As someone who loves to read and someone who tries to read a lot of books, I am constantly asked by people how they can start reading books or how they can read more books. Most of these people are youngsters in school or college or have just started their professional lives. But today, through this article, I want to tell you why it is okay to not read. Yes, you heard that right; I just told you that it is okay to not read.
I have seen a lot of people (mostly bibliophiles) shame others for not reading. They claim that those who do not read have never really done anything worthwhile in life. What I personally feel is that it is each individual’s choice and interest. I love reading and I enjoy doing it but I may not enjoy some other activity like singing, dancing or playing an instrument as much as reading. In the same way, each of us will have something that we indulge in during our leisure hours. Some may pursue reading, others may engross in some other recreational activities. What is more important is that you find a hobby that you love and find time to pursue it.
Reading, from time immemorial, has been considered a powerful tool for obtaining knowledge. But what one needs to understand is that at that point in time, it may have been the only source of information. Knowledge has always been passed on from one generation to another through the written word. However, with the development of audio-visual media, there are a lot of new ways to gain information. These days radio, television and the internet have taken over and we can gain knowledge through diverse mediums. A few people may be able to understand better through hearing rather than reading, while others may grasp easily through visual media. We should find out what works better for us. What is good for someone else may not be the best for you.
Of course, reading has a few advantages over other kinds of media. Our imagination develops as we read and imagination is the key to creativity. Reading contributes towards the development of our language skills. We understand how to comprehend written content which will help us in our personal and professional lives. It will also help us improve our reading speed and we will be able to polish our techniques of skimming and scanning texts which have applications in our daily lives. All of this being said, there is no compulsion to read; if you are someone who reads only academic texts that too only to gain intensive knowledge pertaining to a specific subject, you don’t have to force yourself to read. Reading is an exercise to be thoroughly enjoyed just like savouring your favourite delicacy and the compulsion takes its essence away.
For those of you who are occasional readers or pick up a book only once in a blue moon, continue to do so, but make sure that you involve yourself completely in the act and thoroughly enjoy reading the book. Quality matters over quantity. However, if you do want to improve on the numbers as well, I will be back with another post on that. So stop stressing and remember to enjoy what you read rather than seeing it as a chore to be completed.
I have seen a lot of people (mostly bibliophiles) shame others for not reading. They claim that those who do not read have never really done anything worthwhile in life. What I personally feel is that it is each individual’s choice and interest. I love reading and I enjoy doing it but I may not enjoy some other activity like singing, dancing or playing an instrument as much as reading. In the same way, each of us will have something that we indulge in during our leisure hours. Some may pursue reading, others may engross in some other recreational activities. What is more important is that you find a hobby that you love and find time to pursue it.
Reading, from time immemorial, has been considered a powerful tool for obtaining knowledge. But what one needs to understand is that at that point in time, it may have been the only source of information. Knowledge has always been passed on from one generation to another through the written word. However, with the development of audio-visual media, there are a lot of new ways to gain information. These days radio, television and the internet have taken over and we can gain knowledge through diverse mediums. A few people may be able to understand better through hearing rather than reading, while others may grasp easily through visual media. We should find out what works better for us. What is good for someone else may not be the best for you.
Of course, reading has a few advantages over other kinds of media. Our imagination develops as we read and imagination is the key to creativity. Reading contributes towards the development of our language skills. We understand how to comprehend written content which will help us in our personal and professional lives. It will also help us improve our reading speed and we will be able to polish our techniques of skimming and scanning texts which have applications in our daily lives. All of this being said, there is no compulsion to read; if you are someone who reads only academic texts that too only to gain intensive knowledge pertaining to a specific subject, you don’t have to force yourself to read. Reading is an exercise to be thoroughly enjoyed just like savouring your favourite delicacy and the compulsion takes its essence away.
For those of you who are occasional readers or pick up a book only once in a blue moon, continue to do so, but make sure that you involve yourself completely in the act and thoroughly enjoy reading the book. Quality matters over quantity. However, if you do want to improve on the numbers as well, I will be back with another post on that. So stop stressing and remember to enjoy what you read rather than seeing it as a chore to be completed.