Quote:
When we read, another person thinks for us: we merely repeat
his mental process. In learning to write, the pupil goes over with his pen what
the teacher has outlined in pencil: so in reading; the greater part of the work
of thought is already done for us. This is why it relieves us to take up a book
after being occupied with our own thoughts. And in reading, the mind is, in
fact, only the playground of another's thoughts. So it comes about that if
anyone spends almost the whole day in reading, and by way of relaxation devotes
the intervals to some thoughtless pastime, he gradually loses the capacity for
thinking; just as the man who always rides, at last forgets how to walk. This
is the case with many learned persons: they have read themselves stupid. ~
Arthur Schopenhauer.
Unquote:
In this text, Schopenhauer delves into the nature of reading
and its effects on our thinking process. He observes that when we read, we are
essentially engaging with someone else’s mental process. We are not actively
generating the thoughts ourselves, but instead, we are absorbing and repeating
the thought patterns that the author has already laid out. To explain this,
Schopenhauer uses an example i.e., in learning to write, a student practices by
copying the teacher’s words, first in pencil (as an outline), and later in ink.
We have done this a lot in school as you would remember. In the same way, when
we read, much of the mental work is already done by the author—our task is just
to follow along, to take in what has already been thought of, words speak to us
and defined by another person.
He points out that this process can be mentally relieving.
When we are absorbed in our own thoughts, it can be exhausting and demanding to
maintain a continuous flow of independent thinking. But when we read, we are
temporarily freed from the effort of having to generate thoughts ourselves. The
work of thinking has been done by the author, and we just follow the author's line
of thought. This gives the mind a kind of mental rest, similar as to how we
might relax after physical exertion.
However, he cautions that if someone spends too much time
reading, it can lead to negative consequences. If a person’s intellectual life
is largely spent in absorbing the thoughts of others, with little time for
original thinking, they begin to lose the capacity to think independently. He
compares this to a person who rides a horse so often that he eventually forgets
how to walk. In this sense, the mind becomes "lazy," relying on
others' ideas rather than engaging in its own original, critical thinking. This
is aptly happening these days with the social media doing all the search work
for the project we want to do. It also lays out clear plan as to how.
The philosopher believes that this phenomenon is
particularly evident in scholars or highly learned individuals who, through
extensive reading, may become intellectually inactive. Their minds become
filled with the ideas of others, but they lack the ability to form their own
unique understanding. Instead of thinking independently, they merely repeat or
recycle what they have read. This over-reliance on external sources can lead to
a kind of intellectual stagnation, where the individual no longer actively engages
in the process of original thought. They keep carrying forward outdated and
stale thoughts which no longer can be applicable.
Ultimately, Schopenhauer is warning that reading, while
beneficial for gaining knowledge, should be balanced with independent thinking.
Without this balance, there is a risk of becoming a passive recipient of
others' ideas, losing the ability to think critically and creatively for
oneself. Reading should not replace thinking but should be a complement to it,
stimulating the mind without dominating it.
I have also read recently a quote from Aldo Leopold shared
by Redy that “Nonconformity is the highest evolutionary attainment of social
animals” which also approves the thought that one needs to break the
shackles and be thinking out of the box, experience and evaluate.
We all need to read with boundaries set for ourselves and
never be in blind faith of the context we understand and bear in mind that it
is the authors perspective only and you will have yours may be aligned with
that or completely different. We should continue to explore our thoughts
independently and learn with experience and relearn. The world gives us ample
opportunities and we should have an eye for it. Good luck.
