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The most useful definition of technology I’ve heard is, “the ability to do more with less.” Books are a powerful technology. We only live one life, but through reading books, we can gain the wisdom from thousands. When an author writes, re-writes, and edits, they are turning their words into a more perfect version of themselves. When you read, you get to spend time in a meditative state with a wise person’s more perfect self. Books are the most undervalued and under-appreciated technology in the world. How do we know they’re so valuable? We need only to examine how the best and the worst people throughout history have viewed books. The worst seek to downplay, ban, or burn them. The fact that books have haters who are willing to destroy them confirms their power. The best adore books… and aren’t afraid to celebrate them. Like every other technology, if we use books without intentions or guides, they don’t lead anywhere. But when we learn how to appropriately value, select, and acquire them with stakes and incentives (buy them, read them, then discuss with friends or a book club)… reading books helps us build priceless habits. Reading Books Will Help You Build These special Habits 1. Reading books helps you build the habit of taking the right kind of nootropic Reading permanently upgrades your mind, leaving you with a lifetime of benefits. The side effects of books have been tested by time, whereas the latest nootropics? Not so much. When you get into the habit of taking a nootropic such as reading through books, the benefits compound and sticks in you forever. “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.” — Warren Buffett 2. Reading books helps you build the habit of upgrade your mental operating system There are many people who never update their mental operating systems through reading. Upgrading your mental OS is an ongoing habit you have to develop, and books help you do it. So how does this mental OS update occur? 
The best books are written when the author is in a flow state. The author transmits their wisdom, muse, or insights with minimal ego. When a reader seeking wisdom moves through these words and enters their own flow state… magic happens. I don’t know how it works, but after enough time of reading, my mind always feels upgraded. Programming our minds by moving consciously into the flow state of another wise person is powerful. When we upgrade our mental OS, our main apps (speaking, writing, and communicating) all begin to run faster and more smoothly. 3. Reading books helps you build the habit of sitting quietly in a room alone Eric Hoffer was onto something when he said that, “A man by himself is in bad company.” This might be true initially, but we can grow ourselves out of this place. It takes hard work to become good company to ourselves. But if we read books, pause for reflection, and continually improve ourselves… we can develop the habit of sitting quietly in a room alone. By reading books, we build an inessential habit, which can help fight some of the greatest human challenges of our time: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone” — Blaise Pascal 4. Reading books helps you build the habit of getting direct experience There are tradeoffs for everything in life, but reading a lot (of the best books) isn’t dangerous. The hunger for wisdom seems to be the only desire that we can satiate. There isn’t a risk of overindulgence. After enough reading, we become charged with good ideas and courage to go out and explore the world. Once we get fueled up on enough wisdom, we become inspired to embark on our next hero and heroine’s journey. This means we’re guaranteed to get direct experience in the real world without some technological filter. Binge reading books leads to a hunger for experience in the real world. 5. Reading books helps you build the habit of meditation The more we read and spend time with books, the more we’re forced to practice mindfulness and meditation. Reading builds the habits of patience, calmness, and builds our ability to focus deeply on a single thing for an extended period of time. 6. Reading books helps you build the habit of strategic isolation “Sanity in this culture requires a certain amount of alienation.” –Terence McKenna Books and reading are one of the last societally acceptable reasons for being alone. If you need respite from society, there is no better strategic isolation than books. Books help keep us safe from crowds.
The best books are written when the author is in a flow state. The author transmits their wisdom, muse, or insights with minimal ego. When a reader seeking wisdom moves through these words and enters their own flow state… magic happens. I don’t know how it works, but after enough time of reading, my mind always feels upgraded. Programming our minds by moving consciously into the flow state of another wise person is powerful. When we upgrade our mental OS, our main apps (speaking, writing, and communicating) all begin to run faster and more smoothly. 3. Reading books helps you build the habit of sitting quietly in a room alone Eric Hoffer was onto something when he said that, “A man by himself is in bad company.” This might be true initially, but we can grow ourselves out of this place. It takes hard work to become good company to ourselves. But if we read books, pause for reflection, and continually improve ourselves… we can develop the habit of sitting quietly in a room alone. By reading books, we build an inessential habit, which can help fight some of the greatest human challenges of our time: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone” — Blaise Pascal 4. Reading books helps you build the habit of getting direct experience There are tradeoffs for everything in life, but reading a lot (of the best books) isn’t dangerous. The hunger for wisdom seems to be the only desire that we can satiate. There isn’t a risk of overindulgence. After enough reading, we become charged with good ideas and courage to go out and explore the world. Once we get fueled up on enough wisdom, we become inspired to embark on our next hero and heroine’s journey. This means we’re guaranteed to get direct experience in the real world without some technological filter. Binge reading books leads to a hunger for experience in the real world. 5. Reading books helps you build the habit of meditation The more we read and spend time with books, the more we’re forced to practice mindfulness and meditation. Reading builds the habits of patience, calmness, and builds our ability to focus deeply on a single thing for an extended period of time. 6. Reading books helps you build the habit of strategic isolation “Sanity in this culture requires a certain amount of alienation.” –Terence McKenna Books and reading are one of the last societally acceptable reasons for being alone. If you need respite from society, there is no better strategic isolation than books. Books help keep us safe from crowds.