Notes on Reading and Its Importance

The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.

- Mortimer Adler

The Challenge of Building a Reading Habit in the Digital Age

Building a reading habit in the digital age is difficult. I grew up in the 90s, which means I remember a great deal of time before the internet was a part of my life. I believe my family got our first dial-up connection roughly around the year 2001.

What I've come to realize is just how much more actionable I was when it came to reading physical books. One of my favorites books as a kid, which still is today, was The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting. I remember reading that and being fascinated. I spent the next week outside with a notebook documenting all the plants and animals in my backyard. I was going to be a naturalist, just like the great John Dolittle. I've never had that experience with internet material. There's something about it that just makes it feel shallow. I can't explain it. It's just a feeling, but it's there nonetheless, and I've found that I don't like it.

As you can probably guess by now, it's my opinion that you get more benefit out of reading books. The instant gratification of snippets on the internet, however, makes that habit hard to build. The internet can make you feel like you're absorbing more information, but the thing about that information is that it's usually superficial, disconnected, and prone to error. It doesn't replace the knowledge you can gain from reading a dedicated book on some topic.

Books do require a time and attention investment that is not demanded by the internet. It's tough to make a conscious effort to partake in that. The world moves ever faster, but as I get older, I appreciate the opportunity to slow down a bit. I know the benefits of a compounding investment, and that's exactly what I consider a reading habit to be -- a surefire investment that compounds over time.

It's tough to quantify, but it remains my opinion that the yield of a habitual reading investment is much greater than the current state of the internet can hope to provide.

Why I Prioritize Reading

It occurred to me that, as a child, I frequently read to gather information. While I wasn't the most voracious reader, most of the knowledge I gained and cared about came from various books and publications. If I was interested in a topic, I sought out books and/or magazines discussing that topic.

A few years ago, it came to my attention that I lost that habit long ago, and, as a result, I had developed a lingering feeling of ignorance. I just didn't feel like I knew as much as I should. I felt like I had pockets of information, but couldn't connect the dots very well.

Reading used to give me direction. I'd read something, which would spark an interest and cause for action in some area of my life. It was clear that the course of action I used to take was no longer what I was acting out. I decided at that time that it was in my best interest to take an active interest in reading again.

I know this feeling of incompetence is not unique to me. Many people I've talked to feel similar. Even now, at the age of 35, I feel as though I'm nowhere near the level of competency that I should be.

The problem here is that this situation keeps many people from taking part in public discourse. They feel as though they're not qualified to speak on a given situation, that they will look foolish, or that they simply cannot decipher truth from falsehood.

And I do believe this is the responsibility of everyone. I'm a believer in what I call "reader responsibility." By that I mean that it's up to the reader -- the individual -- to reject nonsense, which I think is core to free speech. We must allow and expect the individual reader to come to a logical conclusion by their own accord. They are not meant to be spoon-fed their opinions from the media, or social platform of their choosing. Reading and experience allows people to acquire the foundational knowledge it would take to make such an informed decision, and that's what I strive to accomplish in my own reading.

Good ideas should be able to stand on their own. I think we're all capable of picking out the good idea. For me though, I've often felt that I lack the foundational knowledge to feel confident in standing behind it. I think that's a problem many are dealing with and it's one that reading can contribute greatly to solving.

Reading should be a priority because reading is a primary means for obtaining wisdom and wisdom allows you to navigate life.