The Lost Superpower: Why Reading Still Matters in the AI Age

Image generated with OpenAi by the author

  What is the most engaging way to experience an adventure, to speak with the dead, to gain clarity on a subject or philosophy?

  It's to read.

  Reading is the single most important skill we have. I know, you now think I sound like your grade school teacher. It doesn't make it any less true.

  We have other tools like AI and movies that help us achieve this in a similar way. There's just one issue, they don't expand your mind the same way. Reading gives you the context of the writer's story, subject, or philosophy.

  A movie or video can help deliver all the same context the writer is attempting to give. Watching a movie or video is more passive, activating the visual and auditory regions of the brain, leaving less demand on imagination and memory.

  AI is amazing at summarizing anything. It can give you ideas and concepts at a high level. Studying for a test? It can give you the main ideas you need to memorize.

I think of AI as a great assistant or study buddy. It unfortunately lacks the human aspect of the information that's being delivered. There is no personal connection with the author.

  What does reading bring to the table?

Human Connection

  Reading brings the human connection between you and the author. In most cases the author brings a personal touch to the story or information being delivered, including educational material.

  Context matters more that you might think.

  I recently started reading "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini, PHD. The author actually starts the book talking about how he debated between something more technical or conversational. He went with the latter, giving me more context on the thoughts and personality of the author, while leaning about the subject.

Cognitive Engagement

  Unlike AI and video, reading requires more active engagement. You're forced to visualize scenes, interpret language, imagine voices, and construct the narrative internally. This activates the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobes, and the visual association areas.

  In short, more areas of your brain are used.

  Our imagination can interpret a scene differently compared to another reader. These mental models create opportunities to explore with more thought and conversation.

  Studies have shown that reading increases connectivity within the brain. The effects show that they stick around for days after. Suggesting that reading keeps your brain active even when you aren't reading in the moment.

Memory and Comprehension

  Reading improves retention and comprehension. This holds true for complex subjects. You're able to pause, think, reread, and reflect, creating stronger memory traces.

  The traces allow you to build more connections to the subject matter, giving you the ability to remember more and extrapolate on it. This allows greater awareness, deeper thinking, and more complex conversations.

“Deep reading is always about connection: connecting what we know to what we read, what we read to what we feel, what we feel to what we think, and how we think to how we live out our lives in a connected world.”

― Maryanne Wolf

Neuroplasticity and Long-Term Effects

  Long-term reading habits can physically alter the brain. It increases white matter connectivity. This in turn improves concentration and analytical thinking.

To put it in layman's terms, you're getting smarter.

 "Books are the training weights of the mind."

-Epictetus

  I love this quote from Epictetus. Books really are the "training weights of the mind." Each time you pick up a book, it's your brain's version of going to the gym.

Each of these tools have their place from movies and videos, AI, and of course books. Remember, books force you to use more of your mind and connect you with the author more directly.

"Books hold most of the secrets of the world, most of the thoughts that men and women have had. And when you are reading a book, you and the author are alone together-just the two of you."

-E.B. White

What are your thoughts on reading? Leave a comment and share your ideas.