Reading Can Be Harmful
By: Ayesha Tariq
Tags: Self, Books, Reading, Life Lessons, Life

Reading Can Be Harmful

Yes, there’s a right way to read.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

I can’t imagine a world without books or at least something to read. If I were stranded on a desert island, I would want to take my books with me. I’m not even through reading 30% of the books I own. So it’s a good bet that they’ll keep me happily busy for quite some time.

I’ve always maintained that someone who likes to read is never lonely or bored. Even more so now, with an endless supply of reading at our fingertips on our mobile devices.

Reading is powerful but, if we’re not careful we can fall down the wrong rabbit hole. There are pitfalls to avoid when it comes to reading and it’s probably not the best idea to simply dive into everything that comes your way.

Here’s why…

The Emotional Angle

Reading can evoke powerful emotions. There’s something to be said about the power of imagination. Words on a page stir your imagination in a way that can leave a lasting impression. When you’re reading a book, you create your own images of how a scene takes place. Often it’s like a dream and you visualize an event attaching your own emotions to it.

I started reading a book recently that got so disturbing for me, I had to put it down. I can watch hours of crime drama, yet this book struck a nerve. It’s like I could feel the author’s pain. For one thing, it proves that the author wrote very well. Her words were powerful enough to get to me. Another thing was the visualization. I felt like what she was describing was happening to me. Because it resonated with events in my past, it hit too close to home. I’m going to donate this book, maybe someone can enjoy it without feeling the way I did.

The kind of books you read can affect your emotional wellbeing. It can alter your mood even if you don’t realize it. It’s similar to how people are affected by all the negative news on TV. Most people just decide to turn off the news. So why can’t we decide not to read a book?

Our lives are fraught with challenges and we really don’t need to introduce more grief. If you’re not strong enough to read something at this time, that’s perfectly okay.

Reading Affects Your Outlook

I’ve noticed that people who read a lot of romance novels tend to live in their fantasy world. I may be stereotyping somewhat but, I speak from personal experience. I used to be that way, so I know. While some of the books were genuinely good prose, they gave me a sense that the world is a fairy tale. Now, I realize that part of the reason we read is to escape to a different world and leave our troubles behind for a while. But, when the stories start to affect your life and the way you think, we need to be cautious.

We need to learn to draw the line between the way we wish the world would be and the way it really is. For some life isn’t all that challenging. That doesn’t mean that most people don’t struggle. Having a romanticized idea of life can only bring you more grief when you face reality.

This is why I stopped reading certain kinds of novels. For the last few years, I’ve started to rotate the genre of books I read. I also try to alternate between fiction and non-fiction. I can tell you for a fact that it’s really changed how I view the world.

Writing Influences

Whether it’s a writer on Medium or your favorite novelist, reading too much of one person’s work will eventually reflect in your writing. You may not realize it but in time, you will start to sound like them.

Even the best writers draw inspiration from other people’s writings. So the more you read one author, the more that writing style creeps into your own and meshes with it. While there’s nothing wrong with emulating Stephen King or Jeffrey Archer, you will eventually want to find your own voice. The best way to do that is to read a variety of writers from different genres.

If there’s a book I’ve really enjoyed, the first thing I do is look up what else the author wrote. I have a whole bookshelf line with “complete works” of various authors. I enjoy collecting them. But, I’ve made it a point not to read them back to back. In fact, these days I can’t anymore. If I read a novel, there’s no way I can read another one immediately. I will switch to a non-fiction book because I need the variety, and I learn something in the process.

Books Make You Smart

This is the primary reason we read. To learn. Okay I know you know that but, hear me out. Apart from influencing your mood, your demeanor and your writing, the primary reason we read is to learn something. Even if you’re reading for pleasure, you’re learning something. It’s important to make sure we’re learning the right kinds of things.

There are a lot of popular books who preach the wrong message. You should always question what you read. Just because someone is a best-selling author doesn’t mean he or she is infallible. People write from their point of view, and even non-fiction books can have a shadow of the author’s opinion. So, just because it’s a popular book doesn’t mean you have to think it’s good. Sometimes books become popular just because of the controversy.

A few years ago there was a self-help book with an outrageous title, and every bookstore had it on display. It’s still on display in most stores, along with its successor. If nothing else, I thought it would be funny. It was such a waste of time. The author was pretentious, and not very helpful. I didn’t really find him funny either. Many people actually claim that they’ve been benefited by this book. I can only imagine that they haven’t come across some of the really good self-help books out there. If you ask me, I think the book sends a very wrong message about dealing with life. The author has a condescending attitude which is never the way to help people.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Putting a Book Down

For the longest time, I never quit reading a book no matter how bad it was. I’ve spent hours of my life on bad books, precious time that I’ll never get back! I suppose as you get older, you begin to realize how valuable time is. But, without getting too philosophical, let me just cut to the chase.

Don’t read a bad book! Put it down and move on. There’s no reading police and if you don’t like it, no one’s going to judge you.

Sometimes, I’ll read a book that has a lot of negative reviews. Curiosity will get the better of me and I’ll do it just to see if what everyone says is true. Quite often, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The opposite is also true. Something may have great reviews but, if I don’t like, I’ll just drop it. I’ve long let go of the need to conform.