The Importance of Reading

Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind, which are delivered down from generation to generation, as presents to the posterity of those who are yet unborn.
- Joseph Addison

Profound thoughts have origins in reading. We are fortunate to live in a time where so much history and learning is at our fingertips. We can analyse poetry from the 18th century and then dive into the Greek origin of myths by picking up another volume.

There is a lot of focus about how important reading is for children, which is think is vitally important, and I love to see parents reading to little ones. It instills good habits. I think that same focus should be put on adults, too. For we are life long learners, and that should never stop, even if college is over and we are set in a job. Adults tend to lose a sense of real adventure, story, and imagination in the midst of busy work days.

Many years ago, before television and movies, before cars and planes, downtime was spent reading. In the evenings around the fireplace, families would read out loud from a volume (perhaps Shakespeare or Milton) as everyone listened. Maybe some card games were played afterwards. Entertainment seemed to be so simple, but it also required a little bit of brain power. I cannot say the same for entertainment nowadays. 

To those who say that they watch educational programs, which of course I enjoy, too, every now and then, here is my caveat. Whenever you watch a movie or television program you are engaged by someone else's vision, and your brain is accepting that which is before you. Your own imagination is not being engaged to create the world in your mind. It's being shown to you, instead, and I think there is something vital missing in that. 

God made us to sub-create. When we read good books, we are sub-creating that world in our minds, with the rich language and words building that image. Thus, our imaginations are fully working and creating the world as we read through the book. This is why I will say that the book is always better than the movie. Our imaginations fly highest with the best kind of stories that are full of description and imagery. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll are prime examples of such writing. 

I hear most often that at the end of the day, you are so tired from the busy day that you just want to zone out in front of the television. While I fight the urge to do this sometimes, too (though I don't have cable so it would be a DVD or something), I am never satisfied that I spent my time wisely when I do that. To keep our minds young and sharp, reading is one of the best things you can do. And all kinds of subjects are good, too, it is not just literature. Whatever topics interest you, discover more by reading.