Sunday, June 1, 2008

Reading: It Does a Mind Good

Reading is to the mind what eating is to the body. For the benefit to both body and mind, it’s important to maintain a good and healthy diet. When feeding the body and mind, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet and not rely on “junk.”

Good eating habits foster good health and energy. Good reading habits foster knowledge, ideas and truth.

When it comes to books, a main staple of the mental diet, one should seek balance. I read books on various non-fiction subjects including politics, current events, business, philosophy, sports, religion and psychology. I also add a touch of fiction and literature to my plate.

There are some people who may feel they need to read only one book. For them, this book holds all the answers they need for life. I prefer to indulge in different tastes or perspectives. One needs to try different recipes (or perspectives).

Just as some foods need to be savored slowly for enjoyment, so do some books. However one will often find books that are like fast food, temporarily satisfying but not really good for you.

Ultimately, we need to avoid poison in our physical or mental diet. Poison is branded on the box or container. We know to avoid it. However there are books that are poison to the mind. Based on lies and deceit, they may create prejudice, hate and lead those who buy into it to poor decisions.

No comments: