So, this is going to sound crazy to some people, but I have never watched a single Harry Potter movie. I have not even read any of their books. But if I had to choose between watching the movies or reading the books, I would choose the books. Why is that? Well do you ever remember hearing the saying “The book is always better than the movie”? How is that possible? Wouldn’t movies be so much more exciting and fun to watch than reading? Well, that is true. Movies are more fun. But from a knowledge and information standpoint, the books are so much better. You learn way more in a 200–300-page book than what a 2–3-hour movie can ever offer. But that is not the only benefit to reading. Did you know there are several other benefits? I am going to share with you my top 3 reasons why Reading is still important by sharing its top 3 benefits: health, intellectual power, and financial career success. So let’s take a closer look at all three of them.
1. Reading is Healthy.
Just like how people do physical exercise for the health of their body, Reading is also an exercise for the health of the brain. In 2020, Science has shown that reading improves memory and concentration. Also, reading as little as 6 minutes can reduce stress by 60%, slow your heart beat, and ease muscle tension.
Reading is arguably one of the best ways to reduce stress. By comparison, reading reduces stress 68% more than listening to music, 100% more than drinking a cup of tea,
300% more than going for a walk, and 600% more than playing a video game.
Which is crazy since I like doing all four of those!
More importantly, reading reduces the likelihood of Alzheimers and dementia. Just like how if you do not keep your body active, it breaks down faster; That is the same with our minds. On average, readers have better mental health and less anxiety.
2. Reading is Intellectually Powerful.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Knowledge is Power?”. That is because the more knowledge you acquire, the more you can actually talk with authority on a certain subject. This is where reading is one the best ways to gain knowledge. But not all types of reading material hold the same value. For example, if reading is like food for the brain, it also matters what type of food you are eating. Reading an article or a blog post is sort of like fast food. It does nourish the brain, but it only gives so much knowledge. Books on the other hand, is sort of like a turkey dinner, where it may take longer to make and eat, but it is so much more satisfying and nourishing. That is because it can take years for an author to publish a book while it may only take hours or days for an author to publish an article. Simply put, the one that reads 5 books on a subject is going to have more knowledge than the one that reads 5 articles on that same subject. But regardless of the amount you read or the type of sources you read from; you still gain intellectual power that will help you in life. This is because reading develops stronger analytical skills as well as improves your vocabulary and verbal skills. There is a direct correlation between good verbal skills and reading. These all help you speak with authority because you took the time to read.
3. Reading is that it leads to financial/career success.
Now to clarify, I do not believe the amount of money directly equates to success, but there are still some stats that show a connection between reading and financial wealth. For example, one statistic shares that 88% of wealthy people read 30 minutes or more every day. It has also been said that the average CEO reads 60+ books a year and makes 319x the income of the average worker who reads only 1 book a year, but finds time to be on several social media platforms all year long. While there is no definite proof about those numbers, there are some fascinating examples that support that claim. Multi-billionaire Bill Gates reads more than 50 books a year. Multi-billionaire Warren Buffet spends as much as 80% of his day reading. And Multi-billionaire Elon Musk as a child read up to 10 hours a day. And there are many more examples of wealthy CEOs that have attributed their success to reading. But even if you never become a CEO, reading still leads to academic success. Students score higher on tests and improve their comprehension. which leads to career success. It allows for better communication, enhanced creativity, and exposure to leadership.
So those are the three reasons why reading is still important. While the benefits of health, intellectual power, and financial/career success are the top three benefits, there are still many more. But simply put, reading is a tremendous gift we should not take for granted. There are people and places in the world that either do not know how to read, or have no access to reading material. And despite the fact there are more entertainment choices than ever before that demand our attention, reading continues to be an important choice, so let’s embrace it. You might be surprised by the benefits you receive from it.
