Finding Balance and Opportunity
As part of the World Book Day campaign, I was asked by MVC to share what literature means to me and how it inspired me to start blogging. So without further adieux…
“I am quite illiterate,
but I read a lot. ” 1
After all, “The best books...
are those that tell you what you know already.” 2
“It's a beautiful thing,
the destruction of words.” 2
“Until I feared I would lose it,
I never loved to read.” 3
“The thing is - fear can't hurt you any more than a dream.” 4
In an ideal world, everyone would have access to basic needs and education. The importance of education cannot be overstated. It has been proven time and time again that education is one of the best ways to escape poverty, minimize unequal treatment and generally increase people’s opportunity in the world. While not impossible, it would be infinitely more difficult to educate people without books. So on World Book Day, it’s a perfect time to celebrate the opportunity that literature brings to the world.
Literature is invaluable because it educates people on so many levels. It helps people from all walks of life understand how culture, experiences or relationships vary among different people and around the world. After all, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” 5
Literature brings balance to the world because it teaches humanity. It tempers math and sciences and helps people from forgetting that science is just a tool that needs context to be applied for good. After all, hammer is neither good nor evil, but read a book and you will find it equally as a murder weapon or a tool used to build homes for impoverished families.
People often say that experience is the best teacher. Well books are a “life-hack” that allow you to shortcut the mistakes, and go forward with greater wisdom. They provide a connection to humanity who are isolated and a safe retreat for those overwhelmed.
So why did I start blogging? Perhaps a better question is: why do I read?
Connection, Experience, Wisdom. Every day I learn something from my books. Perhaps through my site others can discover a sliver more about the world in an unusual book review or recommendation. That may be too lofty a goal for a simple book review site, but if nothing else, I have certainly gained a community of authors and readers along the way!
Happy World Book Day!
All quotations are taken from “Time” Magazine’s All-Tim Top 100 Novels.