Why Reading More Won’t Actually Make You Successful
The truth about one of our favorite pastimes
Modern society revolves around two things; trends and efficiency.
Headphones with wires are gadgets of the past. Direct messaging someone on social media is an effective form of communication. Apps are used to open bank accounts. Multitasking is a marketable skill. And the 20-something sitting alone at a retro styled coffee shop with Warby Parker glasses, cold brew, and book in hand is no longer an outcast.
Our opinion on bookworms is evolving. Reading is suddenly cool.
This shift has brought on a wave of new courses and YouTube videos claiming to help us consume increased amounts of content in less time, aka “speed reading”- essentially streamlining our reading habits. Nearly every week I find a new article from someone claiming to have read 100+ books in a year. This has only been further glorified by iconic founders and rich CEO’s promoting books as one of their secret keys to prosperity. There’s nothing outwardly wrong with this, but it has led to a fundamental misunderstanding about reading books and how they relate to achievement.
Increasing the number of books your finishing wont necessarily result in higher levels of intellect or accomplishment because reading in itself…
