I HATE READING BOOKS... I DO NOT READ BOOKS ... I DO NOT VALUE READING BOOKS!!!Several times in conversation and someone will stop me and say... you've read Rob Bell's book, or 'that idea is from... such and such a book' and Folks I have to confess .... NO IT IS NOT!!!
I have never read Rob Bell!... I find Brian Mclaren ...very boring, and Donald Miller is a great guy and I have learned a lot from him but I have'nt read his books. Last time I heard him speak I found myself going... these thoughts feel stale.
WHY? YOU ask? Well thanks for asking ...
1) I cannot converse with a book... I cannot challlenge and expand a thinking process. Its there and its static and glaring at me telling me I cannot challenge it and expand on it. I cannot read a book and say... 'WEll I think I agree with a few points and I disagree with others.' That to me is not learning... all that has done is proved that I have an opinion and possibly a very arrogant one.
2) I have been taught all my 'leadership development' years that 'he who reads...leads'... I know many people the claim they read two and three books a month... but where are the exceptional leaders that are emerging from this discipline. People that are going to help shift and change culture. IF those that read lead...then ... PLEASE STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING!!!
3) Regurgitating ideas to me are just that - ... PUKE plain and simple... its when we own an idea that we are transformed by it. NO Let me restate that... Its when we are ready to die for an idea that we are proven to be brilliant/ or delusional.
4) Application of knowledge is what makes people brilliant... not the acquisition of knowledge.
5) What about atmospheric learning... understanding whats happening on a grander scale by processing knowledge thought a wider grid... simliar to that of radio waves. Imagine tuning into all the radio waves that are passing through the air at this moment. Can we intuitively learn from things happening around us? Ever Seen Conspiracy theory... Gathering data and connecting the dots... Those dots can lead you to a remarkable truth.
6) As Alex has mentioned in his blog... Can we learn from the Holy Spirit?
7) Could our system of grading learning be off? Maybe reading is not the best way to learn? My Case - I have never done well in school but I know my mental abilities are above average. I am not suggesting we go out and burn books ... nor am I suggesting people do not learn... but maybe could we try thinking differently about it. I am simply trying to pose a few questions about our value systems.
Of course you are reading this blog ;) Can I get an Amen from anyone out there... or not?
13 comments:
Unfortunetly the only thing you've accomplished from this end is trying to sound as if your "too smart for books" or something to that effect.
Different people learn and process differently, and I find that reading (in conjunction with discussing those ideas with others) has been a great asset to my spiritual process.
Might I ask by the way, do you consider the Bible a book?
Yep - I read books and, amazingly, I have been able ot have some great learning conversations with other people who read books!
I think Paul termed it well when he said that we must be careful of task reading...reading just to get through a book...it doesn't seem to do much.
I've been reading many less books in the last year, don't get me wrong, I still read books - however - there are a lot of amazing thinkers who are writing daily on their blogs. I am more interested in what others are learning and processing right now as opposed to what they thought before writing, editing, production, marketing, and finally, retail.
You raise some good points Mark...but I would never ever stop reading books. I like the smell of them too much.
My point is not to curse books and not ever read them... I actually do read books... but I rarely ever read a book from start to finish... I read non linearly- different chapters at different times. Do I enjoy it ...Sometimes! do I value reading ... Not really!... Do I value learning YES!!!
If reading a book is a benchmark of my intellect then 'YES I AM TOO SMART FOR BOOKS' Do not read to get it done. Read to absorb and sharpen.
Reading is not an end! Comprendez?
reading and absorbing and regenerating is so important to our walks. The BIBLE is a classic example, but there are so many godly men and women putting ink to paper how tragic is it that we do not take from thier insights and develop them even more.
I have read books that have changed my mind, my entire way of approaching a subject, it is by the cracking of the spine, the turning of the page, the acceptance that there are others out there that we may never meet in this lifetime but have incredible ideas to share, and it is through the written word it comes to life.
History books can teach us to learn from our past, and it allows us to see that there really is nothing new under the sun!
I cringe but I still want to be your friend Mark!
'fraid I'm a book reader- more than- I'm a book Nazi- I go all out to bash peoples heads with the latest book I've devoured.
On a deeper note, I read but I don't lead, It's interesting that you have that perspective. I have the perspective that many leaders are way behind what I'm reading (recommending a book to me 6 months later while I politely smile)- I find most of the leaders I know aren't that deep at all and certainly only read very little.
