The Importance of Reading

I will approach this topic in a very inviting, simple, and easy-to-understand way, using vocabulary that anyone would use in their daily life, all to attract your attention to this wonderful moment.

Reading is something extremely interesting, and many people see it as an unparalleled source of knowledge. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why, in fact, we learn to read? I think this question isn’t too difficult to answer, right? Well, I believe we learn to read for various reasons, but I’ll highlight three points that I consider the most convincing about why someone should learn to read.

Reliability. Although many older folks say, "In my day, everything was done on a handshake, and a person’s word was their bond," if we look at the history of writing, we will see that many important contracts, such as land ownership or marriage agreements, had written records and were documented according to what was agreed upon. Violators of these agreements faced consequences. Today, things aren’t much different. Reading a contract is essential to know if we are agreeing to something we truly understand.

Responsibility. In this case, the responsibility is not only on the reader but also on the writer. When we read an article, post, book, etc., there is a great responsibility on the part of the author. In other words, if I know how to read, I can analyze the information, cross-check it with facts, and validate the reliability of the document. I will have a real experience of whether what was written is true, if the presented truth applies to everyone, or if it is completely false. The decision of what to do with the knowledge acquired from reading is the responsibility of the reader. Let’s take an example by thinking about a child: while she doesn’t know how to read, it’s easy to tell her that Santa Claus exists or that babies come from storks. She depends entirely on the information provided by the adults around her, which directly relates to the third and most important point.

Freedom. Reading can set you free, but it can also trap you. It largely depends on your responsibility when reading each post, book, newspaper, etc. Reading is a form of information, just like word of mouth. People with bad intentions can write things to mislead others, but one thing is inevitable: reading brings experiences, giving us the possibility of becoming freer. If we need to get to the center of a city, it’s much more helpful to have a map in hand. Not all books provide clear, objective, and precise directions to reach a goal, but I believe that this can be found in amazing books, wonderful posts, surprising headlines, etc.

In summary, I want to say that reading is a way to practice common sense, empathy, interpretation of facts and statements, as well as technical concepts. Reading doesn’t just help you understand a machine better – if I read the manual, I should at least know how to use it – but it also improves interpersonal communication.

I believe the biggest challenge for those starting to read is the technicality of the book. Many people want to start by reading entrepreneurship books because they’re looking to earn extra income, or self-help books because they want to find a partner or feel more confident at work. That’s a good start, but to stick with reading, one needs to go beyond and understand that reading is shaping them, building a new character, making the child, for example, question the existence of Santa Claus or who the stork is that brings the babies.

Understand that each sentence you read is something that can either add to or be discarded from your life. Perhaps it is something you begin to accept or reject over time.

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