Reading Books
If you’ve talked to me in the last few years, chances are I’ve talked about reading. Since I finished school in 2019 I have been increasingly interested in books and knowledge. So much so that it is now something of a personality trait. I try my best to recommend or lend out books because I’m passionate about growing one’s store of ideas and knowledge. I think even just a little bit of extra reading for everyone these days can do a wealth of good. In a time where content is so quick, and our attention spans are so limited, I’m finding it more and more difficult to set down my phone and pick up something as plain and quiet as a book. It seems as though we’re perfectly entertained by the mental decay of TikTok, reels and shorts. So much so that some people find it difficult even to sit down and watch a movie without checking it. So why should you pick up a book then?
Here’s one reason:
You can only cook with what’s in the fridge
Wow. What a light bulb moment that is. All of the words we speak, the ideas we preach, the music we listen to and the movies we love are all a product of things that we have been introduced to, and influenced by in the past. We merely exist as the sum total of our experiences. Interesting and thought-provoking inputs create interesting and thought-provoking outputs. The opposite is also true. At least in my own experience, the more gratifying and doom-scrolling content I consume, the less satisfied I become (and the more headaches I get). When I sit down and really focus on the content of a book, the more positive I feel. The more I feel like I’m moving forward. The more I feel like I’m not wasting time. This is why reading more books is so beneficial.
Arrogance
If you don’t read a hundred books, you are functionally illiterate — General James Mattis
Furthermore, to forgo availing the knowledge at your disposal, preferring to just bump into the walls and ‘learn by experience’, is an arrogant way to operate life in many ways. Much like an unprepared general, green as grass sending forth young soldiers into battle, we hold ourselves with such bloated self-importance, relinquishing the knowledge of those who have gone through many of the same problems we face today. We engage with life unprepared, and our incompetent decisions are likely to have as much of an impact on others, as it does for ourselves.
To become studied isn’t only to the benefit of yourself. It is to the benefit of all those whom your decisions impact. Your partner, children, co-founders, employees, stakeholders and investors all benefit from a well-seasoned and well-studied decision maker. It is your job to become that.
Closing
Every day we must demonstrate some level of creative, cultural or social competency in order to co-operate with others, solve problems, maintain order and contribute to society. Each day you tick off more pages, you’re adding more ingredients (ideas) into your fridge (brain). And after all you can only cook with what’s in the fridge. Reading books across all the major genres, from people you like and dislike about ideas that you agree with or disagree with can serve as an important influence on how we navigate the world and wrestle with life. The richer your thought life is, the richer your conversations are. The more you value different cultures, philosophies, ideologies, professions and histories. The very health of our thoughts tomorrow is determined the quality of our intake today. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure that intake is positive, and interesting.
Just Something To Consider
I’d also love to hear what you’ve been reading recently. Drop it in the comments, or flick me a message :)
🔗 Sources
Inspired by this excellent video:
DeMoss, T. you can only cook with what’s in the fridge // reasons to read. YouTube. Link
Holiday, R. If you don’t read you’re functionally illiterate. Daily Stoic. Link
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It is a reimagined tale of Cane and Able