Life Pro Tip: Stop Reading New Books

Yes, you read that right.

Do you find yourself with a new book every week, deep in the never-ending quest to absorb as much knowledge possible?

I get it — you’re thirsty for all of the information the world has to offer. That’s great!

How much do you remember from each book and article you consume? The gist? A tid-bit? Or perhaps nothing at all?

Is that the pursue of true knowledge or mental masturbation?

Here’s what Seneca has to say about it:

The primary indication, to my thinking, of a well-ordered mind is a man’s ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company. Be careful, however, lest this reading of many authors and books of every sort may tend to make you discursive and unsteady. You must linger among a limited number of master thinkers, and digest their works, if you would derive ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind. Everywhere means nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends.

And the same thing must hold true of men who seek intimate acquaintance with no single author, but visit them all in a hasty and hurried manner. Food does no good and is not assimilated into the body if it leaves the stomach as soon as it is eaten; nothing hinders a cure so much as frequent change of medicine; no wound will heal when one salve is tried after another; a plant which is often moved can never grow strong.

– Letter from a Stoic

In other words, go DEEP with your knowledge rather than focusing solely on gaining more.

After you spent years exploring different books, pick out those fews books that REALLY resonated deeply and read them over and over again.

Read them until their content is engrained into the fiber of your being. Live and breath that knowledge until you could rival the authors themselves with your understanding.

I’ll leave you with this question:

If you could only read 5 books for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Post your 5 in the comments!