Why Should We Read?
By: Julien D T Pecqueux
Tags: Reading, Power, Benefits, Knowledge, Self Growth

Is there a reason we should read nowadays? It only takes two minimal gestures to find ourselves connected to the internet, where an overwhelming amount of knowledge is immediately accessible in the palm of our hand, thus discarding the need to retain said knowledge. The Web relieves the need for processing information but opens doors to a frightening amount of controversies and as such disturbs the value of factual information. Nonetheless, it is there. You can learn about absolutely anything you’ve ever dreamed of; from a whole new language to the complete exposition of religious institutions, to the perfect scrambled eggs recipes. Although, such an incredible and powerful tool is only really being used for checking the age of renown actresses and cheating a pub quiz. Now that knowledge is accessible, is reading necessary? Can we benefit from it? The answer is: More than you could possibly imagine.

Advancement of Knowledge

You must have heard before that “knowledge is power”, but a general fallacy of such power is that it is perceived as omnipotent. However, the limitation of this power is only governed by interactions with its recipients. That is to say, power will be limited by your own cognitive abilities and the way in which the person with whom you interact can facilitate this endeavour at this particular time. That is where your own knowledge (provided by your reading background) comes into play.

For instance, cast yourself 2,500 years ago, on the edge of the town of Athens, in a small villa overlooking the sun that has already set on the Mediterranean sea. On the terrace there are several benches carefully placed in the shape of a ‘u’ that opens outward to the stunning view. On said benches, equipped of thin cushions of silk and linen, lay Socrates, Alcibiades, and Aristophanes. The three men of profound intelligence are debating what Eros, the god of love and desire, means to each of them, and how they would define the divine force. In this exact moment, they do not have any way to access external information but their own. They are relying purely and simply on their education of Greek divinities, their observations of the visible world, and the sweetness of the wine that flows in their kantharos. Such an event is told by Plato, Socrates’ later disciple in philosophy, in his work Symposium, which is a particular favourite of Ancient Greek literature lovers, and is an example of a beautifully narrated conversation that invites the reader to join in a spiritual exploration with legendary minds. Imagine what they could discuss, the turn the conversation would have taken, if they had access to extended literature? Knowledge is only power when we can use it to appropriately interact with other parties, and this is therefore why being well-read is crucial in this exercise: it enables us to better interact and as such spark an evolution of thoughts.

“Small are the advances which a single unassisted individual can make towards perfecting any of his powers. What we call human reason, is not the effort or ability of one, so much as it is the result of the reason of many, arising from lights mutually communicated, in consequence of discourse and writing” Hugh Blair, 18th century Scottish rhetorician

Living a Thousand Lives

As human beings, we treasure and cherish our pasts. Knowing where we came from, where our legacies have started, and who it came from is what allows us (as a community, culture, or civilisation) to each recognise and create our own identity. If there is one thing that the final episode of Game of Thrones has gotten right, it’s that people love a good story. We relate to them in discovering new ideas, exploring places (whether they’d be real or fictional), and understanding emotions. This particular sentiment can be depicted in the way we have evolved, the stories we leave behind, the great people we wish we’d have met. Our past allows us to connect and better understand all the complexities of the present. In throwing ourselves back in the past, we learn from our fathers and their fathers. That eventually leads us to innovation. It is a natural human trait to wish to create and improve. Reading allows us to plunge into history in order spark that innovation. Whether it would be by rediscovering the seven wonders of the ancient world with Strabo, accompanying Julius Caesar on his conquest of the Gaul, or contemplating the idea of existence with Nietzsche, reading offers a journey like no other.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” George R.R. Martin

A Constellation of Benefits

But what are the benefits of reading? After all it takes a lot of time to read anything. And in such a fast paced society, life has become a series of carefully picked investments. We invest time in educating our children, money into the luxury of older days, and hard work into our legacies. Reading stories that we can relate to, or even educating ourselves with carefully written, intelligent articles and monographs, is an investment one should be ready to make for one’s mind. Reading avidly and widely improves social skills by increasing an individual’s lexicon, the ability to formulate ideas, and sharpens the wit required to connect with others. In working our imagination we probe inspiration, in recreation comes innovation and discovery inevitably leads to personal growth. Additionally, reading improves our ability to reason, to solve problems and, as a result, reduces stress.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Joseph Addison

The Playground of a Curious Mind

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it also birthed the most beautiful minds. Think of a young Isaac Newton playing in his garden wondering why colours are the way they are, or young Napoleon Bonaparte day-dreaming about strategies and conquest throughout a class in Military school, or even J R R Tolkien pensively wandering in the trenches of World War I, imagining the most fascinating creatures. Each and every one of us human beings is capable of the simplest forms of reasoning. We often wonder, hope and ponder. Reading allows us to feed these thoughts, but also to let them run around freely in a world of boundless creativity.

Join the greatest minds such as Startes, Plato and Nietzsche in their breathtaking philosophical observations, get lost for words in the most grandiose adventures such as The Odyssey, The Hobbit, and Journey at the Centre of the Earth, follow the heartfelt romance of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, discover the laws of planetary motion in Newton’s Principia, and laugh out loud as Bill Bryson wittily takes you on the most charming expeditions.