The Importance Of Reading | Why Should You Read?

The Importance Of Reading

Books have been our saving grace ever since we can remember. Whether for knowledge transfer, entertainment, or growth. The importance of reading books is often understated. At times when modern technology didn’t exist books became our escape. People have been reading books for millennia., indeed there has to be some incentive. Reading books is undoubtedly the most overlooked personal-growth habit. Reading books is as important as any other essential life activity.

 Reading books paves way for a healthy mind, soul, and psyche. The emphasis on the importance of reading is being preached by many people everyday. Reading is a full-fledged activity in itself. The benefits might not be visible but it leaves an everlasting impact. This is the place to be if you’ve ever questioned “What is the importance of reading?”. Let’s dive deep into the importance of reading books. 

Why should you know the importance of reading books?

• To understand the scientific reasoning behind the benefits of reading books.
• To learn about experience-based reasoning behind the benefits of reading books.
• To encourage yourself and others to start reading books. 
• To help trace your progress.
• To observe the changes reading books has caused.

The Importance Of Reading – Proven Scientifically

The best way to prove reasoning unequivocally is by stating scientific developments associated with it. Reading books have some significant effects on the human body and mind. Scientists have conducted various research and monitored the human body precisely to derive some mind-blowing benefits of reading books. 

Why reading books is important for the brain?

Over the years many scientific studies have proven that reading books can help in the overall development of the brain. Reading books is more than just a pleasurable activity, it is a vital exercise for our brain. 

An article published in The Hill elaborates on the effects of reading on the brain and states that “Learning to read changes the primitive parts of the brain”. The article also discloses that “Reading doesn’t rely on a single area of the brain but several areas work together.” Hence, increasing brain connectivity. 

Carnegie Mellon University scientists Timothy Keller and Marcel discovered the first evidence that solidified the impact of reading on our brains. They stated that “Improving reading skills causes the brain to re-wire itself and generate new white matter.” Furthermore, the scientists studied the brain of 72 children between the age of 8 to 10 to derive their conclusion. Read the full article to understand more. 

These two articles put emphasis on the importance of reading books as it is vital for enhanced brain connectivity. The development of new white matter paves the way for fast and efficient information transmission.

According to an article published in The Medium, reading strengthens the already existing neural pathways and also gives rise to new synapses between the brain’s nerve cells. The process improves memory and helps individuals recall and store more information in the brain effectively.

Furthermore, An article by OEDB, states that reading causes our brain to create imagery involuntarily. The article also asserts that reading about something is almost the same as experiencing it. 

Reading is also known for improving something very vital: The Attention Span. Regularly scrolling through Instagram and browsing the internet for hours has shrunk the human attention span to an unsettling level. Reading books has proven to improve and expand the attention level significantly.

From all the research and studies conducted over the years, the following statements can be derived.

• Reading books enhances brain connectivity. 
• Reading helps in the development of new white matter.
• Reading is known for improving memory. 
• Reading books facilitates large memory stores and faster transmission.
•  Reading books changes the structure of our brain positively. 
• Reading books can significantly enlarge the attention span. 
• Reading books facilitates better focus and concentration. 

Reading books is as important as any other daily life function as it develops, diversifies, enhances, and changes our brain in unexpected but beneficial ways. 

The Importance Of Reading proven by experience

Scientific evidence offers useful insights into the importance of reading books. Although a genuine testimonial can be far more convincing to some people. Personal experience offers conclusive evidence and in-depth insights which are extremely valuable. Experiential proof forms a humane connection and people can relate to the experiences making it very persuasive.  Here are some experience-based evidence that will help you find the answer to the question of “What is the importance of reading?”

What benefits have people gained?

You’ll find countless articles all over the web and innumerable videos on YouTube, where people are narrating their reader’s journeys. Ever since human civilization came into existence it has only benefitted from reading.  People all across the world have their tales about their reading journey. Here are a few prominent benefits of reading books that have been highlighted by numerous individuals all across the web.

Expansion of concepts and perspective

People who never strive to increase their array of knowledge will always have a trifling significance. The human brain’s capability to learn and store knowledge is limitless but regrettably most people never even attempt in doing so. They mostly stick to the academic books which are forced upon them. People hardly read when there is no subsequent immediate benefit attached to it.

