Books Shape You

“Television, radio, and all the sources of amusement and information that surround us in our daily lives are artificial props. They can give us the impression that our minds are active… But the power of those external stimuli to keep us going is limited. They are like drugs. We grow used to them, and we continuously need more and more of them. Eventually, they have little or no effect. Then, if we lack resources within ourselves, we cease to grow intellectually, morally, and spiritually. And when we cease to grow, we begin to die.” 

The quote above is from Mortimer J. Adler in his classic book entitled “How to Read a Book” that was first published in 1940. He was concerned (in 1940!) that people were ceasing to grow and therefore were dying slowly, because they were watching entertainment instead of reading.

Are you growing intellectually, morally, and spiritually?

Or are you slowly dying?

I have found reading to grow me and shape me in profound ways over my life. I plead with you to start, resume, or deepen your discipline of reading today.

Reading shapes you. It transforms you from who you are into someone else. If you read well, it changes you into a better person. Reading does this in a way that television, movies, and other media cannot.

So my encouragement to you today is this: pick up a book and start reading. Perhaps you have had a book on your shelf or on the nightstand that you have been neglecting. Pick it up and read. Perhaps it will change you for the better.

If you find that the book you have picked up is not good, or that it is shaping you in a way that is not good, put it down and pick up another. There are literally thousands of amazing books out there and we have more access to them than any generation in the history of mankind. Pick one up, and read it!

If this article has intrigued you on this topic, I encourage you towards two books:

“How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading” by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles van Doren. In addition to being a great conversation starter when you’re sitting around reading a book entitled “How to Read a Book”, you will find this book a fascinating help to grow a love of reading and to love really good books.

“Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business” by Neil Postman. This book was first published in 1985. Postman lays out how television is making us dumber as a society. I find it shocking how accurate he was, and how much farther we have come with the advent of 24/7 news outlets, social media, and endless options for watching videos online. This book will fuel your desire to put down your devices, read a book, and allow it to shape you.

I love you guys,

Brian O’Day