Which Stage of Reading Are You In?
My journey from obsession to abstinence of reading
Dear reader, reading is to our mind what exercise is to our body—essential and invaluable. However, unlike exercise, there may come a point in reading when enough is simply enough.
For much of my life, reading has been a driving force behind my personal growth and self-discovery. Yet, despite the profound impact books have had on me, I find myself in a surprising phase where I've deliberately stepped away from them. What began as a deep dive into the world of literature has, over time, led me back to a place of abstinence.
This journey, from a non-reader to an avid consumer of books and now back to a deliberate non-reader, has revealed unexpected insights about my relationship with reading.
Here, I’ll walk you through the five distinct phases of this journey, sharing what I learned at each stage and why I’ve chosen to pause my reading habit.
Phase 1: The Decade of Disinterest in Reading (18 yrs — 30 yrs)
After finishing high school during which I had mandatory reading assignments, I completely stopped reading. At that time, I believed that reading someone’s imagination had no benefits. Not only did I not read, but I also boasted about non-reading. Indeed, for over 10 years, I didn’t read a single book, except for one.
In my twenties, I was obsessed with weight training and building muscles, which was heavily influenced by the only book I read at that time. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” I read and re-read so much that due to excessive page flipping, it literally fell apart. However, other than that book, I didn’t read any other books for years.
Phase 2: The Self-Help Awakening (30 yrs — 35 yrs)
The next reading phase began when I got a job in the pharmaceutical industry as a salesperson. My goal was to achieve good sales results and prove my worth to others and to myself. That’s the period when I stumbled upon the self-help industry and one of the most famous book from that field “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
I had been genuinely fascinated by this book because it introduced me to something I haven’t met before. I read that book multiple times in a row because it gave me valuable advice on building good interpersonal relationships and functioning harmoniously in my environment while interacting with others.
After that, I started reading other self-help books and, consequently, became very disciplined in setting goals and tracking my daily and weekly activities. The book that stood out from the others was “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy, whose recommendations on goal-setting and activity tracking I still apply today, even after 10 years since reading it.
Phase 3: The Era of Counting Books (35 yrs — 40 yrs)
Over time, I expanded my areas of interest for reading. It wasn’t just self-help books anymore; I delved into psychology, philosophy, and spirituality.
In this phase, it became not only important for me to read but also how much I read. I set goals of how many books I want to read. My annual target was 40 books, and when achieved, I would boast about it.
Since reaching my set goal was crucial, I often chose shorter and simpler books which were easier to understand. If I found a book uninteresting during reading, I wouldn’t give up on it; instead, I would persist and finish it despite its lack of appeal. This sometimes turned into a real struggle, but it was the only way to reach the magic number of 40 read books by the end of the year.
Phase 4: Relaxed and Selective Reading (40 yrs — 43 yrs)
After some time of reading a lot and being obsessed with numbers, I stopped keeping track of how many books I read. I realised that quality matters more than quantity. Moreover, I stumbled upon advice that if we want to read books properly, it’s very difficult to read more than 10 books per year.
Therefore, I started to read solely for the interest of content. That often, I didn’t read entire books. Instead, I would pick several pages or chapters here and there.
I also found myself reading multiple books from different domains simultaneously. For example, books on philosophy, photography, and nutrition didn’t conflict with each other, so I commonly switched between them.
This phase was truly enjoyable because I didn’t feel pressure to reach some goal. Exploring different genres became amusing, and I loved reading, despite not being certain whether it would bring me something in the end. Discovering new information was the main prize I was reading for.
Phase 5: A Return to Reading Silence (43 yrs — now)
This is the phase I am currently in. I’ve come full circle back to not reading. Books no longer appeal to me for the two reasons:
It doesn’t make sense to keep reading about the same things over and over again.
For instance, when it comes to productivity books, most of them share similar advice. I know I need to find what I want, set goals, be disciplined, and track and analyse progress daily. All self-help books talk about these principles. So, why read more of them instead of applying what we’ve already read?
In the realm of spirituality, many agree that we are all one, and there are no real differences among us. In other words, everything is in the field of consciousness, and consciousness is entirely impersonal, devoid of any identifications or comparisons. Considering this, does it make sense to explore various philosophies, different psychological approaches, and problem-solving techniques like NLP when understanding universal oneness, connectedness, and impersonality resolves all issues? Why continue reading about it?
Reading Could Be a Sign of Procrastination
Although, through reading, I might have thought that I was making progress and taking action, it often turned out to be nothing more than a form of procrastination. By reading, I deceived myself into thinking that I’m doing the real thing. However, reading cannot be the real thing; it is only the pointer to it. We have to take the leap and do the work, either physically or mentally.
“Reading is good. Action is better.” — Eric Ries
Reading doesn’t have much value if it lacks the embodiment of principles we have discovered through it. It brings us to the brink of the journey, like a visit to the railroad station. It shows us that there are trains heading towards many different destinations. But after some time of admiring at trains, we have to take one of them towards our destination.
Conclusion
I have currently entered a phase of stepping away from reading. The only books I still consider are those with practical value, focusing on topics like technology, photography, or digital marketing.
When it comes to self-help, spirituality, and life lessons, I’ll pause and reconsider before diving into them again. Perhaps my perspective will shift, and I’ll find myself in a new phase, but for now, this is where I stand.
So, that was my journey through reading. Throughout this process, I’ve come to understand that it’s not about how much we read but about the depth of our engagement and, ultimately, putting what we’ve learned into action.
There comes a point when we must close the books and start living the lessons they’ve taught us.
That’s why I’ve stoped reading.
About the Author: I am a passionate photographer and a philosopher of both photography and life, a TEDx speaker, a Master of Molecular Biology, and a product manager. I curate two newsletters: Lens of Perception, where I explore the intersections of photography and philosophy, and Thoughtful Corner, where I share ideas, reflections, and insights for curious minds. Thank you for taking the time to enjoy my work.