Ode to Reading
“Experientia Docet” is a phrase that has been engraved in my muscle memory since high school. It is a pearl of wisdom transmitted to freshman Latin students at Quigley Preparatory Seminary North, my high school alma mater. Quigley is closed but I recall my four years there with affection and appreciation. It was a great educational institution which produced generations of Chicago Archdiocesan leadership. Although I attended during tumultuous political and social time (1967-1971), a period of declining enrollment- it still provided a warm and supportive learning environment. One unique feature was the continuing commitment to four years of Latin instruction- yes the original “dead” Romantic language. As freshman honors students, the first line we read in Latin was “GALLIA EST OMNIS DIVISA IN PARTES TRES “- translated as “Gaul is Divided into Three Parts.” This was our introduction to Caesar’s brilliant commentaries. A detailed analysis of Julius Caesar and the Roman Republic and Empire will wait for future postings. Instead, today, we will focus on the second phrase drilled to us in freshman Latin- yes- "EXPERIENTIA DOCET"- translated as “Experience is the Best Teacher.” Why did this simple mantra make such a vivid and lasting impression on me?
The fundamental point is that a successful and virtuous human being is an “active agent”, developing personality and character by engagement with life’s opportunities. Basically, doing something directly is superior to reading about something or being told about something! You become a better driver of the golf ball by hitting 300 balls a day at the range, not by reading an instructional manual in Golf Digest. You become a great free throw shooter, eg Steph Curry, by shooting 200 free throws a day, 300 days a year for 25 years straight- not by watching a video of his form. A Master level chess champion, after thousands of hours of practice and competition, sees a different board than the rest of us dilettantes who haven’t put in the hours of work. Practice makes perfect! Repetition can make complex acts simple. The ultimate message is that a rich and satisfying life depends on the aggressive pursuit of experiences. Enter the arena and get off the sidelines. Blast out of your comfort zones and stop being a passive bystander. Don’t read about the greatness of Rome- travel there and soak it up. Don’t watch documentaries about marine life- learn to scuba dive and witness the glories of the oceans yourself. The examples are endless and the wisdom of pursuing a “LIFE IN FULL” is self evident.
An entire school of philosophy, science and human behaviour is based on the value of experience. Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize winner has analysed the operation of the brain. He concludes that it is a two dimensional learning and reasoning agent. System 1 is fast and intuitive, operating in an auto pilot mode that requires limited mental energy. System 2 is slow, deliberate and logical, requiring energy and effort that is time consuming and stressful. He posits that continuous repetition and practice reinforce the neural pathways and leads to the mastering of particular skills. Sustained experience can move many tasks from System 2 to System 1. At the highest level, objectively difficult tasks become manageable and routine. Positive reinforcement based on regular practice leads to better habits, good results and wiser judgements. We will make better choices based on cumulative experience and our capacity to achieve excellence is enhanced. A compelling case!
This focus on a life of sustained and focused activity creates an obvious question. Where does reading fit into this life plan? Isn’t reading an inherently passive act, sitting comfortably at a desk , couch or beach, absorbing pages of text at a pace of your own choosing? Is a reader “lazy”, a person making a conscious decision to avoid the noise, clamor and challenges of participating in the game? Many high profile leaders market themselves as “Men of Action” who disdain book reading. They imply it is waste of time-a poor second cousin to direct experience. Politicians avoid the “intellectual” or “egghead” label like the plague. This is a personal challenge for me because I am a lifelong reader. I embrace reading and find it pleasurable and enjoyable. My total time with a book in front of me probably matches my lifetime hours of sleep. Have I wasted my life? Should I have climbed Mount Everest instead? Should I radically reform my lifestyle at this late date? On reflection, I think NOT.
Let me advocate for the beauty and value of reading, Initially, let’s be brutally realistic and pragmatic. Practice, experience and action are great, but our time on the planet is limited. There are only 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks a year and life expectancy is stuck around 75 years. The demands on our time are never ending- work, family, watching sports on TV. There are millions of desirable life experiences out there; places to visit, people to see, mountains to climb, bridges to cross, but most of them are not going to happen and the clock will eventually run out! The overwhelming number of potentially enriching experiences will never arrive on our radar screen. Humanity has built in limitations. Thankfully, this is where reading fills the breach and steps in as our best tool for knowledge expansion. It is frequently the only way we can engage with important topics or themes. Reading, at its best, broadens your horizons, increases your understanding of the wider world, exposes us to new ideas and different cultures, challenges our biases and provides a perspective and lens on life that goes beyond our personal experiences. Remember, real life can actually be a limiting and restricting force, making us close minded and parochial. Reading opens doors. At its heart, reading is EXPERIENCE! Pursue it without apology!
Reading can make you smarter and wiser. But, I suggest it brings more subtle advantages to the table. Reading can build character- absorbing complex narratives and fascinating characters will increase your powers of empathy. Reading is good for the mind, but even better for the soul. It is also good for your emotional well being, reducing stress and bringing temperance and balance. It is genuine brain food and a healthy mind is a baseline requirement for a fulfilling life. Reading is a mental workout and helps the brain avoid becoming soft or out of shape. Quality reading tones your mental acuity, makes the mind sharper and sleeker and improves your retention, concentration and focus. Reading also strengthens your emotional intelligence and makes you more open minded, generous and humble. By exposing you to new ideas and controversial issues, it can heighten your awareness of injustice and unfairness. It certainly encourages a healthy skepticism of conventional wisdom. The entire range of human experience is at your doorstep- you just need to make ambitious and intelligent choices in your reading selections. There are plenty of bad books- avoid them. Most importantly, reading is a change agent. You evolve and once books introduce you to newer worlds, you will expect more from this one. It can be a motivational tool as you recognise that things can be different- even better. Your attitudes and social outlook will mature as you encounter a world beyond your daily routines.
Finally, some tips from a veteran reader. Don’t be judgmental on the reading choices of others. There are many paths to self discovery. Don’t unnaturally limit your own reading selections based on the expectations of others. Histories are wonderful, biographies are the best, but don’t undersell high quality fiction. Starting with silly or commercially popular fiction can be a gateway to reading more widely. Once reading becomes a habit, your genre choices will invariably expand. You will begin to read everything! There will be unlimited pleasure and self gratification associated with a book in your hand. Don’t limit yourself to books. Magazines, newspapers, blogs all present magnificent reading opportunities. Learn and embrace the digital and electronic reading universe. Drill down on issues and themes. Don’t read just one Lincoln biography- read the 3 best and draw your own conclusions. You want to master WW1, WW2, the Civil War, Vietnam, the civil rights movement- identify the award winning works on each and read them in succession. Clustered issue reading is a wonderful learning mechanism. Finally, if you love an author- stick with them. Read all their stuff! Authors usually get better at their craft with experience- oh, you know that already! See above!
