I am not what you would call ‘a reader’ but in recent weeks, I have taken up reading each night before bed. It’s profoundly uplifting reading the wisdom of people I admire, for several reasons.
Now, I have known ‘readers’ – people who read books in days, will sit down on holiday in foreign countries and just read all day. Total immersion.
But last night I paused partway through a chapter and thought about these people and the common denominator of all of them was the sheer speed they would go through pages and chapters!
Yeah, they didn’t ‘read’ those books, they simply wanted the accolade of “I read that before everyone else.” – “I’ve already read that.” – “Oh, I read that ages ago! Haven’t you read it yet?!” Ugh! Ego. Lots of ego.
I remember watching a school friend read a book, ‘reading’ two pages, I kid you not, in about 10-15 seconds. I remember being totally perplexed, astonished, by her. “Oh yes, I read really quickly.” Nope!
It’s disrespectful and I’ll tell you why. Think of the amount of effort that goes into writing just one book, I wonder if you’ve ever thought about it.
The sheer commitment to writing one book is something the vast majority never do, let alone multiple tomes. The pains and frustrations that authors go through to elucidate and express their thoughts and you’re ‘speed’ reading or ‘diagonal’ reading?! Rude and not real.
As I read each word clearly last night, I felt a profound sense of adulthood and gratitude. No hurry, no rush, just me with the author’s work, a true meeting of minds, forged over decades, wonderful!
That’s how we should be doing things – calmly, respectfully, acknowledging the efforts and genius of people who have created things for our benefit.
I learn to acknowledge these things more and more, we are surrounded by extraordinary people all the time – when we switch on the lights, when we wander along pavements, when we boil water in a pan, things people have figured out for us and we don’t even know their names.
Something to really think about and incorporate into your life.