Why You Should Read Everyday
According to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021, 1 out of 4 adults didn’t read a book the previous year. Why did these individuals not crack open a book? Who knows… but they don’t understand how important reading is.
“Reading is an honor and a gift from a warrior or historian who—a decade or a thousand decades ago—set aside time to write. He distilled a lifetime of campaigning in order to have a ‘conversation’ with you.” — James Mattis, retired United States Marine Corps, four-star general.
Every person should have a daily reading habit. It doesn’t take much to reap some of reading’s many benefits. You can get through one book a year if you read just a page a day. Famed billionaire investor Warren Buffett has claimed to read about 500 pages every day, which equates to 80% of his working hours.
While speaking to students at Columbia University, he was asked what the best way was to prepare for a career in investing. He paused, then pulled out a stack of papers he had been carrying with him and said,
“Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”
The benefits of reading compound over time. The practice might start out as a bit mundane. You might have to force yourself to carve five minutes out of your busy day to read one page. However, as you struggle to develop the habit of reading, you’ll find it enjoyable. You will see how beneficial the practice is.
Here are three of those benefits.
Reading Prevents Illiteracy
This one might seem obvious since illiteracy is defined as, “the inability to read or write” or, “lack of knowledge in a particular subject; ignorance.” However, this is a valid reason to read more. You probably already know how to read (you are reading this article) and you know things about a handful of subjects, but are you literate? Here’s what James Mattis has to say about functional illiteracy:
“If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you.”
Pretty harsh words from a former Marine Corps general, but he’s got a point. If you aren’t well read, you will struggle. Don’t get discouraged by his words. There is no better time than this very moment to start a reading habit.
There is no wrong place to start. Pick up a book that interests you and start reading. Then drink deeply from the well of philosophy, history, and literature. Learn from the influential leaders of past and present. Be curious. Find answers to your questions. Choose to read.
Reading Provides Growth From Abundance
In a previous article, I discussed the importance of a commonplace book. To summarize, commonplace books have been used to keep track of ideas, quotes, conversations, books, experiences — pretty much anything a person wants to remember in their life. In order to grow, you need a solid platform. This platform can be built by reading and capturing important ideas and content to help you grow.
In order to grow and find yourself, you need to first learn how to imitate others. Imitate, then innovate. The best way to learn from others is to read books. We all have great first-hand examples we can follow throughout our lives, but we can expand on who we learn from by reading books.Arguably the greatest modern-day biographer David McCullough has said:
“Insight comes, more often than not, from looking at what’s been on the table all along, in front of everybody, rather than discovering something new.”
You can garner powerful insights about yourself as you read. As you gather these insights into a commonplace book, you are building a solid platform on which you can grow. The quotes, ideas, and inspiration you gather from reading will guide you through many of life’s difficult times. You can look back to Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Aurelius, Theodore Roosevelt, Marie Currie, and other brilliant individuals to help you solve the problems you face today. You can then take what you learn from them and build your own solutions, find your own voice. Don’t be afraid to stand on the shoulders of giants. That’s what they’re there for.
Kobe Bryant once said,
“I seriously have stolen all my moves from the greatest players.”
He had to first imitate before he could innovate. He built his phenomenal basketball career on the shoulders of giants who came before him.
Before Zeno became the father of Stoicism, he sought to know how to live the best life from a priestess to the Greek God Apollo at Delphi. In response, he received this cryptic message:
“To live the best life, you should have conversations with the dead.”
Follow this advice and seek out those who have walked this earth before you. You do this through reading.
Reading Makes You A More Interesting Person
Great conversations take place between two interesting and curious people. You might not consider yourself a super interesting person, but you can become one.
You might wonder what it would be like to climb Mount Everest or win a Nobel Prize in physics, but realize the unlikelihood that you’ll have those experiences. Books can take you on those adventures.
You can read “The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory On Mount Everest” by renowned mountaineer Conrad Anker. This is an inspiring account of Conrad and his team’s search for clues about what happened to early mountaineering pioneers George Leigh Mallory and Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine during their 1924 trip ascending the North Face of Mount Everest. The mystery shrouding their expedition has been debated for nearly a century. They were lost to the mountain, bodies never recovered — until Mallory’s was found by Conrad. In 1999, modern-day climbers took on the arduous task of climbing Everest to discover whether these early adventurers were able to reach the top of the world’s highest peak. This epic adventure provided crucial insights into what we know now about early attempts at climbing Everest.
Maybe you have a passing interest in physics, or just want to keep up with your scientific friends. Check out “Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie” by Barbara Goldsmith. Marie Currie is a scientific icon. Not only was she the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, but she was the first person to win it twice. Through this book, you gain valuable insight into not only her brilliant accomplishments as a physical chemist but also into who she was as a person. You learn she was a tough, passionate woman who had to battle tough personal and social difficulties to rise in her field. Eventually, the long-term exposure to the radium that earned her accolades led to her death. A study of her work and life is worth the effort.
Reading books will help you store great topics for more interesting conversations. The next time someone asks you “what have you been up to lately” you’ll have a good response. “I’ve been climbing Mount Everest in search of George Leigh Mallory’s legacy.” That sounds more interesting than “just working.”
It’s even possible that by reading these books, you’ll be inspired to go on your own adventure. Wouldn’t that make life interesting?
There are more than three benefits to reading. I chose these three because they have been most beneficial to me. Studies have shown that the practice of reading can help strengthen overall brain function, build vocabulary, increase a person’s ability to empathize, reduce stress, become a better writer, alleviate symptoms of depression, and much more.
I can’t think of any downside to having an established reading habit. Choosing to read is a much better decision than many other activities, including watching TV, browsing social media, staring at a wall, gossiping with friends, or whatever else we choose to distract ourselves with daily.
You are not too busy to read. You have a job, kids, a commute, chores, errands, and many other obligations, but there is still time to read. Marcus Aurelius found time to read while running an empire and raising thirteen children. Warren Buffett finds time to read. Oprah Winfrey finds time to read. I find time to read.
Read while you eat. Listen to audiobooks during your commute, while you workout, and while cooking. Read a page before bed (it will provide a good sleep routine). Read first thing in the morning (a great way to start your day). Read while waiting for your oil to get changed. Read on the toilet (not gross). Set aside a specific time to read each day. Just read.
You’ll be rewarded for establishing a daily reading routine. You can’t live a good life without it. Make the time for it. Read.
Weekly Challenge: Start reading today. Pick one book to read from beginning to end. Set a goal to read at least one page a day this week.
Recommended Reading:
Whatever book you want to start reading.
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