Reading for Mental Development

To say that reading is the most important element in cultivating the mind and intellect is not an exaggeration. The depth of learning that you possess is directly related to the amount of reading you have done. But most people would rather do something else than take a book and read. Carson (1992:193) a brain surgeon, cites reasons that people usually give to excuse their unwillingness to read as:

1.      Too much learning overtaxes the brain

2.      Certain kinds of knowledge are irrelevant.

He then goes ahead to refute these excuses thus:

We cannot overload the human brain. This divinely created human brain has fourteen billion cells. If used to the maximum, this human computer inside our heads could contain all the knowledge of humanity from the beginning of the world to the present and still have room left over.

Second, not only can we not overload our brain – we also know that our brain retains everything. I often use a saying that, “the brain acquires everything that we encounter”. The difficulty does not come with the input of information, but in getting it out.

Sometimes we “file” information randomly, or tie significant bits of information to information of little importance, and it confuses us.

All knowledge is important – a fact that some people do not want to hear.  One of the wonderful things about learning is that knowledge not only translates from one area to another, but also is an avenue that leads to understanding and insight (1992:193-194).

Education is the most obvious way by which your mental capacity can be expressed and measured.  And there is no education without reading; the two are mutually exclusive, they go hand in hand. Carson (1999:202) also offers an insight on this concept. He says:

Ultimately, the quality of your education is up to you.  It is a choice only you can make. You decide how much you are going to empower yourself through learning and knowledge. How far you go is determined, largely, by how much you are willing to go.

Any(one)…who so desires can achieve a high quality education, whoever or wherever he or she may be  - as long as (he or she)… can read, because once you can read, you can achieve the world’s greatest education.

Therefore, to utilize the reading skill, as well as other communication skills, for personal development of any kind is a function of the choice of an individual.