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Monday, September 14, 2009

You Are What You Read

You are what you read.


Just like the food people eat has a long-term effect on their body’s physical health, the literature a person reads has a n effect on their state of mind. The thoughts and ideas in what people can read can influence them to act and behave in a positive or a negative way.


I’ve watched how literature has changed people’s view of the world. For some it has enabled them work towards making changes to improve their lives. For others it has made them see things from a very cold and cynical perspective. And for even more it has caused them to see everything in a negative light. Like the food readers, eat, literature has an effect on their long-term health. People are inspired by what they read and this can motivate them to take action in their lives for the better or for the worse.


The literature people read says a lot about them and the direction we want to go in their lives. Good books help expand a reader’s perspective of the world and expose them to different experiences that allow them to grow. Bad books like junk food are entertaining enough to make readers feel good but don’t give readers the information they need to move forward in their lives.


The results of this mental nutrition are:


A reader who reads a lot of good books will strong mind. They’ll be able to take the information they’ve read and apply it in their lives. These books are like health food, the effects strengthen the thinking process and make a person mentally sharp.

A reader who reads a lot of bad books will entertain but won’t get any information they can apply in their lives. These types of books are more like empty mental calories. This mental junk food slows down the thinking process and makes it harder for people to function.


Good and Bad books come in both fiction and Nonfiction, and are across the genres.


My advice to readers: Read a lot of good books, but use the bad ones sparingly. It’s okay to read every now and again, but please don’t make it a regular habit.


You are what you read. Food for thought.


Saturday, September 12, 2009