People who read have claimed that ‘Reading has helped them expand their knowledge bank’. A greater storehouse of knowledge makes one a wiser person with strong opinions and solid factual knowledge to back them up. You may not receive a grade sheet for reading self-help books but the information you retain will prove to be helpful in many situations. Reading can also be an effective tool for increasing your vocabulary making you a better writer and speaker which can be highly beneficial in any career field. Reading is important for personal growth and self-help.

In a room full of opinions you’ll be able to slide in your stake without fear. In a room full of immature people-pleasers you’ll be wiser. In a room full of irrelevant opinions you’ll be able to assert yourself by stating facts. In a room full of colleagues you’ll have more knowledge than anyone else. In a room full of single-minded people you’ll be more flexible in your thinking. In a world full of narrow-knowledged people you’ll have a diverse array of thoughts to offer.

Expansion of one’s consciousness

How often does it happen that human beings fail to understand each other despite being among the smartest of creatures? To improve oneself, it is necessary to be aware of one’s follies. As the world is growing people have stopped understanding other people and even themselves. Introspective and empathic people are paltry in the modern era.

Readers on the other hand constantly step into other’s shoes when reading stories, this permits them to be more emphatic and aware. Reading books is one of the best ways to understand human actions and feelings. When you read about an experience you live it. This grants you insights and understanding. Reading about a relatable character helps you be more self-aware. You’ll pick up on your misdeeds while reading about the character. Sometimes it takes stepping out and moving backward to understand yourself.

People who regularly read have professed about their experience and claimed that reading made them more self-aware, and empathetic towards others, and also enabled them to introspectively analyze themselves.

Time off-screen

Ever since technological advancements became ubiquitous human intellect has only gone down. People are gaining the same level of satisfaction from a 30-second reel as they would from reading a good book. And of course, people would choose the easier way. Social media and mobile devices not only reduce the attention span but also causes severe damage to mental health. Continuous scrolling through social media can cause a degradation in happiness levels. Social media is making people dumber says an article in The Medium. Not only that the portrayal of a perfect life on social media causes many people to feel insecure and depressed.

Reading books on the other hand requires focus and is harder, so it is often avoided. Regular readers have a larger attention span, thanks to their hours-long reading sessions. Reading is a far better leisure activity than browsing the web. Reading a good book will make you feel better as compared to using your mobile. Reading for pleasure is a much better activity as compared to other means to do so. Reading books will subsequently improve your mental health. It will also help you minimize distractions. All in all reading books is important for growth, mental health, and intellect.

Common problems people face when starting to read

How to develop a reading habit?

Struggling to develop a reading habit

Beginners often struggle with developing a regular reading regime. Reading to them becomes a flash in the pan. For a person who has never read, developing a routine can be quite troublesome.

If you’ve ever tried to develop a reading habit and been unsuccessful, then quick these tips are for you. For more details, here’s an extensive article on developing a reading habit.

• Start with a genre that interests you. 
• Explore as many genres as you can.
• Explore a variety of formats like audiobooks or e-books and choose what suits you the best.
• Surround yourself with fellow readers. 
• Self-discipline is the key element here.
• Read at your own pace.
•  A habit can only be built by persistence. 
• Pick a book and just begin.

Not being able to concentrate

Not being able to focus is a common struggle among new readers. Lack of concentration can have many factors including the environment or history. Some of the factors contributing to your lack of focus can be.

• Distractive surroundings.
• Loud noises.
• An improper place for reading.
• Short attention span.
• Long screen time.
• Laziness
• Wrong time for reading.

Ways to improve your focus while reading

• Assign a scheduled reading corner for yourself.
• Keep your mobile phone away when reading.
• Use a paperback dictionary instead of a phone to find out meanings.
• Do not read on mobile replace it with a Kindle.
• Start with short books.
• Read when you feel the most energized.
• Read for 30 mins then take a break.

How to retain what you read?

