Talk With The Greatest

Everyone knows that reading is valuable. But, it is tough to give a definitive reason for why.

17th Century Philosopher René Descartes describes it succinctly.

“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest men of past centuries”

Reading gives you a way to connect with the writer and understand their deepest most profound thoughts.

Writing is a way to peer into an individual's psyche. You get to see the world as they perceive it. Now, this doesn't mean that their perspective is right, but it does expose you to a new way of thinking.

Okay, but why are different perspectives important?

Let’s say you are trying to understand the shape of a 3-dimensional object like a cube. To get the most accurate understanding you should view this object from as many perspectives as possible. Perspectives to the right, left and directly opposed to yours. If you only view this object from one perspective you will not get the most accurate view of it and be unable to understand it fully.

That is the goal of reading. To expose you to wildly different perspectives that give you the confidence and tools to take on the wildly complex world we find ourselves in.