Curious Corner

“Books – a thing which a lot of people say they want to read but seldom put the needed effort.”
“Reading – a habit which a lot of people say they would love to inculcate but seldom put the needed effort.”

Aspirations vs Reality

Reading books, or reading in general, is one of those things that will wind up on many people’s New Year’s resolution lists. And we all know what happens with those resolutions. At best, we stick to them for a week or so, then everything is back to the same old, same old. We all have done that, and so have I. But being stuck in the same predicament for a long time, things changed. It all began with start of my college life to pursue engineering. It started with a small advice from someone I met there. He was one of my senior and I learned a lot from him. He said, “Start small.” And that is exactly what I did for a very long time. Then it picked up pace on its own. I started with self-development books, then classics, then science fiction, then biographies, and then kept going on and on. Fast forward 5-6 years to the present, and here I am pursuing an MBA and writing articles and stuff. From my personal journey, I can say that reading changes you profoundly. For better or worse it for you to judge. And it can definitely transform you completely.

Warning

But if you are afraid to change, then don’t bother to read because you will fail to recognize the version of yourself that you will leave behind, if you choose to go on this journey. There are many other aspects of this change and transformation that you would discover as you keep exploring. Let’s explore them to understand why you should not read.

First Reason

If you don’t fancy the idea of your imagination running wild and experiencing something beyond the limits of reality. If you don’t crave the thrill, the action, and the anticipation of a powerful story, if you don’t cherish the pain, the sadness and the sorrow of a touching story, if you don’t desire the passion, the affection and the warmth of a love story; if you don’t care, what others have to share, then you don’t dare.

If you never dream of the past nor of the future, if you never wished to meet great people that paved the path to our future, if you never wished to meet legends who changed the course of history and our past, then don’t bother to read.

Second Reason

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”

― Jhumpa Lahiri

This line by Jhumpa Lahiri brilliantly captures one of the most wonderful things about reading books – they will let you explore the whole world for free. They will let you experience different places, cultures, societies and their customs. They will open your mind to new ideas and innovations. At times they will challenge the status quo of your thoughts and beliefs and push you beyond your zone of comfort. But all this will broaden your perspective on life and worldview. They will even take you on a journey across time to explore the annals of history. If you do not dare to go beyond your comfort zone, then don’t even try to read.

Third Reason

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,” said Jojen. “The man who never reads lives only one.”

― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

You might think that this line by George R.R. Martin, which vividly captures the essence of what it’s like to immerse yourself into a captivating plot, is mentioned to encourage you to read, but it’s not. This is a warning in disguise, as with a thousand lives also come a thousand deaths. In each life, you will feel the struggle of the characters, their fears, their pain, their sorrows, and their sufferings as your own. Your tears will make it very hard to distinguish where the story ends and life begins. In each life, you will also feel their love and care, their warmth and tenderness, and their joy as your own. Your feelings will make it very hard not to question yourself – how all of this is not real. You will rejoice in their victory and cry in their fall; you will feel it all.

So, are you bold enough, tough enough, fearless enough, and valiant enough to die a thousand deaths in a single life? If not, then don’t bother to read.

Counter Reason

“Ignorance is bliss when the truth is too much to bear, but the truth will set you free for those with shoulders strong enough to carry it.”

― Anonymous

This beautiful line serves as the final and last reason for why you should not read. So beware, these are the perils that you will face if you start reading books.

However, at last, I would like to mention one reason in favor of reading. This is so crucial and significant that I would bet my life on it. If you have the will strong enough then it will set you free. Reading will make you impervious to the many layers of deception ever present in society and will allow you to perceive the hidden truth. No one and absolutely no one will be able to make a fool of you. It will give you the power to see through the lies and deceptions of people be it demagogue politicians, pretentious well-wishers or scheming manipulators. It will make your intellect sharp enough to cut through the sticky web of lies spun by people in order to use you for their own means. You will be able to read between the lines and see through their rhetoric. It will give you true independence and set you free from the undue influence of others. You will truly become a master of your own self.