alt Hacker NewsReading makes me feel addicted to life.
I was a decent reader as a kid, then for the longest time I couldn’t read. I got psychological help to recover my attention, and gently started reading 10 mins of something easy after waking up. Now I read at a pace of about 1.5 books per week and I can’t get enough of it. There are so my worlds that I want to explore further. Russian literature. The history of ideas. Sci-fi. 19th century France. Computer science. So many books, so little time!
Reading can generate many virtuous cycles. It requires attention, but begets attention. It can calm the mind and feel meditative. It can inspire thought and sometimes useful action. It can help you be more interesting in conversation. It can become addictive, but rarely as much as screens and won’t make you miss social opportunities.
It’s not for everyone but my theory is that if you’ve ever been immersed in two or three books at any point in your life, there’s a good chance that the potential is in you to scale it to a fulfilling habit.
I really hope you sort things out and find meaning one way or another. I’m glad that at you’re in good professional hands - that is a great first step.
Replies
Why couldn't you read and what kind of psychjological help did you get?
It's a really great habit. Here's my personal take: https://blog.gpkb.org/posts/make-reading-habit/
But like many things, you do have to do it for the right reason. If you go into it thinking it's going to "fix" you, then you won't enjoy it, you'll just be wondering how many more pages are required before you're better. I once read Hyperion because a crush has read it. I didn't enjoy a single page because all I was thinking about was her. Almost missed out on one of the greatest pieces of fiction I've ever read, as discovered with a recent re-read.
Whether it's the gym, reading, learning, socialising etc, you've got to make it about you. You need to understand that you are the one and only constant companion you have in life, whether you like it or not. Once you become comfortable with yourself and being happy alone, other companions will join, if you want them to.