Top Ten Life Skills We’ve Gained From Reading

It’s been a while since we’ve shared any wisdom in the form of a top ten post. Our previous posts on how to make more time to read and how to convince people to read your favorite books made us feel so helpful since we were sharing such practical, applicable tools with our readers. Of course at the time, not many people were reading our blog, so our advice has mostly gone unheeded. But today we’re back with a new top ten! These are some skills we’ve gained from reading that we hope you find relatable! Chances are that if you’re a reader you’ve probably already gained these skills. However, even if you’re not a reader, this list will definitely act as a motivator for you to become one!

1. How to speed-read on a deadline

Ever had a library book due in just 24 hours? Sure, you’ve had the book out for weeks now, but you made the brilliant decision to read every book *besides* this one ,until you’re reminded that the book is due the next day. Well, suddenly you have the capability to finish a 750-page book in 24 hours. You may not sleep, and you might have to skip school or work that day, but you got this. You know how to manage your deadlines.

2. How to Alphabetize

People assume remembering your ABCs is easy because you learned it as a child. They are wrong. If you’ve ever had to alphabetize something you realize that remembering A-E is easy, but no one knows where T falls in the alphabet. That is unless you’re a reader. After browsing books in bookstores and libraries for many years, you get pretty good at figuring out where you can find your favorite authors on the shelves. (And if you happen to mentally sing your ABCs a few times as you search, no one has to know.)

That moment when you can’t find your book even though you’re in the right letter section

3. How to market a product to an unwilling audience

So you’ve just read the most amazing book, right. Now you just need someone to read it. As book lovers, we get really good at figuring out the proper way to pitch a book. Sure your friend dislikes fantasy and doesn’t want to read dystopian books, but they do like romance, and there is that one scene in this book where there’s some snuggling and a kiss. As long as you don’t mention all the magic and death that happens on every other page, you can convince them that this is the perfect read for them.

4. How to make decisions

You enter the bookstore and are greeted with several hundred books you want to read. But you have a budget and limited space on your bookshelves, so you can only leave the store with 3 books. It really forces you to make decisions and pick only 12 books, and put back the 29 others that you refrained from buying.

5. How to overthrow a government body

Ever get really displeased with the people who are in charge of governing your country? Well, books have given us in-depth step by step instructions on how to get rid of those pesky politicians! A little bit of rebellion on Monday means a peaceful future where you chill with one of your three love interests on Tuesday.

6. How to be focused

We all know what it’s like to be fully immersed in a book that you’re reading. So hyper-focused that you don’t notice when your mom calls you over to help her out or when your friends try to get you to hang out with them. This laser focus helps out in other areas of life too. Like maybe being super focused on work so that you can finish all the more quickly. All so that you can go home earlier and continue reading that book, of course!

7. How to carry heavy loads

You call it too many books, I call it weight training. As bookworms, we all are obligated to carry 3-55 books on us at all times and let’s just say that Ray Bradbury’s extended edition completed works (with commentary of course) weighs quite a lot. We just trudge through the world gaining knowledge and building muscles. People would be crazy to think they can cross us!

8. How to turn every conversation back to books

Talking to people is always a chore when you know you could be reading instead. But reading has taught us that it’s always okay to hijack a conversation and start talking about a book that you just read/have been reading. Books are always telling us how great readers are, and it’s our duty to let everyone know that too!

9. How to be emotionally invested in other people’s lives

We, of course, have to clarify that these aren’t real people’s lives that you’re invested in. But that doesn’t matter! The amount of energy that you’ve invested worrying about whether or not your OTP will become canon has just helped you become a more empathetic person! Sure, right now the people you’re expending all this energy on don’t exist, but someday you might care this much about a real person’s relationships. Don’t let the fact that you’ve been reading for years and this day hasn’t come yet make you think otherwise.

10. How to become an expert in fields you didn’t know existed until yesterday

You just picked up a great book, and the main character aspires to be the greatest detective that ever lived. In the past, you knew nothing about detective work, but now you can determine the time of death based on the color of the curtains in the victim’s apartment. You know everything about solving mysteries from how to determine if a suspect is lying (facial tics, obviously) and when is the best time for the great reveal to show that you knew who it was all along. You’re an expert now. The police will be coming to you for advice soon.

What are some useful skills you’ve gained by reading? What ship have you invested way too much energy into? Can you relate to any of the things we’ve learned by reading?