Why I read

[resqgeek]

I believe in the power of reading.  The written word is capable of conveying incredible information, of expanding our horizons far beyond anything that we could ever hope to experience first hand.  Through reading, we can learn and grow in completely unexpected ways.  Books can change us, and we, in turn, can change our world in ways both small and large.

I try to devote a significant amount of my free time to reading.  I almost always have a book nearby that I am in the process of reading, and if I don’t, I somehow feel a bit incomplete.  Not only to I try to read in quantity, I also try to read widely in scope.  At various points in my life, I have found myself enjoying certain types of books, going back to that genre again and again.  As a teenager and in college, my reading was devoted largely to science fiction and fantasy.  As a young adult, I read a lot of espionage thrillers before becoming engrossed in historical fiction.  These days, I find myself reading a lot of non-fiction, whether it be memoirs, historical analyses, books about science, or religion, or politics, though I still try to include fictional novels in my reading, because it helps inspire my imagination.

I believe that seeking out a broad range of topics in my reading has helped me to understand the world better, to appreciate my place in it, and to recognize the responsibilities I have to make efforts to make the world the better place I believe that it could be.  I know that some people don’t share my appreciation for reading.  They view it as a chore or a waste of time.  Even among those who read, some have different motivations.  Some read as a form of escapism, using fiction to escape unpleasant realities in their lives, if only briefly.  Others dismiss fiction exactly because that how they view it.

I don’t think it matters why you read, or even what you read.  The very act of reading takes you outside of yourself.  You must immerse yourself in the word, thoughts and imagination of others.  This will challenge your worldview, if only in reminding you that others have different points of view, different ideas, different opinions.  But to magnify this effect, to maximize your growth, I encourage you to seek out different types of reading.  Look for books that challenge your views, that introduce you to new ideas, or fill in gaps in your knowledge.  Never be satisfied with what you already know, but nurture a hunger to know more.

Comments

Happy National Read a Book Day (Sept 6)

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

[melydia.livejournal.com]

I read 'cuz it's fun. ;)

[6of8.livejournal.com]

I read therefore I am. I learned to read at about 2 1/2 because all of the adults around me were always reading. My grandmother would read aloud and follow the words with her fingers as she went. One morning, I just started chiming in. For me, the worst thing about law school was that it required so much reading that I actually lost interest in personal reading. I felt that I had lost my identity. Luckily, I was able to pick it up again after the bar exam (the first book I read was Dante's Inferno).

If I were to try to articulate what I get from reading, my response would be pretty similar to Andy's. In fact, I probably have a more positive view of 99% of the things I read because I was able to learn something new or get a new perspective from reading it. I also have to agree with Melydia -- I read because it's fun.

[elhamisabel.livejournal.com]

I fully subscribe to your viewpoint on reading.
Like you, I always feel somehow incomplete when I do not have a book with me. Many a long wait has been shortened thanks to the book I carried with me at the time.
I also try to read different genres, and although I really do not like neither ghost stories and books à la Stephen King's novels nor personal tragedies like "Not Without My Daughter", I have come to like certain genres which I would not have read when I was in my teens. I like to read a wide variety of topics as well.
Like you said, it all opens my horizon, I think, and makes me be more empathic and open minded towards people and things I do not subscrtibe to.
When non-readers ask me why I read and what I gain from it, I always wonder how to describe the pleasure I get from reading. Also the well of knowledge and insight that every book offers me.