On Reading
In the modern world, men seem to have lost track of the most influential and essential skills which will elevate their lives, which is the lost art of reading. It seems simple: open book, read words, close book, done. However, what the non-reader does not realize is that they are neglecting their own social and financial growth, as well as the lives of their children being succumbed to the same fate.
A recent study explores that children who are raised around a reading parent, as well as having a library located within the household, receive better grades and are overall more well-rounded than those of non-reading households. In addition, those children who were read to at an early age by their parents were more than likely to sustain the habit of reading when they elevated into adulthood. Reading allows a man to educate himself, the power to instill within himself the philosophy of wise men before him, the capability to enthrall himself into the realm of great stories. Instead of enthralling himself with what is popular on television, he now has the capability of elevating his mind. Instead of having to rely upon others for his intellectual gathering, he can hold the future of his mind in his own hands. Without the barrier of a lack of proper teaching in reading, a man is capable of being the source of other’s self-actualization by teaching others to read for themselves.
The first step into the right direction is to begin with what you know. Therefore, if a man loves western movies, perhaps his starting point should begin with great works related to Lous L’amour. If his fancy be directed towards horror, then perhaps Clive Barker would be a proper turn in the right direction. If fantasy be his guilty pleasure, then George R. R. Martin would be an excellent start. In short, read what interests you, broaden your horizon into your desired niche and find how it relates to additional genres. For example, if one finds action and adventure to be his field, then he may sway into reading about Theodore Roosevelt. Once here, he may move into the study of hunting and scouting. If he continues this journey in reverse, a man will find himself enthralled into a realm far beyond his start and hopefully become a wiser man in the process.
Once a man has ventured through this process, he will adapt to new skills and interests. By reading about hunting, he may decide to take down his first trophy and align with great men of old. If he reads of Bobby Fischer, a man may decide to test his mind with the art of Chess. If the study of philosophy a man agrees with inspires him, a man will bind this ideal to his life, changing himself for the better. He becomes deeper, wiser and more understanding of the world around him. He develops his soul as well as his mind, reaching further than the self and achieving self-actualization in the process. Based on the lives of others who have achieved greatness, when they decided that the art of reading the great works of others, they too achieved greatness by the works they bestowed upon the world in a similar manner.
Probably the best example of a man intending to urge others to enter an elevated sense of reading is Robert Maynard Hutchins, the man who first coined the phrase “The Great Conversation”. His work pushed for what he referred to as “Great Books” Socratic dialogue, comprehensive examination and early admittance to college. His idea was that, if students were enveloped into classical literature and works which have stood the test of time that they too would glean pertinent knowledge concerning a wide variety of topics. Some of his recommended reading included, but certainly not limited to: The Illiad and the Odyssey, Histories by Herodotus, Plato’s Republic, the list goes on and on. Hutchins’ thought has been hailed by some as a paragon of educational growth and criticized by others because it does not push the process on how a student thinks. This idea, also known as “Common Core”, shuns the mentality of a universal way of teaching and attempts to push the thought that not all minds are made equal. While this may be true, all minds process information in a similar manner. Whatever our senses recognize, it processes, and that is the beauty of the Great Conversation. Its simplistic nature allows a universal understanding of common elements of the past to give the pupil a deeper understanding of the present and see the future in a different way. Therefore, if there is a system which allows two or more students to comprehend the same information and reflect upon it, they will be capable of conversing upon the knowledge which they received and that is truly the beautiful aspect of the Great Conversation.
The epidemic of illiterate men has crippled a generation. Through the loss of importance in everyday life, men have become the crutch of so many portions of society. Men no longer perform jobs as nurses, do not dare venture into the noble profession of teaching, shun the responsibility of marriage and children, have the lowest standardized test scores and the highest percentages of drop-out rates. The greatest change in American culture is the lack of men who immerse themselves within the great books and finding the lost art of reading as an inconvenience. If such an epidemic isn’t dealt with, then men will never rise to the heights of those who have written the books which they refuse to immerse themselves in.