Why reading is more important then ever.

November 10th, 2025

"Read what you love until you love to read" - Naval Ravikant

In a world filled with algorithms deciding what people consume and find interesting, reading books may be one of the last antidotes to maintain intellectual curiosity.

I recently talked to a man who told me his 5 year old daughter uses TikTok religiously. His story sounded like a nightmare. He described how her attention is scarce, and he can barely talk to her without her attention rushing back to her feed. Short form video content is decreasing our attention spans, and our personal initiative. The feed is shaping what you find interesting. There is a phenomenon in psychology called the mere-exposure effect that explains that increased exposure to something leads to greater comfort and familiarity. Because social media feeds are deciding what we are exposed to, they have a unique ability to shape our thoughts, preferences and behavior. As a result, our culture is becoming monolithic in thought, and losing the ability to think critically. As Albert Einstein once put it, "Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."

The way to keep your independence of thought is to explore on your own what your interests are. Books allow for that exploration. When I was younger, I came across a quote that stuck with me: "Read what you love until you love to read" - Naval Ravikant. Let me explain why I think this is so important. Your best work comes when you are doing what you love. When you do what you love, the work feels like play, so doing your best comes naturally. The issue is, if an algorithm is deciding for you what you find interesting, you will never take charge of your personal exploration. When you invest your time and concentrated effort on a topic of your choice, you begin to understand things at a deeper level. I have found that by committing to a book, you can discover more about your intrinsic curiosity that brought you there in the first place. This enables you to follow the path of your unique passion.

"For you".