What You Read, You Become
I often say that if I won the lottery or if there were a trust fund situation I’m not aware of (my family assures me there’s nada), I would go back to school for a PhD in something I was really interested in. Maybe linguistics; maybe music performance… it’s fun to think about, even if it is a pipe dream.
I consider myself a forever student, and I love learning about new-to-me concepts and ideas that shape our world.
Reading is something we all do for a good portion of our day. We’re constantly soaking up information: passively scrolling through social media, seeing ads everywhere, skimming articles friends send to us. I’ve been sharing what I’ve read over the last 2+ years on Instagram as a fun way to document my bookshelf and recommend books I’ve loved to people.
But with the glut of information available online and beyond these days—and not all of it good—I’ve learned to be judicious about what I do read. Before I click a link or add a new book to my library queue, I need to consider:
the source. Are they credible? Who (or what entity) is creating and sharing this information, where, and for what purpose? Different forms of media have different purposes, biases, and backgrounds, and it’s up to me to control the quality of what I’m reading.
the purpose. Am I reading something to educate myself on a topic I know little about? For entertainment? To make a case for something?
my state of mind. If I’m reading something I know is just going to upset me, I have to make myself put it down. There’s nothing to be gained from trying to take in information if I’m too tired, too angry, or too disinterested.
I find it frustrating and sad that people I know—acquaintances and family members—buy into conspiracy theories and post articles from highly dubious sources on social media. I can’t control what they read and share, but I can control whether I see it.
The ‘unfollow’ and ‘block’ buttons are useful things in preserving one’s mental health.
Whether we read something that’s educational, entertaining, or persuasive, it usually makes us feel something. If the author is indignant and sanctimonious in their tone, chances are we’ll feel that way after reading what they’ve written.
If I read something inspirational and uplifting, I’m going to feel better after reading it.
What we read, we become.
So whether you’re reading something to educate yourself, get motivated, or just to feel something you want to feel, remember the impact that words have. ‘Words matter’ is the thesis behind this whole blog and business.
Write, share, and read with care.
Are you a reader? What kinds of things do you read? Do you read for fun, for education, or a bit of both?
(The image for this post is the cover of Mothers of Massive Resistance, a retrospective look at how white women specifically have perpetuated white supremacy and the Jim Crow order. This is a book I’m still working through: it’s not a quick read by any definition, but it’s one that fellow white women should be reading. Sometimes learning needs to be uncomfortable for real change to happen, and this book illustrates that truth so well.)