Everything You Know About Reading Is Wrong
Reading only creates confusion
“Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will…”
Warren Buffett
There are countless misleading assumptions about reading:
- Readers are leaders
- Every CEO reads 4–5 books per month
- You should read 1 book a week
- Want to know more? Read more books!
Everything is leading to the same result — it creates confusion!
Personal Development
Let’s take self-improvement space for example.
- Self-proclaimed “gurus”,
- Book authors
- Coaches
- Entrepreneurs
Are saying that you should read in order to gain knowledge.
So, they give you the list of the “most valuable” books that every successful human being must read.
- Rich Dad Poor Dad
- Atomic Habits
- Think and Grow Rich
- Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
- Think Like a Monk
The list goes on and on.
What happens when you read them?
You start noticing that the concepts are repeating.
But the slight twitches of ideas create confusion in your mind.
Should I meditate before or after my morning walk?
How should I schedule my work?
Should I build my business on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram?
Should I care more or less?
Should I work whole day and just keep being consistent, or should I focus on the life-work balance?
Whom to listen?
Who is the best?
Who is my saviour?
They create confusion by conflicting advice, so you don’t know who to listen to.
Conflicting ideas
Reading of many authors and books of every sort may tend to make you more discursive and unsteady.
Seneka: Letters From a Stoic
So you try one method for 3 weeks, and then change it just because the author of the book you’re currently reading recommends the opposite approach.
- You’re constantly changing your approach, that’s why you always fail.
- You listen to them, not to yourself.
The books you’re reading become your enemies.
https://readmedium.com/i-wont-read-self-help-books-anymore-08fb83d1bb92
“But, I should read! There’s no other way to gain knowledge!”
I agree with you.
But there’s one twist:
- Read less different books
- Find the best books
- And reread them frequently
“Rereading, we find a new book.”
Mason Cooley
So there’s:
- No confusion left
- No conflicting advice
But a definite guide to obtaining the wisdom you need.
What to read?
There’s no definite answer to that question.
But reading the books everyone else is reading probably isn’t the best choice.
I found my treasure in philosophy,
you might find it in religion, or somewhere else.
- Marcus Aurelius: Meditations
- Seneka: The Letters From a Stoic
- Epictetus: Discourses
These are some examples of timeless wisdom.
Learn to live
They teach you how to live life according to your own nature, and that’s what we’re missing in our modern world.
So find something that will teach you how to live, and stop seeking the mentor that will lay out your success path for you.
That will change the course of your life forever!
What’s your REREAD book?
Mine is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius :).
Check out: I Won’t Read Self-Help Books Anymore
I plan to visit a temple in China to deepen my qigong and meditation practice. You can support me here: https://ko-fi.com/jakajuvan/goal?g=0
