Reading Is "Doing Something"
Someone who recently overheard me talking about my current book was intrigued and asked for other recommendations. I shared some of my favorites and asked about hers. She lamented her neglect of this habit, but attributed it to the fact that she “wasn’t much of a reader because she was more of a doer”. I nodded and laughed, knowing exactly what she meant, but I also encouraged her to think about reading as “doing something”. That brief exchange keeps coming back to me because I believe that line of thinking is more common than we realize.
It seems that every day I read another report or headline about the decline in reading across all age groups. There are so many factors contributing to this trend that it’s hard to place the blame on one in particular. Of course, screens, devices, and technology play a major role in the decline, as they seem to be absorbing more of everyone’s time and attention these days. There appears to be a growing pushback against technology, at least in schools, but it remains to be seen whether that will spill over into the rest of society.
Another likely factor contributing to the decline in reading is the poor literacy skills of millions. That can be attributed to the ineffective reading instruction many received in school. Starting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, most students in the public school system were taught to read using the “balanced literacy” approach. Critics argue that this method often failed to provide the foundational skills needed for strong reading proficiency, making reading for pleasure unlikely.
According to the National Literacy Institute, “54% of U.S. adults read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level”. If an activity is difficult, tedious, and cumbersome, it’s not likely to be the activity of choice to relax or unwind during free time.
The factor that is a little harder to measure but surfaced during my conversation mentioned above is our society’s obsession with busyness and productivity. As someone once dubbed “Energizer Beanie” for my penchant for busyness, I understand the adrenaline rush that comes with working hard, being productive, and completing tasks. When my children were growing up, there seemed to be an unspoken competition among many parents to see whose family life was busier. Busier obviously meant better.
With age and experience comes wisdom – if you pay attention and learn from your mistakes. I’m delighted to report that I’ve gained a bit of wisdom over the years. I still value being productive, and I’m occasionally guilty of overscheduling myself, but I have come to appreciate that reading a book (even for pleasure) is a productive endeavor.
Once upon a time, the idea that reading is a worthy and productive activity was not disparaged, scoffed at, or questioned. Reading books was generally considered a common way to connect with and expand one’s world, while learning about people, places, events, and ideas. Sure, those books were sometimes read only because a teacher assigned them, but very often they were read well into adulthood, simply to gain new knowledge or understanding.
Over the past several decades, our fast-paced society has moved further away from valuing the benefits of quiet contemplation, long (podcast-free) walks, and front porch conversations. We’ve forgotten how “productive” those habits and practices can be. I believe this same penchant for “maximizing (observable) productivity” has also robbed us of our regard for reading.
Books change us, making us more knowledgeable, more empathetic, more critical, or more curious. We are the “product”. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” No one would ever say that eating is “unproductive”. The food you eat gives you what you need to function physically. It nourishes your body. Similarly, books provide nourishment for the mind and soul.
So if you are like the woman who considers herself more of a “doer” than a reader, let this serve as reassurance and encouragement to you that reading books is “doing something”. It is contributing to the formation of who you are and how you think. It is filling your mind with new information and ideas and giving you insight into different people’s experiences and perspectives on life like nothing else can. So, get busy and do something: sit down and read a book!
The assumption that reading is passive – that it doesn't count as doing, is one of the most damaging and dismissive things our the western culture has decided. Although I wonder whether the answer isn't to argue that reading is productive, but to question why productivity became the measure of a worthwhile time to begin with.