Reading articles , journals, fictions and non-fictions gives us access to experiencing the writer's world where we are able to tap into his wisdom and explore his thinking. Many people whose existence predates ours or who we cannot meet because of distance can be a source of inspiration to us even if we never had the opportunity to sit under them to learn. You might never have met Solomon, Plato, Aristotle, Einstein, Newton, Apostle Paul or even Jesus, but their writings are a great repository of knowledge. The wisdom in their materials remain inexhaustible for generations to come. Like Solomon said in Proverbs 13: 20 - 'Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble'. Reading the works of wise men of all time will make you a lot wiser.
Reading also serves us the opportunity of evaluating our opinions and presuppositions against those of the writer. We encounter people - in their writing - whose views challenge our views which may lead to us re-evaluating our long standing ideologies. More importantly, reading regularly may cause us to shift our paradigms which Steve Covey, the author of the popular book; Seven Habits of Highly Effective People defines as "The way we 'see' the world or circumstances - not in terms of our visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving, understanding and interpreting". He went further to say our paradigms determine our attitude and behaviour. Therefore, reading into the minds of other great people can shape our worldviews which in turn affects how we react to circumstances, how we relate with other people and our expectations from others.
Reading is also a good way to ease the stress of your everyday life or the worries that fill your mind. A novel, especially a page-turner can set you loose into a different world far away from where you are by taking your mind off your stress. You may find yourself reading about growing up on a farmland in Kentucky, the realities of survival on the Antarctica - eating raw meat, sea food, harsh weather conditions - or the tales of wayfaring men. Reading therefore can be a great way to calm your mind or as an effective mood-changer.
Furthermore, reading regularly helps stimulate the brain. Studies have shown that such activities as reading and writing if practised early in life and up to adulthood can keep the brain stimulated, preventing such occurrences as memory loss later in life. Author, Dr Robert P. Friedland opined that “Just as physical activity strengthens the heart, muscles and bones, intellectual activity strengthens the brain against disease.” Reading - an intellectual activity - can slow down the onset of brain related diseases such as Alzheimer's or even Dementia.
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