As a Teacher and Writer, I Read a lot, but Others Read Far More
I am in English, reading, and writing as my vocation. i taught advanced reading and writing to university freshmen juniors for 12 years at several different schools. i now blog and write professionally full time.
i bring this up because i am passionate about the value of teaching and practicing language skills. They are they highest evolved skills on earth, which is reason enough to employ them frequently. I don't employ them enough and many here read much more than i
I have seen student mature and grow most quickly through great reading than any other seen students mature and means. Reading is the best way to learn, especially when combined with writing
Conversely, many more young people plateau(or decline) intellectually because they refuse to engage in the hard work of reading. if you read well, it is always difficult, no matter how smart you are.
Reading Develops and Nurtures Our Most Important Capacity as Humans On a more personal level, i find that i grow through all kinds of reading. i become a more empathic - animal, individual human, neighbor, community member, citizen, sibling, son, father, husband, etc. Empathy refers to our ability to think, feel imitate, learn from, communicate with, and comprehend ideas of other animals (including human animals). Written words(especially fiction) have the unique power to connect one mind with others. For example, in reading Huckleberry Finn, you emotionally experience the thoughts, feelings and actions of others, on an intimate level. Neurologically, your brain imagines that it is actually living the experiences of Huck and Jim.
This is scientifically proven in neuroscience, but not completely understood. This Ted Talk on the subject of empathy, imitation, reading, and learning through mirror neurons just might blow your mind:
While the talk does not discuss reading very specifically, it clearly explains what happens when you read. You think and feel as other people which has so many benefits that i could not begin to list them.