“In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time – none, zero.” -Charlie Munger
They say we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with. I say we are the sum of what we consume—food, relationships, entertainment, and media.
For the first time, the number of people who did not read a book in the last 12 months eclipsed 50% of the US population. I understand why, as I’ve been drifting into a nasty habit of scrolling social media. Catching myself, I wondered what would happen if I picked up a book every time I wanted to scroll.
If I scroll for 10 minutes daily, that is 3,650 minutes a year or 60 hours. A 300-page book takes the average reader 8 hours to read. If I replace my 10 minutes of scrolling with reading, I could read seven more books yearly. Well, shucks. That would be wonderful. But hold on, the average person spends 2.5 hours a day on social media. I’m not here to bash social media but rather advocate for closely examining your consumption.
It’s said, “Attaining wisdom is the most important pursuit in life.” I’m still working that theory over in my head, but it’s probably pretty close. Books are a wonderful place to find wisdom, joy, empathy, and magic.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -Dr. Seuss
Not everyone loves to read. I get it. That was me for a long time. I started with audiobooks—lots of audiobooks. I’m an audio learner. Then I started to read the ones I loved and realized audiobooks are like skipping a stone over a lake. I moved from being interested in checking it off my list and more interested in understanding.
If you don’t want to use these 10 minutes for reading, what else could you consume that might make you better? 10 minutes of stretching? A handwritten note to a friend? Meditation? A walk?
I’ll do me. You do you. But choose wisely.
What we consume, we become.
Considerations:
Read things you like. Not what’s popular.
You don’t have to finish it. Move on.
Don’t read for speed. That’s vanity. Read for understanding.
Re-read your favorites. Like movies, you find things you missed the first time.
Read old books. Time has filtered for good.
Establish a habit before expecting a skill
We have one truly non-renewable resource, time.
Take care,
7 Considerations To Find More Wisdom