Forgot what you read? Whether beginners or expert readers, everyone struggles with retaining what they read in a book. Of course, you cannot remember everything you read in a book but if the information completely vanishes from your mind then you’re something wrong. The purpose of reading is to help us learn more and that cannot be done without retainment. Here are some quick tips for remembering what you read in a book. For better results refer to our extensive article on how to retain what you read.

• Perform active reading.
• You can use different colored pens to mark different character details, situations, and deviations for future reference. 
• Write down a summary or analysis of the book in a notebook. 
• For better accessibility prepare flashcards with only the important stuff written on them.
• Re-visiting what you read or learned is one of the ways to assure proper retainment

How to get out of reading slumps?

Not finishing a book or Not reading for weeks. Often a person is very motivated when beginning their reading journey but it soon collapses. It is a common phenomenon that even expert readers get into. You finish a book and then you don’t read for weeks or months, this occurs majorly in beginners. This is called a reading slump. How do you get out of this reading slump? Here are some quick tips that’ll be highly beneficial when trying to break through a reading slump.

• Start again with short books.
• Set achievable short-term reading goals.
• Explore something outside of your generally preferred genre.
• Join a book community.
• Do not force yourself to finish a book.
• Re-read old favorites.
• Try e-books or audiobooks.

Prominent personalities’ views on reading

Every other entrepreneur or business or any other successful personality you see have reading books in their daily routine. Every one of them emphasizes reading whether it be Elon Musk or Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. Have you ever wondered why is that? As mentioned earlier, people highly understate the importance of reading nowadays. They are unable to discern the true emphasis on importance of reading. Not every reader becomes the next Elon Musk but readers are always two steps ahead of non-readers. Here’s how some of the eminent personalities view reading.

Elon Musk

In an interview, Elon Musk retells tales from his childhood saying he started reading out of boredom. Due to a lack of reading material, he used to read encyclopedias. Furthermore, he gives out reasoning stating the importance of reading. Reading books enables one to keep learning which is an essential item for growth in life. Reading can also help in predicting the future because the best way to predict the future is by creating it. His advice to all youngsters is to ingest as much information as you can and learn about everything.

Jordan Peterson

Jordon Peterson is one of the most influential intellectuals of the West. He has been widely appreciated for his great advice and impactful debates. His book ‘12 Rules For Life’ is among the best-selling self-help novels of all time. In a podcast, he discusses the importance of reading. He states that reading has become a minority occupation but its significance is still present. He further discusses the impacts of podcasts and the new digital technology. He covers extensive details and useful insights in this H3 podcast.

The Importance Of Reading – Author’s Note

As a teenager reading books became my way of escaping reality for a while. After being influenced by my brother who is an avid reader I began my reading journey. I started with fiction books as a teenager mostly the romance and fantasy genres. Reading about some cliché high-school romance became my way of relaxing after a hectic day at school. As a serial fiction reader, I was skeptical to start non-fiction books but when I began reading them, it proved much more enjoyable. People have this notion about self-help and non-fiction books that they are the most generic advice printed on paper with an expensive-looking cover.

But what most people fail to understand is that the most generic and obvious advice is often ignored by the majority. Reading, keeping your body healthy, and having a routine are some of the most widely used obvious self-help advice. Almost all successful people emphasize on that but yet it is highly ignored by the majority of people. A single self-help book cannot change a person, it takes loads of them to imprint the most basic thing in your brain. Apart from them people also tend to understate the value of reading fiction. Fiction has helped me be more humane and non-fiction has helped me be a better human being.

So how did reading change my life? Here is an extensive article about my reading journey. My most basic advice to a new reader would be to just start. You don’t need to have everything planned out. Reading is probably the best habit you’ll ever pick up.

• Just start.
• Begin with easy books of your preferred genres.
• It’s okay to fall into reading slumps occasionally.
• Do not just stick to popular books.
• Try to read one book a week.
• Record your progress in a book journal.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a reason the importance of reading books has been emphasized by so many people so many times. Reading has miraculous benefits that people are failing to understand. No matter what the era the importance of reading will always be significant. You’ll never truly understand the hype about the importance of reading books until you do it yourself. So irrespective of one’s age, career field, or lifestyle, one must read and read and read.

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