From the Hip #2 - Read More

You should read more. And I should read more. Everyone should read more. Why?
1. Reading gives you a chance to "visit" another person's mind. And if you're reading the right things (translation: not Internet message boards), it can be a chance to "visit" the mind of a great thinker. Most published authors have something valuable to contribute—certainly some more than others—and when we get to go inside and poke around the mind of a great thinker, there's a good chance we might be able to walk out with something of value. For the same reasons, I think it's important to read different things. If you only ever read from the same few authors or from one genre, you're going to be exploring the same mind, the same cluster of ideas, the same viewpoints over and over. This is certainly better than nothing, but exposure to new ideas, challenging ideas, and new perspectives and ways of thinking provides the opportunity for more growth and discovery.
2. Reading gives you a chance to pick up on patterns. This ties in closely with my first point. The beautiful thing here is that patterns tend to be universal. This means that whatever you're reading, there's a good chance you'll be able to pick up on some patterns and relate it back to what you care about. If fitness is your shtick, you don't need to just read books about fitness. In fact, you shouldn't just read books about fitness. Read fiction books, read non-fiction books, read scientific tomes, read fantastical fictions, read historical biographies, whatever. Expose yourself to more ideas from more people (again, preferably not the people on Internet message boards), and some of these patterns will start to pop up and stick in your mind. These patterns will rise to the top of your consciousness and you'll start to see them in everyday life, see how they work, see why they matter, and use them to better yourself.
3. Reading forces you to focus on a single thing. When you read, you really can't do anything else. And if you're trying to read and listen to the radio and brush your teeth at the same time, stop. Part of the beauty of reading is that it's an activity that, by nature, requires near full attention. If you're doing a bunch of other things while you read, then I'd say you're not really reading—maybe you're 1/3rd reading if you're lucky, and you're really selling yourself short. Reading requires stillness and attention, and in this way it is a very meditative activity (and for this reason, it can sometimes be a very difficult activity, too). It requires your mind to shut out all the other crap that's bouncing around and to immerse itself in concrete ideas, in a fictional world, in a character, in a philosophy, etc. In this sense, reading is a type of training for the rest of life. It is an exercise in making you a more intentional, aware, and focused being, and this skill can be applied elsewhere. Am I saying that reading can make you better at squatting or a better spouse or a better businessperson? Yes, maybe I am. So do it.

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Strong of heart, strong of mind, strong of swole.