the world, because the world is interesting. This is a lifelong goal.
• Do not waste time. If you have free time, don't waste it on phone talk or bad TV shows, but rather spend your time doing things that will help you on your way to your goal of becoming an erudite person.