Embracing Certainty in Reading: The Art of Letting Go

Photo by Atharva Tulsi on Unsplash Taken by the railroad near my High school during a cloudy after the first day of snow. It was a moody and dark scene set by the dead trees and shrubs. Source:

In the past couple of days, I took stock of my reading endeavors in 2023 and discovered that I had completed a total of 19 books. On one hand, there’s a sense of accomplishment in achieving such a substantial reading feat. On the other hand, I encountered a dilemma in the latter half of the year, feeling a lack of interest and motivation in my reading journey.

Generally, I’m open to acquiring new concepts and ideas, a habit that has fueled my love for reading. However, as I needed to enhance my English proficiency last year, my reading goals shifted from merely seeking “new knowledge” to a combination of “new knowledge” and “language learning.” This was initially successful, evident in my ability to smoothly read scripts in English games by the year-end, showcasing the undeniable benefits of language learning.

However, in the latter part of the year, I found reading to be uninteresting and lacked the drive to complete books. The initial excitement of learning new knowledge seemed to have faded.

Upon reflecting and adjusting my reading strategy, I returned to Chinese books with a more targeted approach, selecting books that aimed to address the challenges I was currently facing in life. This shift rekindled the excitement I had been missing.

Upon careful consideration, I identified two potential sources of the problem. Firstly, the slower reading speed in English resulted in a slower absorption of information, making it less engaging. Secondly, many of the English books I chose focused extensively on arguing the correctness and inevitability of the author’s theories, which, while characteristic of English literature, presented challenges in converting information into useful knowledge with practical applications.

This assessment prompted a change in my reading plan for the beginning of this year. While I still read every day, when encountering a new book, I focus on my specific doubts, usually time-sensitive, and if these doubts aren’t addressed or the book doesn’t provide substantial factual foundations, I make notes and return to it later, opting to read the next book in the meantime.

This strategy brings the benefit of quickly comparing different authors’ perspectives within my limited cognitive space, allowing me to identify viewpoints that are most useful to me.

After all, I believe reading is about changing one’s life, not merely for the sake of reading.

However, I must mention that this reading approach is not recommended for classic literature. For instance, in my current reading of the “I Ching,” I take a small section each day, noting interesting concepts and contemplating them for future consideration.

The key distinction with classic literature lies in its enduring concepts that transcend time, continuously read not for the events of one or two years but for the preservation of principles and laws that stand the test of time, possibly offering rules that remain effective to this day.

In light of this, I have altered my reading strategy, seeking short-term solutions to life’s concerns through relevant books and incorporating long-term, unchanging truths from classic literature into my thought process.

And if you’ve read a bit and find a book seemingly irrelevant, don’t succumb to FOMO—let it go!