✍️ Article update time: December 12, 2024

Today I spent 2 hours struggling through an online lecture with almost no knowledge content, and my entire energy state became very negative—why?! I analyzed 3 types of lectures I'll never attend again.

Isn't listening to lectures supposed to be growth? Why is it a waste of time?

Let me first share my experience attending lectures. Back when I was an office worker (I'm now an entrepreneur), I was the kind of person who would attend various lectures after work. My record was attending at least 10+ lectures a month. I attended lectures in any field, both free and paid.

I used to think lectures were where speakers distilled the essence and helped me grow quickly. But after starting my business, I discovered that lectures don't actually cover the true knowledge gems! And after listening to multiple lectures in the same field, I found they had no real substance.

To gain truly valuable knowledge, I recommend reading books or taking paid courses, paid subscriptions, paid consulting services, etc. These knowledge sources have much higher value for me.

So now when someone asks me to attend a lecture, whether online or offline, I always assess in advance whether it's worth spending my precious time on, which led me to develop the following three ways to filter lectures.

Type 1: Hot Air Type

What is 'hot air'?

In the context of knowledge lectures, 'air talk' means content that seems high-level, visionary, and effective, but actually provides no real benefits or help.

#1 Tactic 1: Formulaic Attack

You've definitely heard formulas like 'Success = Execution × Right Method × Less Empty Talk.' Many books have these, and many speakers love to repeat them. To me, this is the most classic example of 'air talk.'

　: Are there really only one formula to solve problems?
: Impossible!

No matter what problem or confusion, there's almost never just one solution. Have you forgotten that when we were children, we were constantly fedthe idea that formulas are the only way to get answers?

That kind of education directly causes children to lose their ability to think independently and solve problems. This is why after entering society, we keep seeking formulas to solve problems.

#2 Tactic 2: Modular Attack

Some lectures constantly mention 'matrices, arrays, quadrants, modules…' Each time you feel like you've gained something, like you've acquired some magical skill, and when you face problems, you think the speaker's framework will solve them effortlessly. In reality, it almost never actually solves the current problem.

Of course many conceptual tools are useful, I won't deny it. Business Canvas and ikigai are great examples. But if a 2-hour lecture gives you a module or tool, do you really gain significant knowledge? Absolutely not.

I'm confident that these two types of 'air talk'—the formulaic and modular approaches—no longer help me at all. What about you? Do you agree?

Type 2: Free Sales Pitch Type

Actually, I still attend free sales lectures, like the online webinar format that many content creator seniors love. I still participate, but my standards for which ones I'll attend are very high. Below, I've listed several reasons why I absolutely won't attend certain free sales lectures:

1. Pain Points:
   Constantly bringing up pain points until you can't take it anymore
   This makes me think, 'What's the point? Is there nothing but pain points?' (Gray text are Xiaochang's mutterings)
   　　
2. Negative Copy:
   The entire marketing copy uses very negative language, trying to attract buyers through negativity, like 'If you haven't done these 5 things, don't call yourself human'
   If I've done those 5 things, does that make me more human? I'm already a human to begin with!
   　　
3. Quizzes or Self-Questioning:
   Sending out a psychological quiz that instantly reveals what type of person you are, or teaching nothing and just constantly asking you to reflect on yourself
   What's the basis for the quiz results? If you want me to keep questioning myself, why would I buy the course? XD I can ask myself these questions at home!
   　　

I've heard of sales lectures that are high-quality, high-value, and thus create high conversion rates. How to discover these quality free lectures—I'll write an analysis in the future if I get the chance! I'd also love to hear about any good free sales lectures you've attended and why they stood out.

Type 3: Instructor Charisma Type

Just trying to build emotional connection with students, but actually providing very little knowledge. You can see hints of this in the marketing copy's undertones and the speaker's social media content.

Do you think a teacher who claims to teach hard knowledge but whose Instagram is all travel, food, and happy photos and videos would give valuable lectures? I don't think so. After all, you become what you spend your time on.

I myself have no religious beliefs and no celebrities I idolize. I only have business and critical thinking mentors I respect and admire, likeLiu Run、Liu Yiyou、Fan Dengand others. Everything these mentors say is filled with valuable knowledge and wisdom.

They don't need to deliberately construct their personal brand. I admire them because these teachers are constantly learning every single day. People like this who are continuously growing will make whatever perspective they share feel valuable and educational!

What are your feelings when you force yourself to sit through a lecture you don't want to attend?

Frustrated... feeling like I wasted 2 hours of my life, when I could have been working through my unfinished paid courses instead. When the speaker spends the first 15 minutes introducing their background and credentials, I immediately know this lecture isn't for me and will have no real value. TED talks deliver so much innovative knowledge in 18 minutes, yet some speakers waste 15 minutes talking about themselves?

I'm completely overwhelmed. I forced myself to waste time just to save face with a friend, which is a behavior with very poor boundaries (constantly reflecting on this).

Conclusion

If within 15 minutes before a lecture, you notice any signs, any uncomfortable sixth sense or feeling, I'd recommend you stop listening. If you force yourself to continue, the feeling you'll get is:

• Overwhelm + irritation welling up
• Blaming yourself for wasting time
• Reflecting on why you were drawn to this disappointing lecture's copywriting

Besides the above feelings, there are other people who have different experiences. My friend said: 'I was originally expecting something, but when it fell short, the energy was strong enough to produce an article—that's not bad!' I genuinely admire my wise and positive friend. We were at the same lecture, but she showed up with such sincerity and initiative, forming quite a contrast with my reflective attitude.

Xiaochang: You clearly wouldn't want to listen to this kind of lecture either.
　Friend: I'm practicing empathy.
Xiaochang: Uh... genuine admiration... I have zero heart for it XD

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🌭 Welcome to KnowledgeGut 🌭

Time is truly the most precious limited resource. I hope every fan of KnowledgeGut doesn't step on lecture landmines anymore. Through Xiaochang's three discoveries above, I hope to help you quickly assess the value of a lecture before hitting the register button.

Xiaochang is meticulous about typography; if you spot typos or formatting issues, please reach out to Xiaochang's IG Contact! All articles come from Heptabase Xiaochang's Second Brain🧠 Content is purely human-written, never AI-generated.

If you have any questions about the article content, or if there are any parts you'd like me to elaborate on, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know～
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by Knowledge Management Mentor Xiaochang🌭