Why You Should Read Less Books in 2021

I had forgotten how to read despite completing four books a month. After a few weeks of hitting my reading goal, I hardly remembered the books’ names.  The pressure of reading 50, 60 books a year had gotten to me. I had fallen into the ultimate trap of equating my intellect with how well-read I am. This resulted from a culture where examples are thrown around about how Bill Gates reads 50 books a year coupled with the constant crowd of book titles winning newer literature prizes every day. There is a cultural prestige that comes with the maximalist philosophy of hoarding many books.  The assumption is understandable. It is for the same reason that money is associated with success: It is an easy, quantifiable, data-driven measurement of something intangible. But like the former money-success assumption, the more books-better intellect assumption is also worth questioning.  It is worth pausing and reflecting on why to read, what to read, and how to read rather than indiscriminately reading lots of books under the premise that it is time and energy well-spent.  Because despite reading a book a week, I hardly had any enjoyment in reading. I did not get wiser or truly grasped anything new. All I had was a pang of guilt parading me to read more, not read better.  So, in 2020, I read far fewer books than I had in any other year. Instead of learning about always-in-business speed reading, I learned about the philosophical slow and immersive r...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: creativity featured productivity tips reading self-improvement books pickthebrain self improvement Source Type: blogs