Books: Wait, people used to do this?
Books: Wait, people used to do this?
The action or skill of reading written or printed material silently or aloud.
I had a conversation with a co-worker last week. We discussed people’s willingness to learn after college. Or rather, lack off. In a fast-paced technological-driven era, we agreed that adopting new skills is vital to remain in today’s market.
How do you remain competitive?
Massive open online course (MOOC) has help student’s solidified material or even spark new interests. Hearing podcasts has become one of the most efficient ways to learn. Professionals have leveraged their reach using LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Medium, and even Github. So if you want to remain competitive, take advantage of these online resources. There are no excuses to not learn new skills or solidified current ones.
Do you remember life before the internet? The dark ages. Before we had Google at our fingertips. I do. I watched how the internet went from being what your weird cousin uses to everyone being experts with it. But what is the cost that we are paying? Nothing comes free. All transactions have a cost.
I believe that the cost is our attention. I don’t have data to back my claim. I might be wrong. If so, you can disregard this article. Though I’m a small sample size, I witness people’s inability to maintain focus. I can’t log in into Instagram without seeing people post about how they are a big procrastinator. Could it be that as resourceful technology has been, it has made us vulnerable
While my co-worker and I agreed on learning, we disagreed on one topic:
- The importance of books.
Books are valuable. On the surface, books are more time consuming than audiobooks and less efficient than Goodreads. Yet somehow, reading has remained essential to how we consume information. Thanks to Google, I learned, “The first written story that has come down to us is The Epic of Gilgamesh” and that.” While we don’t have an exact date, we could be assured that it’s a lot of years.
So should you read books because I am telling you to read books?
Probably not. I won’t change my habits because a stranger in Medium is telling me to do so. However, I would finish their article, research more, and use my personal experience to form a conclusion.
Books can be time-consuming and redundant. However, reading is more than words. More importantly, I will not state reading will make you rich. Instead, I believe reading can form habits that will transcend to other aspects of life.
1. Reading can help your concentration.
In a fast-paced era, we are no longer required to maintain concentration on one task. Moreover, people praise their ability to multi-task. Even though, psychology claims that multi-tasking is counter-productive.
The American Psychological Association states:
Psychologists who study what happens to cognition (mental processes) when people try to perform more than one task at a time have found that the mind and brain were not designed for heavy-duty multitasking.
Also, reading is not always fun, I understand. Some stories, explanation, or chapters are not captivating nor informative. You can skip those parts. Or, which I tend to do from time to time, I power through it. Life might be daunting. Thus, as minuscule as reading could be, I believe reading has helped me.
2. Reading can help you be more empathetic.
You gain a better understanding of people’s motives. While some views might be offensive, you will be able to understand the origin of their biases. You will realize most people are not hateful but uninformed.
Reading has helped me become more empathic. I often struggle to understand people’s emotions or perspective. Reading has improved the way to communicate with friends, relatives, co-workers, and strangers.
Books offer an in-depth explanation of people’s point of view, which is much needed nowadays.
3. Reading can help you use history.
Books have remained relevant for many years. Rephrasing Nassim Taleb, when an idea/concept continues to remain relevant, the probability of it dying out decreases. Thus, these historical books must have a wealth of information (the Lindy effect).
Moreover, history can pinpoint specifics of incorrect predictions.
Autobiographies are a great tool. While the vehicle to achieve success have changed, if an idea is invaluable, it will work regardless of time. Its application could be different but the framework will remain.
Books can help you use people’s mistake as a shortcut.
4. Books can improve your vocabulary (no shit, Sherlock).
As a first-generation American, my vocabulary sucks. It is terrible. Growing up in a Spanish household, I would often mix up vocabulary and grammar. For some of my peers, I noticed that vocabulary and grammar are natural for them. Or at least I thought. In hindsight, I realized that it was the push from their parents to read from a young age. While I did not read much as a child, reading routinely has improved how I communicate with others.
5. Reading can give you a sense of accomplishment.
If work is the only place you feel accomplished, it can get daunting. I think life is about the tangible goals. It is about measuring your progress. Hence, completing a book is a task that is quantifiable (the books you’ve read). In one year, you can feel proud and accomplished of the topics you are familiar with. It will help you realize that you positively used your time and you have books you have completed to show for it.
Conclusion:
Of course, this is only my list. Now, it is up to you. Look at your life. If you feel accomplished, then maybe reading is not for you. But if you feel there’s still room for improvement, I suggest giving reading a try.
WANT MORE…
If so, I suggest following my Instagram page. I post summaries and thoughts on a book that I have and am currently reading.
Instagram: Booktheories, Personal
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