I love books. And most likely, if a search engine brought you here, you do too. I thought about what it would be like if a book wanted that same love back and came up with this bibliophile cartoon.
Some amazing things happen when bibliophiles unite.
Category: books
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The Power of Books
Abraham Lincoln was born 213 years ago today. He was a man that knew the power of books. I like this quote from him.
“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new at all.”
Abraham Lincoln Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/abraham_lincoln_100002, accessed February 12, 2022.
Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was a man that valued books so much, he would walk for miles across the Indiana countryside to borrow and return them. Though his formal education was spotty, his love for reading gave him an education far beyond his backwoods upbringing.
Information in the Echo Chamber
In today’s connected world, we have no problem finding information. Rather, our challenge is sifting the wheat from the chaff. Our temptation is to only find the information we agree with, instead of a bit of knowledge that challenges us.
In Lincoln’s time, books showed that original ideas weren’t all that original. In today’s world, we can find any information to justify our thoughts. It doesn’t have to be edited or traditionally published to go out to millions. Do we forget what incredible power exists on our phones and desktops?
We like the comfort of the echo chamber. Most of us cringe when we find information that doesn’t agree with our worldview. However, do we grow if we only read, hear or view what we agree with? Are we doing ourselves a disservice when we don’t challenge our thoughts?
The Value of Printed Books
Today, printed books are still important partly because it still takes effort to publish something on paper. It gives it a physical presence that electronic media doesn’t have. Sure, we can print a blog or social media post. But how many of us actually do that? (If you dare to challenge me and print out this blog post, I’m fine with that!)
There may be a day I take my blog posts and organize them into a book. When that happens, there will be a better chance a future generation will read what I wrote. But if it stays only on the Internet, would it still live on? If I pass on tomorrow and no one chooses to pay for this site, it could disappear like a vapor.
Books and Thoughts
Books are still valuable to educate, instruct and challenge us. Let’s get out of our echo chamber, crack open a good tome, and get acquainted again with the power of books.
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Why is isolation so dangerous?
Has anyone felt isolated lately? Of course, we have! After all quarantine is a synonym for isolation. Hospitals have isolation wards that keep infected people from spreading illness. In some situations, like a pandemic, isolation is necessary.
Health professionals have told us isolation has been necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Yet, It isn’t easy for any of us. There has been several recent articles on how isolation is affecting us.
- Even introverts struggle with the isolation of pandemic
- Pandemic isolation takes its toll
- The pandemic of loneliness
I liked today’s quote by Mark Batterson because of its humorous approach. It also reminds me isolation can become dangerous because it can cause us to do some crazy things.
- We may start believing the negative self-talk that comes from our thoughts.
- We may find unhealthy ways to numb the loneliness
- When we finally get with people, we may come off as desperate, or a little neurotic (especially if you introduce you volleyball as your new friend)
- It opens us up to scammers and others that take advantage of the lonely and isolated.
Batterson’s book is about how to listen to the voice of God. He reminded me that one way to hear His voice is to be in a community of believers. We all need friends and mentors to keep us from going off the rails. Isolation and a lack of humility can be a great disadvantage when you need someone to talk through an idea.
We are all social creatures. Even introverts need time with others. We may not be able to meet face-to-face. Technology may not be your strong suit. But I encourage you to find ways to reach out to friends even when it may take extra effort. We all need others to keep us from getting very lonely, and a little neurotic.
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Why We All Need Some Silence
Yesterday was a big day for me. I turned off the phone and I was in silence for most of it. At my wife’s suggestion, I read a book entitled, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, by Ruth Haley Barton.
I know! It was crazy. But what I feared the most actually was one of the richest days I’ve had in a long time.
It came after a busy couple of days. My wife is out of town. I went down to Florida to help him drive his car back to Indiana. And I know work will busy this morning after being out for a day.
I realize silence is a luxury these days. Our television, phones and life’s demands make it almost impossible to find some time for reflection. Yet it is so needed. We all need it.
We all need some time to meditate. We all need some time to consider where we’ve been, where we are and where we are heading. Since I am a Christian, it is even valuable for me to hear the still, small voice of God.
So this morning, it is back to the workweek. I know I will have plenty to do, as I am sure all of you will too. Through it all, I encourage you to take some time to be silent. Even if it is five minutes during the day, It will do your soul some good.
The other day, a coworker was asking me how I keep my notes organized. I responded that I have got a lot out of a web site and book about the Bullet Journal Method.
It reminded me of how valuable it is to reinforce a lesson by telling or teaching someone the same lesson. I have been using a variation of the method for some time and bought the book in the spring. I was reminded of how effective the method was when I told him how it helped me.
If you are a lifelong learner, I suggest you find a way to teach what you’ve learned to others. You don’t have to be an official, formal teacher. You can just share what you’ve learned to your friends or people at work.
If you have found a piece of knowledge to be useful for you, chances are another person can benefit from it. In turn, that helps you remember the lesson and reinforce it in your own mind.