Frankly Existential

Philosophy is in everything

Reading anything can have a profound impact on your life. Why? Simply because you are being exposed to ideas that are not your own. Any written work does this, even works of pure fiction, it does not have to be a work of philosophy. Everything has a hint of philosophy in it anyway. Conflict in a fictional work, the deliberation done by the story’s protagonist, presents a hint of moral philosophy. Any story of creation and where things come from implies metaphysics.

These branches of philosophy are found even in children’s books. Many children’s stories teach lessons of right and wrong or where things come from. When I say “where things come from”, I do not just mean large concepts such as the birth of the universe, but anything. Not all creation is in relation to metaphysics, but to physics as well and even physics or science as a whole can be boiled down to philosophy. Nevertheless, the way that we can all learn through reading (or for young children, being read to) makes its importance self-evident.

Written works tend to remain reliable over time, meaning that they rarely change. This is why, in most cases, religion has spread to the degree it has. It is far easier to transmit writing without alteration than to verbally tell the same story the same way every time.

Turn words into thoughts and thoughts into actions

If you’re reading properly, you should have plenty of ideas dancing around in your head. Taking those words off the page and expanding on their meaning and ideas is where the true value of reading lies. You take the writing and begin to make it your own through your ideas. You draw new conclusions, gain new insight, and expand your own mind.

The change in how you see the world leads to the change in how you act in the world. More often than not, you make a change for the better. Once again on the topic of children’s books, that is largely their purpose. It provides a creative way to establish life lessons for the child without even knowing it. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein teaches the importance of reciprocity in relationships. When one person only gives and the other only takes, the giver exhausts itself until it can give no more. Children begin to understand the necessary balance between giving and taking through a tree. This is a very early introduction to moral philosophy.

This does not only happen with children. We have all heard the phrase “life imitates art,” and writing is a very influential art. Even ancient works still influence our behaviors today. It has become the root of our civilization and political structure. Think of the works of Plato, specifically his Republic. If you have read it, you know just how many of those ideas are foundational to our political structure and our education system in the United States. You can thank Plato for gym and music class, and for the idea of state-operated public education.

Ideas simple enough for children or as old as the ancients make great impacts on our world today. This is the concept of turning words into action in real-time. Entire nations built upon written ideas. This, I believe, justifies the saying “knowledge is power.” Knowledge gained from reading has led to some of the greatest societal advancements we have ever seen.

Reading can, and will, change your life as well as the lives around you. Knowledge truly is power and you have the chance to completely change yourself for the better. Changing yourself for the better will inspire others to do the same. Be the friend, partner, parent, child, student, or person that you wish for those around you to be. When you lead with ideas, others will follow.