I write research papers “for fun”. In the midst of my latest non-fiction read, I stumbled on this:

“We have no chance of knowing whether we understand something until we test ourselves in some form. If we don’t try to verify our understanding during our studies, we will happily enjoy the feeling of getting smarter and more knowledgeable while in reality staying as dumb as we were.”

• - Sönke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes

This summarizes quite plainly the purpose of my research paper exercises.

It’s my best attempt of solidifying my learning and actually expanding my knowledge bank by following through on what I have read or consumed and putting it in my own words. If I do not exercise my critical thinking muscles, they will inevitably atrophy. Although it feels like I am learning by reading and consuming, without the follow through of elaborating and extracting the context of what I read and putting it in writing, real learning never takes place.

While many people responded to my “research paper hobby” video by claiming it was a waste of time to write papers unprovoked, I cannot help but counter with the opposite sentiment. Reading without writing seems like a greater waste of time to me if the text, or the lessons from it, do not stay with you long after you’ve closed the book.