Four Ways Reading Can Make You a More Competent Person

Reading is one of the most powerful habits. Unfortunately, many people today prefer watching TV or streaming YouTube over reading books. Books are not just pages filled with words, they contain wisdom and power. Although not everything we read is useful or entertaining, there are still many books and articles that are beneficial. If you are planning on starting your reading journey, you should expect to gain multiple skills. Below are four ways reading will make you a more competent person.

One of the best benefits of reading is gaining more knowledge. Whether you are reading fiction, nonfiction, or any other type of genre, you will certainly learn something new whenever you pick up a book. You may struggle to pay attention at first and your thoughts may scatter at times. However, if you truly wish to read, you will find yourself immersed in the text, and you will eventually learn to stay focused.

When you read in earnest, you will begin to reflect on a daily basis. You will expand your thinking, and you will learn new words and ideas. Your thinking today will be different than tomorrow. In most cases, if you begin to see contradictions in your thoughts, it’s a sign that you are growing in wisdom. You gain the capacity to assess and judge better.

Not many of us have the means or wealth to travel around the world. As a result, we might not have the opportunities to meet and interact with people from different cultures. While we may be able to watch movies or documentaries that show us glimpses of what we are missing, they are not always accurate or don’t portray the full picture.

Reading, however, can help us have access to much more information. Even fictional stories can offer more accurate descriptions of cultures and places than what is usually portrayed on the news or social media. Writers can weave together politics, historical events, and cultural nuances into one piece of work. As a reader, you have the advantage of learning by simply reading. The exposure to new ideas and customs allows you to be open-minded, and you no longer become surprised or shocked when you experience new things in real life.

Empathy is the ability to listen to others and truly understand their perspectives. You don’t have to necessarily agree with others, but you become immersed in their worlds to the extent where you are able to truly see what they’re seeing and feel what they’re feeling.

When you read more books, you gain access to different opinions and perspectives. You begin to perceive how others think, how they reason, and how they process arguments. The shift in thinking is an important skill that you can apply in real life. You become a better listener, and you become more conscious of how you interact with others. As you develop this skill further, you’ll learn how to guide the direction of your own conversations and exchanges with most people.

This is an important skill that goes beyond reading. Learning to stay focused will help you become more accomplished in life. You may be struggling to pay attention for long periods of time when performing a task. Reading can teach you how to avoid distractions and prolong your focus. For instance, to understand and process what you are reading, you may have to reread a passage multiple times. When repeated constantly, focus becomes a transferable habit that you could rely on in real life. Often times, you’ll need an equal amount of concentration when working towards your career or personal goals.