(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.)
I started reading books seriously twenty years ago, and I have now read about 3,000 books.
Before that, I didn’t read much. I had an inferiority complex about reading.
Because of this, I tried to read as many books as possible. I believed that reading books was a great thing.
After reading so many books, however, I realized that reading too much also has side effects.
The Side Effects of Reading Too Much
You don’t have time to practice
You become satisfied with virtual experiences
You lose enthusiasm
You lose the ability to think for yourself
1. You Don’t Have Time to Practice
I found that practice is extremely important. I read many books but didn’t practice much. I became top-heavy. I thought I was impressive because I had read so many books, but in reality, I was all talk and no action.
I read books about meditation and yoga, but I didn’t actually practice them.
I realized that you learn best through practice. Practice is the most important thing. However, if you spend too much time reading, you don’t have time to practice.
2. You Become Satisfied with Virtual Experiences
When I read books written by successful people, I felt as if I were successful myself.
I loved reading because I could experience many things virtually. Through books, you can become an athlete, an actor, a lawyer, or even a president.
Even though I didn’t take real action, I felt a sense of accomplishment just from reading. I didn’t understand the importance of real experience.
When you read books, you are safe. You don’t make mistakes, and you don’t get hurt.
However, you learn the most when you practice something in real life, not in books.
If you want to learn how to swim, you have to swim in the water, not read books about swimming.
3. You Lose Enthusiasm
One Japanese writer wrote that after reading many books, he lost his enthusiasm and fighting spirit. I understand this well. I also lost my fighting spirit after reading so much.
Regarding this, a famous Japanese novel titled Ryōma Goes His Way puts it like this:
“Books are for scholars.
A hero listens, then acts with courage.
Too much learning dulls the heroic spirit.”
4. You Lose the Ability to Think for Yourself
When I read too many books, I became passive and gradually lost the ability to think for myself. I should have reflected on what I read instead of simply consuming more books.
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860), a German philosopher, wrote the following about reading:
“As long as we devote ourselves to reading, our minds are in fact nothing more than a playground for other people’s thoughts.
As a result, a diligent person who spends almost an entire day reading extensively gradually loses the ability to think for themselves.
If one always uses vehicles, one eventually forgets how to walk.
This, indeed, is the condition of the majority of scholars: through excessive reading, they have become fools.”
The Benefits of Reading Books
Despite these drawbacks, I believe reading has many benefits.
It’s fun
You can meet many people through books
You can become a better writer
1. It’s Fun
Reading books is enjoyable, and you can learn many things through reading.
2. You Can Meet Many People
Through books, you can meet great figures such as Goethe, Descartes, and Bill Gates. You can also encounter people from many walks of life, such as cleaning staff, police officers, actors, and athletes.
3. You Can Improve Your Writing Skills
By reading many books, you can improve your writing skills. After reading extensively, I feel that my writing has improved. I have become accustomed to written language, so I can use words more naturally and with less stress.
What I Do Now
After realizing that reading alone is not enough, I began to do the following:
Writing a journal
Writing blog posts
After reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, I started journaling. I write down my emotions, thoughts, plans, and questions in notebooks. This has improved my creativity.
I also write blogs. I gain knowledge through reading, then organize my thoughts and share them through writing.
At school, people are taught the importance of reading books, but they are not taught enough about the importance of taking action.
Through reading many books, I learned the importance of action. I realized that reading alone cannot change my life.