10 May 2020

Why reading is great.

Like most people my age I thought reading was a chore. It was something that you were forced to do in school and if you didn’t do it then the consequences were usually a poor grade. Yes, it was possible to cheat the system by finding a summary online but all that did was provide instant answers and of course, instant gratification. Reinforcing how there is nothing enjoyable about reading a book like A Brave New World. Clearly that’s incorrect since complex stories and ideas, make you a better reader. Reading is a skill just like writing, and don’t worry I’ll get to that too, but what makes it so important is the knowledge and entertainment that you gain. An interesting book provides a new perspective, whether that be learning how Abraham Lincoln truly was a master of men or that Falstaff might be right about what is honor.

There are loads of benefits but I’ll stick with three since I’m lazy. The first one is knowledge. I love the saying knowledge is power because it’s so true. One of my favorite examples of how awesome reading is, is Benjamin Franklin. Franklin never went to college and yet he became a printer, a writer, a scientist, the first postmaster general, and a diplomat. He was also an avid reader. He understood the significance of reading and the power one can obtain. He even created a library in order to share ideas and, you guessed it, knowledge. Since I already mentioned him, Lincoln is another example of this as well. He was dirt poor but he educated himself by reading. He read almost any book he could get his hands on. This is why many, at the time, thought of him as some backroads railsplitter because he lacked the formal education most politicians had received. Nonetheless, Lincoln became a skilled lawyer, writer, speaker, and one of the greatest presidents to ever live. Books have the ability to teach one anything they want to learn, you just have to find the right book!

The second benefit is writing. I read this email that someone sent to the Morning Brew, a daily newsletter, asking how could they improve their writing. The response honestly didn’t surprise me. They said to read and read things that they like and would like to write. So, if you want to write satires, read satires, if you want to write mysteries, read some mysteries, and if you want to write a blog, go read some blogs (hopefully some that are actually good too). The point is, reading exposes you to new ideas, sentences, and words. With that exposure, you can then take those ideas and make them your own.

Good artists copy, great artists steal.

My final point is your vocabulary will increase. Knowing words is fun because then you won’t be that person asking, “What does such and such word mean?” Even if you don’t look the word up, you can probably figure it out using context clues. If you read more, I’ll bet there’s a very good chance you’ll see that word again too. Which will either make you feel good cause you know what it means, or frustrate you since you’ve seen that word before and you still don’t know what it means.

In the end, read stuff you like and all the other benefits will come because I’m pretty sure there’s more than three, and who knows, maybe you’ll become the next Lincoln too.