Where I'm from people tend to mistrust those who read and offer alternative views on things. Maybe thats some sort of difference between our cultures, or maybe I'm just in an unfortunate geographical location.
Books, Books, the musical fruit, the more you eat em the more you...oh shoot, wrong rhyme. Let me tell you I heart books, but I think the most productive way for me to learn is by discussing that reading with people. However most good books feel more like a conversation than some talking head reciting there "vast expanse of knowledge" on a given topic. So I will continue to be your friend. lol
I might take this opportunity to bring into question, however, your Doctrine of Book Reading. Picking and choosing flipping here and there lends itself to miscommunication. I liken it to jumping in the middle of a conversation and acting as if you know everything the conversation was about. But to each his own I suppose.
Ps. Apologies for not commenting lately, life seemed to get in the way.
Ichabod!!!! Ichabod!!!!!1
Mark, I'm completely with you 100%.
I know on my own I've probably started and not finished and started and finished roughly the same amount of books.
Leaders are usually educated, I'll give them that much. but it's not always because of books.
Books are a means, but, like you said, not the end.
I would rather discuss a book, chapter by chapter, than write a summary, and dicuss what I learned and disagreed with. Regardless of what I can tell the teacher, one thing I realized is I've already thought about the stuff they talk about. usually because of conversations with people. When people jump on the book wagon and start saying how great a book is, ie. "a purpose driven life" I am bothered because it's basically nothing new, but because someone can talk about how they do things at their church, and how they can put into words a concept which can be discussed and even created by youth for a purpose statement... yeah... I think you could follow what i'm saying so I shall stop.
Hmm . . . interesting thoughts. I love books. I read history for fun. I'm kind of nerdy that way. I see what you're saying, but here's my thoughts (in the form of responses to each of your points). This could be an interesting discussion.
1. Books aren't necessarily meant to be conversed with, but they do spark conversation. Really, almost every medium is static. Even blogs are static to some extent, since I cannot interact with what you've actually written. We can respond to your opinion, but I went through the same process here as I would reading a book. Except that here I can respond directly to the author.
2. I agree. But I will add that ideas take time to be worked out.
3. All ideas are built on other ideas. Nothing comes from a vacuum. So when we share any idea, we are, to some extent, regurgitating. But I agree that there is a difference between regurgitating something and being committed to something.
4. Acquisition precedes application.
5. Atmospheric learning? This sounds like a really vague concept. Do you have any kind of a definition? "Processing knowledge on a wider grid"? Where does that knowledge come from?
6. Interestingly enough, one of the most important ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us is through a book.
7. Reading is not the best or only way to learn, but it is one of the oldest and most proven ways. A society's success is often measured by its literacy.
Sorry for the longest comment ever. And for not leaving my name. I am a frequent reader, but I feel like remaining anonymous for now. Any thoughts?
Anonymous...thank you for your response... I think with this post I stuck myself out a bit far to make a point and on the most part it has backfired. Your responses are somewhat reflectant to what I was trying to accomplish however so I will respond
1) I Think the tension of most books is that there is no invitation to dialogue. And many times people who read ... simply write off a thought simply because they disagree with that opinion... In our western thinking we tend to think critically [argumentatively] without taking into any consideration parallel thinking. A good thought is dismissed by a quick reading 'student.' "I disagree with that" therefore I disregard or marginalize a thought.
2) Ideas need to be worked out? Depending on the approach... and that can be a good excuse for doign nothing.
3) I think there woudl be much more accomplished if we owned soem of our ideas rather than just looking around and pirating others ideas
4) Application and Aquisition are similanteous acts ... we aquire as we apply an idea. Unless we are living in a idealistic utopian
5)Atmospheric Learning... Think of a neo-group-think dynamic without the baggage.
6) Is the Bible a Book? Or is it more? I think we miss the point when we make it a thing to read
7) This is true... I am exploring the thought that maybe this needs to evolve.
Much thought here but to be as short as you... I will stop there
Atmospheric Learning... Collective intelligence.
Here is a site to an interesting project launched today. WE ARE SMARTER THAN ME! www.wearesmarter.org
I will be writing an article on this in the future.
Wow...delbert is super heavy on this comment....
Calvin's not into books either, but then he read 'blue like jazz' and thought maybe, just maybe he could be.
oh, and yes the bible is a book but you don't have the read the whole thing to find out how it ends!
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