Not this is particularly controversial, but reading is good for the brain. In retrospect, I’m a little amazed by just how much I seem to have read as a kid. Near as I can remember, the first book of any substance I read was Jack London’s “White Fang” when I was 9. I don’t remember reading too much outside of my assignments once I got to college. (I’d pick it up more again when I graduated.) It was something I always enjoyed, so it wasn’t any kind of chore or accomplishment. But, what I’ve found is that all of those stories gave my brain a sort of vocabulary or library of metaphors I’m able to use when I see a fact pattern in the real world.
What prompted this idle bit of musing is that, today, it occurred to me that our current political situation in the U.S. might be a little reminiscent of Tolkien’s story of Numenor. In the beginning, it was an island given to the good humans for their service to the Valar and the Elves in their war against Morgoth. The land was prosperous as the knowledge and mastery of its people grew. Eventually their power extended over the seas and around the world. They helped the Elves back in the old country defeat an evil empire. But, a darkness grew. Numenor’s leaders, despite enjoying untold wealth, power, and longevity, found that what they had was not enough. They wanted eternal life. Sauron used this to corrupt them until they worshiped and became the evil they once fought against.
Now, I’m not saying that Trump is Ar-Pharazôn the Golden who will ruin the country in his pride by invading Valinor. But, because I’ve read stories such as these, I have learned lessons about hubris and how a good people can be led astray. Books are full of lessons! Forewarned is forearmed.
(Incidentally, this random, somewhat pointless quick hit type of blog post comes from a notion that generating content for Facebook and Twitter isn’t necessarily the best use of my time. If I feel inclined to ramble to the world, might as well just do it here.)
I love this post.
We often tell our kids that while some books are not real, but they are still true.
Thanks!
There was a relevant quote from Orson Scott Card’s “Xenocide”:
Fantastic post. I’m an old fashioned person who believes reading gives us an emotional and intellectual range beyond our own experience and the language to express it.
Reading history helps give perspective to current events. Lately I’ve been drawn to the infighting and turmoil that doomed the Roman Republic after they defeated their one existential threat, Carthage. When they had no world ending external threat, they created their own internal one. I try not to dwell on that too much.
Literature can take the same lessons and add color and sharpness, making them vivid and “more real than reality”. I haven’t seen the new Tolkien bio movie, but one can sure see the fallout of WWI in his work, in the sense of loss and sadness that pervades even the triumph at the end of Lord of the Rings.
Thanks for highlighting reading!
Funny you should mention that aspect of the loss and sadness pervading the triumph. My wife & I were walking the dogs last night, talking about the television version of the Handmaid’s Tale. (For a bit of context, if it matters, we hadn’t yet seen the season 3 finale which came out last night). I said that June was like Frodo – she might triumph, beat her enemies, bring down Gilead or whatnot, but she can’t go back to the regular life. She’s sacrificed too much of herself fighting to bring that regular life back for others.