There are countless practical and philosophical benefits to reading. But one thing is for sure: reading makes for a better life. I’ve asked (and answered) the questions: what is reading, what you can read, how to read, and where you can read.
Now I attempt to answer the better question—why read?
- Increased focus: Because reading is so active, it keeps your brain sharp. So it keeps your mental capacity from declining as you get older. For the same reasons, Reading also helps you have a better memory and can help fight dementia.
- Higher intelligence: It shouldn’t come as a surprise that reading increases your intelligence. But are smart people smart because they read. Or do they read because they’re smart.
- Reduces stress: Books have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety by up to 68%. Reading takes you out of the stresses in your world and takes you to another place—sometimes that place can be stressful, too, but at least your safely outside of the book world.
- More empathetic: Multiple studies suggests that reading fiction can help you to be more understanding of people different from yourself. Because what’s more empathetic than getting into the head of a made-up person?
- Larger vocabulary: What’s better for learning more words than staring at words constantly? Especially reading really thick leather books that use long words like “ostentatious.”
- Cheap entertainment: Even if you paid $10 for a book, that’s still cheaper than going to the movies. And the movies last a few hours, but it takes days or weeks to read a most books. So reading has got an unbeatable cost per hour.
- Longer life: Yep, readers tend to live longer lives. Reading is shown to help reduce your chance of Alzheimer’s. It helps you get to sleep faster—at least compared to staring at your phone before bed. But it may also be because readers tend to live slightly less risky lives, preferring a book to jumping motorcycles or skydiving.
In the words of author Pat Conroy, reading “exists to force people to examine every facet of their lives and beliefs.” Reading is like holding up a mirror to better see ourselves.
Overall, reading makes our lives better. “When we’re reading a good book,” writes Steve Leveen, “burdens feel lighter, cares seem smaller… you become your best, optimistic self.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCKfvxnljYY