The Most Underrated Reading Habit You Can Pick Up This Weekend
This will save you from a future disgrace
Sam Bankman-Fried, the now convicted founder of FTX, had a funny reading habit.
Funny in that he didn’t read at all.
Sam believed Shakespeare was overrated, and that all books could be summed up in a 900-word blog post. In Michael Lewis’ new book Going Infinite, Sam confesses that he stopped reading altogether in high school and disagreed with English class, “I objected to the fundamental reality of the entire class.”
Reading has no value in Sam’s world.
Literature has no value? Nonsense.
The point of reading books isn’t to sum it up in a blog post.
You read books to get the full picture. To gain a deeper understanding of the human condition. Sam may find Shakespeare overrated, but he forgets that most dramas, comedies, and historical fiction (things we call entertainment) are modeled from his storytelling.
That’s worth paying attention to.
The point is to learn from the experiences of others.
Even if that person is fiction.
Ryan Holiday highlighted an awesome quote from Marcus Aurelius in one of his articles. “We read to remind us of what can happen, and that it happens inevitably– and if something gives you pleasure on that stage, it shouldn’t cause you anger on this one.”
In that sense, reading isn’t about getting its gist. It’s about gaining its wisdom.
The most underrated habit you can pick up right now.
Sam is an extreme case of a reading cynic.
Most people I know read books. Yet, many people (myself included) don’t read enough fiction. Admittedly, I read mostly self-help and history. Of the twenty-five or so books I read in 2023, maybe five were fiction.
We fall into this trap because the literature’s value isn’t necessarily clear. They don’t come with “how-to guides” or “steps for your success.” You must chew on the lessons. Let them take you for an emotional ride. You dig in on your own terms and on your own time.
It can feel like work.
But, if you do this, you can learn just as much from fiction as nonfiction. I take that back. You can learn more!
Consider this article from the Harvard Business Review, which says reading fiction develops empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking more than nonfiction.
Let’s not forget about the research connecting literature to reducing stress and anxiety.
How to gain more wisdom from fiction
I don’t read enough fiction, but I do a good job of retaining its wisdom when I do.
Here are a few strategies that work for me:
Journal—I know. I’ve beat journaling to death, but I’ve found the practice the single most effective way to retain what I’ve read. When reading fiction, I suggest highlighting everything that jumps out at you. A line that says something about your personal struggles and triumphs. Highlight it, bookmark it, then keep reading. When you finish the book, go back and review what you highlighted and write down what that passage means to you in a journal. Writing it down will help you retain its wisdom, and because it’s in your journal, it’s always there to revisit.
Reread old books—There’s only one book on my bookshelf that I reread each year without fail—A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This might be the best reading habit I have. You can’t judge masterpieces like A Christmas Carol with one reading experience. It’s a story that teaches me a new lesson each time I read it because I’m a different person each time I read it. As the saying goes, you never step into the same river twice. That’s why it’s important to return to these stories again and again.
Save yourself from future mistakes.
People often complain that they get dull after college. That nothing is novel anymore.
Reading is the cure for that virus. It’s taking education into your own hands. Sure, it’s a leisure activity, but it’s also an opportunity to save yourself from future mistakes. Treat books with respect and make it a goal to read more fiction.
Could reading more fiction have saved Sam Bankman-Fried from his fate?
A jury convicted Sam of fraud and a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison.
Could reading literature have saved him from this fate?
Who knows.
But I’m sure it didn’t help.
There’s a line from A Christmas Carol that kept repeating in my head while I was reading Michael Lewis’ book.
When Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present, he is startled by two ragged children hiding beneath his robe. “The boy is ignorance, and the girl is want,” says the Ghost.
“Beware them both, and all their degrees, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom.”