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The Art of Not Reading
Rediscover a healthier relationship with books
This post will focus on the art of not reading according to Arthur Schopenhauer. Specifically, it will critique modern approaches to book consumption.
My aim is to help you develop a healthier approach to reading and provide you with a foundation for selecting the appropriate material.
By the end of this piece, you will know how to read and what to read.
Let’s begin.
What Reading Is Not (And What It Is)
“It would be a good thing to buy books if one could also buy the time to read them; but one usually confuses the purchase of books with the acquisition of their contents.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
When it comes to non-fiction books, simply reading isn’t enough. It’s important to actually understand what you’re reading.
This may seem obvious, but it’s a point that isn’t emphasized enough.
Today’s focus is more on quantity than quality.
How many pages a day?
How many books a year?
People read books as they scroll TikTok. Mindlessly.
