These days I've been having my WHY days? Lotta questions - at work, personal or otherwise. One of them that constantly bothers me - Why are people so ignorant?
I know of people who dont read a book, who have not traveled, who dont talk to others who could share different knowledge; talk about different topics. But talk to such people for a while and they would behave as if they know everything. Sadly, I have a couple of them as my close friends. Its difficult to adjust with them when talking about something they think they know better and sadly; everything they claim as true will be not.
Read. Period. Your perspective of the world and the people will change. It improves your vocabulary. And of course; you get to enrich your ideas and knowledge. There is never like "I've read too much". I started reading because I liked it. I loved the fact that I could learn by just reading few pages. I didn't know then what a great gift I have. I feel pity on people who dont read. How else would you know that there exists a country called Vanuatu? Or that Da Vinci designed a humanoid robot in the 15th century?
Some of my guy friends say reading is a girl thing. Hell what? But none of the women I know read; the way reading should happen. People read those fictions and novels; and God! these days everyone is an author and its terrible. But yeah! who am I to comment? I would be worse than most who have at least attempted a fiction :-D
There's a proverb in Kannada. It roughly translates to "Travel around the world or at the least read books". Yeah, but I think both are important. Traveling opens a whole new world. Its so rich; its so very rewarding. You gather so much of experience. You get to know the way people live, their culture, their practice, their habits. You get to interact with them, try understanding them.
You develop that understanding, that adjusting behavior. You will learn to give in, to let go, to prepare for the unexpected, to not be surprised. You learn to co-exist with the dogs, the raccoons, the cockroaches. You learn to appreciate even the minutest of help. You learn to trust, you develop trust. You learn to make that extra effort; in everything and everyone.
You learn to appreciate everything and anything; and learn to pause and savor the most mundane of moments. You will not pick on mistakes and you'll learn to forgive and forget. More importantly; you learn to love - truly.
So read and travel.
I love to read you and then you almost always some food for thought.
ReplyDelete:)
Thanks a lot. :-) And I am glad I leave things to think about
DeleteI love to read and travel and even I feel one must do both or atleast one of the two.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. Yeah, but then for us; time and money is a challenge :)
DeleteReading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man:)
ReplyDeleteHaaa golden words Rahul
DeleteB, Reading is certainly all that you say. However I differ that those who are well read are a class apart. It is something like the oft held belief that religion makes a person good, altruistic and to love fellow beings. It is said religion and fear of God , or whatever people call spirituality make human being good. It is rubbish. The same goes with reading.
ReplyDeleteYou can read a great classic cover to cover and still be untouched by what was between the covers.
It boils down to how much get into you and what you want to apply; how far your horizon expands or rather how far you let it unbound. Don’t you think so?
I agree with every word you say Anil. Any activity done for the sake of it or by habit itsnt going to give you anything. Be it prayer or reading isnt it? You read to get something from it that can improve you in even a little way.
DeleteB, the erudition and the elan over the language one can acquire or may acquire through treading is only a superficial appendage.Yet those who are well read in the very sense of the phrase do radiate a certain energy that is refreshing. This is my opinion.
ReplyDeleteTheir perspective is a lot new and broader than what it would be isnt it Anil? I know of people who read a trivial thing and apply it and bring about change. Its how you apply as you said
DeleteI try so hard to read sometimes, but I fall asleep after 2 pages. But I can watch movies or documentaries for gazillion hours straight! I wish I could enjoy reading like you and enjoy whatever little imagination I have.
ReplyDelete:) But doesnt look like that Gautam. I have read your posts and I have been amazed at your thought processes. You should start writing again Gautam
DeleteThere is a famous saying...When you enter a house,you judge the character of the family by the book shelf it has.
ReplyDeleteI agree,absolutely.
:)
DeleteAgree, reading is important as it really opens up the world for you. But have seen that not everybody enjoys reading. I always make it a point to gift age-specific books to kids. While it may be expected of kids to frown upon the choice of gift, I have seen parents frowning too. Oh yes, everybody is writing a book!! And most are terrible! :P
ReplyDeleteShilpa,
Delete:-P I am sure many first time writers would be offended. I love that they are motivated to release a book but most fall short
I second what Anil said. There is one among our common friends who have read voluminously, can quote ad verbatim.I have great respect for all that, but whether I put him on a pedestal is another matter. There are totally unread, illiterate persons like a tribal chieftain I knew, whose knowledge is unparalleled. Reading is like shoe polish; it brightens up good leather; that's all.
ReplyDeleteBalan,
DeleteYou put it so well Balan. I dont deny that not all read people are knowledgeable and unread people arent. But reading only enhances your knowledge isnt it? Its however sad that few read it for the sake of it and dont implement it
And travel. Same thing. I always repeat the incident of several Gujrati companions in my Kailas Yatra. It might be another notch in their guns or another feather on their caps, but as individuals, I remember that the Yatra didn't bring about any change in their personalities...
ReplyDeleteHahaha I know what you mean. There have been folks who travel with some specific focus and hence miss out on the big thing. Ignorant they are. Feel sad for them
DeleteAnother thing, B. Do get a calendar for yourself and ask your friends to, from Welfare for stray Dogs. You can find their blog in my list of blogs. From one dog lover to another... :-)
ReplyDeleteSure Balan. Thank you I will :-)
DeleteReading is a good habit. I read a few books now and then. But travel? You travel all over the world. Not everyone is as rich as you are.
ReplyDeleteSG,
DeleteMocking huh? I know your travel sojourns. I am taking baby steps now. And rich? Look at this!