Written by Brian Hulela
Updated at 20 Jun 2025, 16:36
6 min read
Image by Road Trip with Raj from Unsplash
I was talking to my brother the other day about books. My sister had just bought a stack of them and was excited to start reading. My brother looked at them and said something that really caught my attention.
"Why would she buy so many books? She’s not even going to read them."
At first, I laughed it off, but the more we talked, the more I realized he was serious. To him, books were pointless. He thought reading was something you did only if school forced you to. He saw books as boring, something for people who had nothing better to do.
And the thing is, I get it. I used to feel the same way.
When I was younger, I was surrounded by people who thought reading was weird. I remember feeling guilty whenever I wanted to pick up a book. I’d get looks, sometimes little comments that made me feel like I was wasting my time.
But even then, I was drawn to books. My teachers always encouraged me to read, sometimes in front of my class, sometimes even at other schools. My mom used to read to me too, and I loved listening to her. Over time, I realized something.
Reading didn’t just help me in school. It changed how I thought, how I spoke, how I understood things. It made me more aware, more thoughtful. And once I saw the difference it made, I knew I couldn’t let go of it.
Now I see my sister reading all the time, and I wish I had grown up in an environment like hers, where reading was normal and encouraged. I wonder how many people would love books if they just gave them a real chance.
At some point, people stop reading for fun. Ask around and you’ll hear the same things.
"I only read if I have to." "Books are boring." "I’d rather watch a movie."
It’s like the moment school ends, people feel relieved that they never have to read again. But why?
It’s not that people hate reading. It’s that they never got to enjoy it in the first place.
Think about it. Most of the books we read in school were assigned. We didn’t get to choose. Every chapter had to be analyzed. Every story had to be turned into an essay. There was always a test at the end.
So instead of seeing books as something exciting, something that could teach us or entertain us, we saw them as work. And once school was over, we never looked back.
But here’s the thing. Reading isn’t just about school. It’s about life.
Forget the usual reasons like "reading makes you smarter" or "reading makes you more creative." Let’s talk about why it really matters.
The world is full of lies. Fake news, clickbait, propaganda. If you can’t read critically, people can manipulate you however they want. Reading sharpens your thinking. It makes you question things instead of believing whatever you’re told.
Most people stop learning after school. That’s why people who read keep growing. Whether it’s business, self-improvement, history—reading gives you knowledge that others don’t have. It keeps you sharp.
Social media is ruining people’s attention spans. Scrolling all day makes it harder to sit with one thought for too long. Reading helps with that. It forces you to slow down, to think deeply. And in a world where everyone’s distracted, focus is a superpower.
Want to be successful? Smarter? More creative? The greatest people in history wrote down everything they knew. Instead of figuring it all out on your own, you can just learn from them.
If you don’t read, someone else is shaping how you see the world. Advertisers, politicians, influencers. They tell you what to think, and you don’t even realize it. Reading different books, especially ones that challenge your views, helps you think for yourself.
Books let you live a thousand lives. You can experience different cultures, different eras, different ways of thinking. You get to see the world through someone else’s eyes.
Here’s the thing. You don’t hate reading. You just haven’t found the right book yet.
Imagine someone saying “I hate music.” You wouldn’t believe them, right? You’d think, they just haven’t found their genre. Books work the same way.
If you’re into business, read about how great companies were built. If you love crime documentaries, pick up a true crime book. If you want an escape, try a thriller. Books shouldn’t feel like homework. They should feel like opening a door to a new world.
If you want to start reading again, don’t make it hard for yourself.
Start small. Don’t pick a 600-page classic. Pick something short and interesting.
Read for 10 minutes a day. No pressure, no goals. Just a habit.
Try audiobooks. If you don’t want to sit down and read, listen instead.
If a book is boring, drop it. You don’t have to finish every book you start.
Reading isn’t just for entertainment. It’s not just a hobby for “bookish” people. It’s a tool for thinking. A way to protect yourself from ignorance. A way to take control of your own mind instead of letting the world control it for you.
If you haven’t picked up a book in years, maybe it’s time to start again. Not because you have to, but because the person who reads will always have an advantage over the person who doesn’t.
And in a world where information is power, that’s not something you want to ignore.
