Reading isn't a hobby
Reading shouldn’t be categorized as a hobby. A hobby implies an activity you do for pleasure whenever you get time out of your regular activities. Reading should be part of your routine. It should cover your entertainment time as well as part of your self-development plan. It’s easy to categorize reading as a hobby to feel special and intelligent among your peers. Just like listening to music or reading a newspaper isn’t a hobby, reading books shouldn’t be either.
The reason is simple: a lot goes on in your brain when you read a great book. Your brain rewires itself with new information. If you read great fiction, your emotional wavelength changes. You tend to develop more empathy simply because you feel the emotions of a character you care about. You get the opportunity to observe various emotional temperaments driven by the innermost desires of the characters.
The opportunity to learn about humanity is nonexistent in any other medium. Movies are the second best but can be avoided as a routine.
Books on great historical figures end up changing your weak outlook towards life. You are reading about someone’s life journey from the worst to the greatest in a matter of a few days, which is otherwise impossible to emulate in real time. We can have a healthy discourse on what caused World War II. Based on the broader set of events, we can spot the conflict from miles away. We have a clear idea of what could go wrong if we dump diplomacy down the drain.
Reading about the Roman Empire won’t make you an emperor, but it can potentially imbibe the values of an emperor in you. You do not have to wage war to be Caesar; you can imbibe his boldness, his charismatic nature, and his patriotism towards Rome. Reading about historical figures reminds you that all those great people of yesteryears felt and went through the same emotional turmoil that you are facing now. If you don’t read them, you won’t know that there is a way out of the mess.
Any activity that has the potential to transform your approach to life, transcend you to another dimension, and impact your life journey shouldn’t be called a mere hobby. It has to be part of your routine.
Reading must be a part of you.