Reading is Worthwhile, Even if You Don’t Remember Anything You Read

Sometimes the goal isn’t information but transformation

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

Quick, tell me what you had for lunch on Thursday two weeks ago. How about dinner on Thursday 6 weeks ago?

How many meals can you remember that you ate in July of last year?

I’m guessing you’re drawing a blank.

So was eating those meals a waste of time?

I would say no. Chances are, you enjoyed them in the moment, and even if you can’t remember them I have a strong suspicion that you would be less well nourished without them.

Your mind is nourished by books in the same way the body is nourished by food.

Chances are, you will forget most of what you read. Chances are you won’t consciously apply any of the “actionable advice” from those non-fiction books.

I don’t see how that matters.

In most cases, the experience of reading will still be pleasurable. A good book has good ideas that are presented in a compelling way — this is true of both fiction and non-fiction.

It will also be the case that much of what you read will be internalized, and you will be unable to…