Can reading help us make choices? Of course, Choices, that’s what reading is for. It can, and that’s probably the greatest use reading can have for us mere mortals – to help us choose. What puzzle would you like to solve? It’s just that I don’t always know the consequences of my choices.

Just like the American poet Frost wrote in a famous poem, saying that there are two roads in the forest and you choose one. You can’t go down both. The advantage of reading is that you can see in advance the choices made by others and the consequences that have resulted. Please note that this is not necessarily a big event; it is often just a small matter, but the consequences of small things can be of great help to us.

For example, there is a book called “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values”, which mentions a very small choice and the consequences of this small choice. I never thought that such a question could be asked before: if we are planning a long-distance road trip, should we go by car or by motorcycle?

Looking at the basis of these two choices, it seems so vague. Then what I think of is the price of refueling, the degree of comfort, and the level of risk – is there nothing more to the difference between driving and riding a motorcycle? But if you read the book, it will tell you what the real consequences are. Let’s look at one of the following paragraphs.

It means that riding a motorcycle is completely different from other forms of travel. Sitting in a car, you’re always confined to a small space, and because you’re used to it, you don’t realize that looking out the car window is like watching TV. You are just a passive spectator, and the scenery can only be seen through a frame, passing by you boringly. This is not the case when riding a motorcycle.

While riding on a motorcycle, this frame disappears. You are so closely connected with nature that you are part of the scene, not just an observer. You can feel the shock of being on the scene, and the concrete road passing under your feet is no different from the land you have walked on – it lies there firmly. Although it may look blurry due to the fast speed, you can stop at any time and feel its presence, which deeply imprints a sense of solidity in your mind.

When driving a car, I am just a spectator of the scenery, but when riding a motorcycle, I am in the scenery. For those who have also been to a place, the real difference between going by bike and driving is here.

So if you look at reading, it is equivalent to connecting our brains with a huge external hard drive. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we can go to a book to see other people’s choices and the consequences of their choices. In this way, we can see other people’s gameplay in advance and know what our potential choices will be in a similar situation. What are the consequences of these choices for me? That’s what reading is for.

In addition, the column I made about reading is not about any great principles or methods, but there is one of the reasons that I said, it’s just an ordinary habit and a good habit begins with reading. Then we also could refine some actions by reading some books as I have mentioned previously. I hope what I have shared about my reading and it catches up our interest in reading. There is no more complex action, but you are willing to pick up a book and start reading. Now, stop thinking and take action, read!