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People praise YouTuber Kai Cenat after he was mocked for looking up words while reading books
Popular streamer Kai Cenat is making waves by doing something that shouldn't even be noteworthy, but is apparently seen as mock-worthy to some people. While reading a book out loud on his YouTube channel, the 24-year-old looked up words he wasn't familiar with in the dictionary.Some people thought having to look up words was embarrassing, while others made fun of him for not already knowing the words he had to look up. Thankfully, that derision was met with a tsunami of support from people pointing out that this is a beautiful example of how people continue learning and educating themselves throughout adulthood.
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In the online streaming world, Cenat is a giant. With over 20 million subscribers on Twitch, a platform popular with gamers, he is the top Twitch streamer in the world as of January 2026. Cenat is a gamer, rapper, YouTuber, and internet personality with a huge following among young people.While his channels have largely focused on entertainment, Cenat has announced a shift toward learning new things and improving his mind. He's begun learning to sew to support his interest in fashion design and has set a daily reading goal to improve his mind and speaking skills. - YouTube www.youtube.com Cenat has shared his "secret" YouTube channel, which focuses on what he's thinking about and learning. That's where he's shared videos of his new reading habit, which he says he began to become a better speaker. It's clear that he's learning to love reading, and it's quite delightful to see him get excited about the books he's working through. And while some people have scoffed, it's also delightful to see him increase his vocabulary by looking up words as he goes. People on X have countered the critics with effusive praise: "I can't praise this young man enough. This is the kind of display of curiosity, humility, and vulnerability that is in far too short supply among social media influencers." – @iowahawkblog"Never hate on a man who's trying to better himself." – @Tectone"This is exactly what kids need to see. This is great influence actually." – @BeLiKeDime"This is literally how you teach yourself things lol nothing to mock here. The world would generally be a better place if more people humbled themselves like this." – @dissidentwest - YouTube www.youtube.com Being humble enough to know that you don't know everything and being vulnerable enough to learn in front of others is admirable, and many people acknowledged that:"I know this is easy to mock but this is actually admirable of Kai Cenat to take a step back and learn how to read better. Everyone acts like they know everything these days, and while he used to flaunt his ignorance, Kai is humbling himself and growing. This is an objective W." – @kangminjlee"Looking up words while reading isn't embarrassing; it's how or vocabulary grows. Curiosity, self-awareness, and a desire to communicate better are skills worth celebrating. Reading to learn is always a win." – @HachetteUS"Every single person making fun of @KaiCenat for knowing his weaknesses and actively going out of his way, in a public manner, to overcome these and become a stronger, well read man, is a clown. Imagine making fun of someone for actively trying to become better." – @JulienHoezMerriam-Webster, the dictionary company, praised Cenat, and award-winning actor Jamie Foxx called Cenat personally to share his admiration:
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No one should ever be mocked or feel embarrassed about trying to improve themselves and showing others what that process looks like. Too often, people hide the slow, laborious details of learning and only display the result. Good for Cenat for demonstrating both the joy and the humility of learning in real time. You can follow Cenat's "Kai's Mind" YouTube channel here.