How Can Reading Change the World?
How Can Reading Change the World?
The genuine world, the real world, and the ideal world—these are the three worlds we need to understand.
Many people, after reading the writings of sages, glimpse into the genuine world and then fall into a state of helpless despair, unsure of what to do next. They feel powerless to change the real world. So, how should we view this situation?
The reason for this is simple: it's because they lack a deeper understanding of the real world. To change something, one must first understand it. We need to understand both the genuine world and the real world.
Using the genuine world as a model, we can gradually transform the real world and build a beautiful ideal world—that is the path to follow.
If we fail to clarify the issues of these three worlds, we will not be able to change the real world and may even be defeated by it. It is necessary to have transcendent wisdom and ambition, but we must also bring our actions down to the realities of the world. Otherwise, life will lose its connection to reality, and we will only feel isolated and frustrated, unable to breathe or act.
Reading and learning are crucial tasks. Many people know Huawei, but few know how Huawei got its start.
Huawei originally worked on switchgear technology. When foreign countries imposed a technology blockade, they researched the technology themselves. The breakthrough came when a research team read a book by a professor at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications. They applied the knowledge from that book to develop the technology, which became the foundation of Huawei's success. A single book became the starting point for an industrial empire.
After their switches became a success, Huawei was born. This is a real example of how an industry was created. One must read books carefully—books that are meaningful and nourishing. It was also a book that sparked Mao Zedong's revolutionary ideas to save the nation. The trigger was Zheng Guanying's Words of Warning for a Prosperous Age.
Learning about reality based on one's own needs is the fastest way to learn. Systematic study refers to learning the classics of sages, which requires a lifelong commitment. For those focused on improving skills, the results come quickly and the transformation is fast.
When choosing books related to understanding the real world, I follow several principles:
Focus on solving practical problems in work and life.
Focus on books related to pure knowledge, skills, or cognitive thinking.
Choose books that help expand our knowledge. The more extensive your knowledge, the clearer your understanding will be. The fewer cognitive blind spots you have, the fewer pitfalls you’ll encounter in work and life.
The ancients did the same. They not only studied the classics but also books like The Exploitation of the Works of Nature and Essential Techniques for the People. If everyone only studied the classics and neglected practical matters, nothing would get done, and the nation would perish. This reasoning is still applicable today.
For example, if you are an accountant who passes the CPA exam, your career will take off. But if you want to open a farm, you'll need to study agricultural knowledge and skills, as this targeted learning is the fastest way to achieve results. But if you want to start a large business, you must continue learning—lifelong learning. Otherwise, you'll fall short in knowledge and culture, and you'll need to build a more advanced and comprehensive knowledge structure. Only the wisdom contained in the classics of sages can help you establish this knowledge structure.
So, how can we read more efficiently? As human beings, the greatest curiosity is to understand the universe, the world around us, and the nature of human existence. This curiosity is the source and driving force behind all the pursuit of truth. It has nothing to do with your background or resume, but everything to do with a pure and passionate curiosity.
Most books in the world are worthless. To achieve a comprehensive understanding, you must first be able to discard the garbage publications. Avoid wasting time and energy on futile intellectual activities. The difference between people in terms of knowledge and wisdom often lies here. When a person matures, it's when they can discern what books are worthwhile and which ones are simply intellectual junk.
Once you've found a truly wise book, you need to quickly grasp its central idea—understand what it is really about. Can you summarize it in a sentence or two? Only then can you claim to truly understand the book.
Time is relative. Why do some people read slowly? It's because their understanding is not sufficient, so they read at a slower pace. To improve reading speed, you need to train your brain—train your thinking ability and comprehension skills. Of course, these are techniques. But the true way to become smarter lies in having enough essence and vitality. Ultimately, the biggest difference between people is their physical state.