This starts from the 3rd point, and if you haven’t read the first two, it’s alright, cause it doesn’t build on much, but I would recommend reading that as well, maybe at a later time.
3) This one might focus a bit on money, but it is a valid point. Books have the greatest return of investment of any commodity. Let’s put it into context. A few months ago, I read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. I read it in about a month, but it covers nearly 4 decades of research. Now, the return on investment of my time would be 479%. Think about that number for a second. I couldn’t quite calculate the ROI of my money, because I don;t have information on how much the experiments cost, but that would be a significant amount, too.
4) Reading books is the best form of entertainment, escape, etc. Watching TV is passive, listening to music can be passive, but reading books requires active engagement. It is a form of relaxation that explicitly benefits you but without you knowing. Reading shows you the nuances of literature, complexity of people, variety of people, and so much more. A great example would be travellers. For those moving to new countries, if you want to get a grasp of what the country looks like, what the people will be like, the customs, the ‘trends’, their ‘catchphrases’, etc, READ books originating from that place. There is nothing out there that gives you that much information about that place than books. This is not to say don’t read if you’re not moving; it’s just more beneficial to the ones moving.
Now, there’s two important problems we need to solve. How do I develop the habit of reading? How do I read everyday? The quote from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Naval Ravikant has a quote in it that I admire, ”Read what you love until you love to read”. That is the solution. Don’t jump in Sapiens or Romeo Juliet or Pride and Prejudice. Start with maybe Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Harry Potter or whatever that rings your bell. It should be a genre you like, the book should pull you in. After a few books like that, you gain momentum and that momentum, if you keep reading, can be used and sustained into all books. There will be a book that drains the life out of you once in a while, but remember, you can always leave the book; you don’t have to complete it.
Now, as a reader, I’m open to any suggestions as to why you can’t read everyday, except the frequent, lame excuse of “I don’t have time”. That statement is true for 5% of the population. For 95%, it is a matter of “I have other priorities that are ranked higher than reading a book”. I don’t blame you, but when that priority is dopamine hits by Youtube shorts, that excuse is rendered useless. I get it, it is easier to whip out your phone, which is why I propose a solution. This is what I practice in school. When I’m walking around, or in class, my phone’s in my pocket or stored away with the teacher, but a book is in my hand or on my table. What’s easier? Grabbing the book, of course. As Atomic Habits author James Clear says, “Make your habits so easy you can’t say no.”. While this seems motivating, it’s not an ideal solution and I regret not doing it at times, because I would have an e-book rather than a physical book, and Youtube calls for me before I can open the Kindle App, which is why I arrived at the second solution.
We all consume some sort of content before bed. Why can’t that content be a story? It would be escaping your reality into anothers. Place a book, or a kindle, or set a focus mode on your phone to only show your book app of choice before you go to bed. Open the book, and voila, off you go, into literature.
I’m all about quotes today, and I’m gonna finish with one. It’s by French philosopher and author Albert Camus, who said, ”Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth”. It hits hard, doesn’t it?
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