If You Don’t Remember What You Read, Is It Pointless To Read?
By most standards, I am a voracious reader and enjoy spending a lot of my time reading. In fact, my idea of a holiday is reading in different places in the world!
However, when I look back at the list of books I’ve read, even in the last few months, I realize that I don’t remember much. And I’m not talking verbatim remembering, but just the main key points and ideas.
For instance, I’ve just finished my third reading of Homo Deus. While I can’t remember the book’s precise journey of philosophical and logical arguments, it has deeply affected me.
How is this possible? A large tome, most of which I don’t remember deeply, changes how I think about the world.
I assume that what is happening is that while the book and the ideas stay the same while I read it, I actually change while I read. The words on the page, shaping into ideas, change my own ideas about how I perceive the world, how it works, and how I relate to both my inner self as well as the people around me.
I’ve been vegetarian for most of my twenties, and yet this wasn’t out of compassion for animals but more of a habit. Upon reading an entire chapter of Homo Deus that is dedicated to the relationship between humans and animals, I was inspired to write an essay on vegetarianism and also deeply think about the ethical choices I make and especially the fact that I still consume dairy products and eggs.
So, while I don’t remember much of this book, it has shaped me deeply.
So, this is why reading is not pointless. It can change how we view and interpret the world around us, and if you wisely choose what you read and, more importantly, what you accept as logical arguments, you will become a better global citizen.
