IF ONLY- “If only one had time to read a little more: we either get shallow and broad or narrow and deep.”
The Letters of C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves, March 2, 1919
Individuals may read for pleasure, adventure and/or to expand their intellectual pursuits. They may read to expand their thinking, or even to improve physical, relational and mental health. They may not like to read but read to build a skill or improve on a subject.
One can either read many different books or books of a certain kind, but C.S. Lewis would say that if only you made reading a part of your life. Make time to read a little more…..
C.S. Lewis struggled with versatility vs. specialization as a reader. When it comes to reading, there are two directions to go. The shallow and broad way is to become a generalist. You read different genres and know a little bit about everything. Versatile reading allows the reader to connect to different ideas but risks lacking expertise in a single subject.
The other way: narrow and deep is to become a specialist in one specific subject but then risk developing intellectual blinders to what's relevant in the world.
According to researchers at the University of Sussex, it took just six minutes of reading to reduce stress by 68 percent. This research shows that by making reading a part of your life can have many benefits to mental, physical and emotional health.
Impacts longevity
According to the 2016 study, “A chapter a day: association of book reading with longevity,” by Bavishi Avni, Slade M.D., “reading exerts its influence on longevity by strengthening the mind. Reading positively impacts the way the brain creates synapses, optimizing neurological function, expanding vocabulary and helping with memory.”
Changes the brain
In 2012, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, neuroscientists at Stanford University reported that reading ability in young children is related to the growth of the brain’s white matter tracts— “specifically, the arcuate nucleus, which connects the brain’s language centers, and the interior longitudinal fasciculus, which links these language centers with parts of the brain that process visual information.” As one’s ability to read matures, the brain’s ability to make connections becomes stronger and more sophisticated.
Increases empathy
The 2013 NIH Journal of Medicine article, “How does fiction influence empathy?” suggests that reading a story can trigger emotions from affective narrative impressions. Reading fiction transports readers into a different world, puts them through different experiences in a different time and history with different characters. This transportation can deeply impact how readers build empathy.
Through literary fiction, readers are exposed to the situations, feelings and beliefs of others. Human exposure can help others develop a greater ability to empathize with others.
Reduces depressive feelings Those who struggle with a range of depression may feel lonely and isolated from others. Books have a way of reducing those feelings by helping someone escape into a different world.
According to a New York Times article by Anna Borges, reading can help address feelings of loneliness by providing a sense of connection. Borges states that, “reaching for a book might not be your first impulse when you feel lonely,” but notes it can be a way to escape into a different world. Similarly, clinical psychologist Ryan Howes argues that loneliness is often more complex than simply lacking people in one’s life, explaining that “after a little digging, we usually find there are plenty of people in their world.”
Books have a way of connecting with others and different worlds and can create common ground with different ideas, emotions and skills with people.
Some book recommendations to jump back into reading:
•“Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery
•“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith
•“Upstairs by the White House” by J.B. West
•“Attachment” by Rainbow Rowell
•“When Stars are Scattered” by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
https://everyday-reading. com/booksto- get-back-into-reading/. ✲
