To Read Or Not To Read
Do you read?
Every time I put this question to my nephews or nieces, I am met with blank stares.
When I ask young adults the same question, 80% say “No”.
Other data states that one should read 30 books a year.
Take that with a slab of salt — no one has the luxury of reading 30 books a year. 😀
For the ordinary person, there are other more pressing things to worry about.
On the other hand, if I manage 5 a year and am able to interiorize and articulate them in some way, that would be an achievement.
Having said that, what is the whole point of reading?
Perhaps this quote attributed to Mark Twain sheds some wisdom:
“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”
As for my 16 year old niece, a gift of “The Little Prince” captivated her, sparking her curiosity.
When I chatted with my 13-year-old nephew about the importance of reading, writing, math, and science, he became intrigued.
Perhaps that should be our starting point:
To encourage our kids to wonder.
Education, Media & Entertainment
I’m unsure what exactly the situation on education is in other places, but where I live, as late as last week, the elephant in the room reared its ugly head once again.
Minister after minister has come out decrying the abysmal standards of education, including the Prime Minister himself.
Because this is the very issue parents, concerned educators, and civic society have been clamoring about for decades!
Where were these woodworms crawling out from?
I conclude this as just another PR exercise.
Meaning no real change is going to happen anytime soon.
An educator and formator whom I hold in high esteem has reiterated this truth time and again:
3 components — Education, Entertainment, & Media play a crucial role in the forming and development of minds.
Out of curiosity, I did a quick study using two authors whom I greatly admire but who offer two different viewpoints on the forming of society:
In the realms of dystopian literature, George Orwell’s “1984” and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” stand as cautionary tales, each offering a distinct vision of a future society.
Both works present contrasting views on the nature of oppression and control.
There are 4 key differences between Orwell’s dark prophecy and Huxley’s chilling vision:
- Nature of Oppression
Orwell’s “1984” depicts a society oppressed by an external force, using surveillance, censorship, and fear to control citizens. In contrast, Huxley’s “Brave New World” portrays a society where people willingly surrender autonomy to a pleasure-driven culture, maintained through seduction and technological distractions rather than fear.
2. Control Mechanisms
Orwell’s “1984” depicts a dystopia where control is maintained through pain, fear, and punishment, enforced by surveillance and the eradication of rebellious thoughts. Huxley’s “Brave New World” controls its citizens through pleasure, using a happiness-inducing drug called Soma and pervasive entertainment to keep people content and docile. Pleasure becomes a tool of control in this world.
3. Information & Truth
Orwell’s “1984” focuses on the suppression of information and truth by manipulating historical records and controlling language. Huxley’s “Brave New World” highlights the inundation of irrelevant information, leading to a passive and apathetic society.
4. Culture
Orwell’s 1984 warns against a culture of censorship and intellectual repression. The fear is of a society where books are banned, and dissenting voices are silenced, stifling intellectual growth. Huxley’s Brave New World concern is with a trivialized culture. He envisions a society obsessed with mindless entertainment. The focus is on distracting the populace from meaningful pursuits.
In conclusion, both exemplify extremes. One is rooted in communist ideology, the other in pure capitalism.
Food for thought:
Which of the two is more widespread in today’s society?
The Value of Reading
Huxley seems to have been proved right.
What is apparent today is gutter or sensationalist journalism, a docile education system beholden to authority and business, and mindless entertainment content on social media.
This is the current landscape for education, entertainment, and journalism.
It’s within these systems that my nephews, nieces, and other children are being formed.
“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” — Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood
If we aim to reclaim control over these vital aspects of societal formation, perhaps the first step towards that objective is to cultivate a stronger reading habit.
The reading habit commences at home.
If parents or adults don’t read, it’s unrealistic to expect the children to do so.
If there is no dedicated space for reading in the household, it’s highly unlikely that reading will take place.
The answer I suppose is not blowing in the wind but in each adult and parent’s hands.
It’s in our power and duty to enable our young to wonder, explore, and chart their future with as little interruption from all the useless noise that threatens to engulf them.
I’d like to leave you with this:
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
— John Green, The Fault In Our Stars
If you are thinking of gifting a young person a book or two, consider the following:
- Illusions, The Adventures of A Reluctant Messiah: Richard Bach — https://amzn.to/3w4HJdO
- The Prophet: Kahlil Gibran — https://amzn.to/49hEYUC
3. 1984: George Orwell — https://amzn.to/4bokg7c
4. Brave New World: Aldous Huxley — https://amzn.to/49ln4Ay
5. The Little Prince: Antoine De Saint Exupery — https://amzn.to/49a1VJo
*Please note that some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you click through my links and make a purchase from one of my partners.
*If you’re feeling inspired and benefitting from this read, would you mind buying me a coffee? It helps support my work. Thank you for reading!
*Feel free to follow me online if you like.
