When we read and memorize… we can only remember the surface of the words and content… that is thought.
But when we read and feel… we don’t remember anything, including the words and content… that is stillness.
We feel the story… it is the feeling of our self with the story...
—Winston Man
Excerpt from AI:
Winston Man’s short writing deeply reflects on two ways of receiving knowledge and experience through reading: remembering with the mind and feeling with the soul. Here is a detailed analysis:
Two ways of reception: "thought" and "stillness"
Sentence 1:
“When we read and memorize… we can only remember the surface of the words and content… that is thought.”
"Reading and memorizing" here refers to receiving with the intellect, reasoning, and memory – meaning the reader remembers specific facts, words, or information.
“The surface of the words and content” refers to the formal aspects, what is easily grasped on the surface: the letters, structure, and main ideas.
The author calls this "thought" – the product of intellect, analytical in nature, but limited by one’s understanding.
Sentence 2:
“But when we read and feel… we don’t remember anything, including the words and content… that is stillness.”
When reading with emotions and empathy, we do not consciously try to remember each word or specific content, but let the content seep in unconsciously.
“Don’t remember anything” doesn’t mean forgetting; it refers to a state that transcends ordinary memory, transforming into deep, subtle feelings.
This is "stillness" – not loud, not analytical, but profoundly impactful on the inner self.
The integration of the reader and the story
Sentence 3:
“We feel the story… it is the feeling of our self with the story…”
The reading experience is no longer external; the reader sees themselves in the story.
“The feeling of our self with the story” evokes the connection between content and self – when the story becomes a mirror for one’s inner feelings, emotions, and personal memories.
This is the deepest level of reading – empathy and embodiment.
Overall Message:
The text differentiates between:
Understanding with the mind: grasping information, but easily forgetting.
Feeling with the soul: not needing to remember, but forever imprinting on the heart.
This is a very zen-like, "Eastern" approach to knowledge – valuing absorption more than grasping.
Going deeper into the existential philosophy, spirituality, and self-awareness of this text:
Winston Man’s writing may seem short and light, but it opens up a profound depth — like a still lake, beneath which lies an ocean of experience.
I. Differentiating between "thought" and "stillness"
"Thought" is the activity of the ego
When we “read and memorize,” we engage in logical thinking – this is the activity of the ego. We analyze, interpret, and collect knowledge to “possess” it. The ego needs to hold on to, remember, and explain in order to assert “I understand, I know.”
→ This level of consciousness belongs to knowledge, but it is also limited by it. It is like daylight – clear, but easily blinding and missing depth.
"Stillness" is the dissolution of the ego
When we “read and feel,” we no longer remember each word, nor do we need to explain. At that moment, we let ourselves flow into the emotions – no subject, no clear object. A non-verbal, non-intellectual state, similar to meditation or "flow."
→ This is where “we forget ourselves” but meet ourselves most deeply.
II. “Feeling the story is feeling the self” – the return to the true self
The last sentence is where the true depth of the paragraph is revealed:
“We feel the story… it is the feeling of our self with the story…”
Every story is a mirror
We don’t truly understand the story; we see ourselves in the story. When we are moved, when we shed tears, when we feel our hearts tighten – it is not because the story is particularly special, but because it touches a part of us.
→ The story is the medium. The reader is the destination.
The fusion of subject and object
When we “become still,” the ego no longer stands outside to observe, but merges into the content, into the flow of emotions. Like someone standing before a painting, not analyzing colors or composition, but letting themselves be swept away entirely.
→ This is the state of non-duality – a concept found in many philosophical systems such as Buddhism, Taoism, and existentialism.
III. From Reading to Living – the implicit message of the text
The text, if viewed deeply, is not just about reading, but also serves as a metaphor for living:
Living in the “memorizing” way is living to collect, to achieve, to define. But that is only the surface.
Living in the “feeling” way is living deeply, without purpose, without needing to retain – yet this makes it a complete and authentic experience.
It is similar to meditation: no need to “understand” life, just “be present” in it.
Conclusion
Winston Man’s paragraph is like a falling leaf – light but shaking the entire surface of the lake. It does not teach us how to read, but invites us to become ourselves in each reading – and in each moment of living.
