The Power of Habit 1/5: Knowledge is Power & The Ritual of Reading
Habits are a popular topic at the minute. Youtube is littered with videos on the subject. In this five part series I will break down some important habits to me, that not only increase my performance, but enable myself to be a more likeable, rounded individual, & which helps me to better engage with my world. Hopefully, by the end of this series you will better understand the psychology of habits, as well as have some positive nuggets that may help you too.
1. The Power of Habit
You cannot talk about habits without first talking about values . It is impossible to reinforce a value without a habit. In fact, much of our current habits, either positive or negative, are a direct reflection of a currently held value, whether we are aware of it or not (Charles Duhigg, Power of Habit). Moreover, many positive habits first start as a chore, before they become values. My daughter doesn't like brushing her teeth in the morning because she hasn't yet developed a value of personal hygiene. An adult however, who values hygiene, habitually brushes their teeth without thought or question. Teeth brushing is no longer a chore, its a habit that reinforces a value!
Duhigg defines a habit as 'a behavior that starts as a choice, & then becomes a nearly unconscious pattern'. Likewise, James Clear also explains the importance of 'letting your values drive your choices' (Atomic Habits), noting how values & habits are intertwined. There are however some habits that are more powerful than others, & the creation of such 'keystone habits' have the power to 'cause a chain reaction', changing unrelated patterns in someone's life (Power of Habit). The person who begins to value physical/emotional health, & who starts habitually exercising, begins to alter their smoking, sleeping, eating, & even their spending habits. The keystone habit of exercise triggers valuable changes in a range of different patterns (Power of Habit).
The habits we create really are powerful, & can change a persons life. If we want a new habit to stick, we first need to align it with our values! Before a habit becomes a value, it often starts as a chore! Which is why new patterns are often difficult. However, the first step toward making changes starts with a choice. The next five weeks therefore will dive in to some of my daily keystone habits, which are driven by my values. Maybe some of my daily habits can trigger a new choice in you?
2. Knowledge is Power
Central to my values is knowledge. Sir Francis Bacon said 'knowledge is power'. Socrates famously noted however that 'the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing'. I have spent thousands of pounds, & read countless of books to pursue knowledge, only to realise that the more I learn, the more I do not know anything! There truly is great power in knowledge, because it helps to solidify you with a firm & concrete footing under your feet. The issue however is that there truly is a knowledge crisis! In a time when there is more data than ever before, people simply do not value the importance of knowledge. TS Eliot famously said 'where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? In the psychology of knowledge there is a set process by which knowledge is attained, to which Eliot alluded in his famous poem; & much of what we know or do not know is governed by the below pyramid hierarchy.
Data is available to us all, but there is a great deal of effort to turn data into knowledge. Cultures throughout history have valued wisdom at the expense of everything else, but for some reason the value has been lost. Today, many people mistake data or information for knowledge or wisdom!
I didn't grow up with a love of books. I didn't read my first book until my early twenties. Education was never valuable to me growing up, & certainly wasn't encouraged! I am not academic I would tell myself, buying into the cultural myth. Today however, I have lost count of the books or articles I have read. I have read the Bible many times. I have read the classics from Plato to Seneca; as well psychological work from Nietzsche to Freud. With everything I have read I have learned that our existence is shaped by our knowledge! Our understanding of meaning, of self-worth, or politics, community, or relationships! With knowledge comes a language that helps you articulate what you're thinking, feeling, or why yourself or others behave in certain ways. Which is probably why the increase of depression & anxiety is so high in our generation, because the depth of knowledge & wisdom have been replaced by copious mountains of data.
Does everyone need to go & read all these books? NO! Well not if you don't wish. But it is central to my values, & has helped position myself to hopefully share & teach my knowledge, synthesising it in a way that is accessible to all. The practice of reading is a habit that I have valued for many years. I value it because I see the benefit it can have on your life. They say that not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. There is reason for it, because knowledge is power! It is more powerful than money, status, or prestige; which is why the ancients valued knowledge & the ritual of reading more than anything else.
3. The Ritual of Reading
A habit repeated for long enough becomes routine; & routines repeated long enough becomes ritual! John Pageau noted how for 'anything to have purpose they have to be ritualised'. For me reading has become a ritual. Reading is not about ticking boxes or impressing people with knowledge , its about filtering the information, & applying it to live a good life.
In my conversations with people about books & reading I frequently hear the same answer. I haven't got time to read! I wish I could read more, I just don't have the time! Seneca says that a lack of time is not the issue, its the wasting of the time we have. He notes how 'people are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy'. How we spend our time is a direct reflection of our values. You can be the master of your time or it will be the master of you!
In terms of time allocated to a day, I am actually extremely busy. I am training for a 100 mile ultra marathon, so life if about to get even busier, with an even earlier alarm clock! Alongside training, work, family time, writing, cooking & even Netflix I find that if I replace the aimless scroll before bed, & limit my TV time, I have ample time to read before I go to sleep. On my lunch break, or waiting for a doctors appointment, instead of scrolling I read my book. Which means that my paperback books are frequently with me on the move! This has become my ritual. But how do I know what to read?
Ryan Holiday says that you can waste a lot of time reading the wrong books. Which is why I aim to read 'timeless' books that have stood the test of time! I have developed a practice of following the trail of experts. Podcasts are great for this because you often hear the 'timeless' books mentioned by different experts. Likewise, when you find such books they will often quote other expert authors, who in turn provide a trail for ensuring you are reading the best books. Before long, you have built a repertoire of reading the very best in the field, from a range of different genres.
Another thing I've learned is that often the oldest books are the most timeless, & are foundational to building true knowledge & wisdom on a subject. After reading Plato for example, I have realised you cannot really truly understand our political systems, education, our ethics, or many classical works since, including the New Testament, without first reading Plato. I say this to illustrate that you can save a lot of time by following the trails of the greats.
Finally, I see the importance of variety in my reading, & I remain flexible in what to read next. I have a long list of books that I want to read, but I am not rigid in how I read them. I am working my way through the classics at the minute. However, I also enjoy reading an autobiography or a sports science book to bring my mind back from the deep philosophy of Nietzsche. Ultimately, you have to find what works for you, & don't be too rigid in your approach. Rigidity breads boredom, & then reading becomes a chore! Our goal is to turn our values into habits which will set us up for success.
Summary
To build strong positive habits we should try to align our choices with our values. From this you can build practices or routines into your life that work to reinforce those values! With consistent focus you can develop powerful keystone habits that have power to work as a chain reaction in other areas of your life. What values are important to you? What choices can be made today that will help you build unconscious patterns in to your life, & that reinforce those values?
The first of my key values is knowledge, & I have built the habit of reading into my life. Reading is no longer a chore to me, its a ritualised practice! There is no such thing as not enough time! All there is, is wasted time, or a lack of value in its importance! Reading is important to me because I recognise the power in knowledge. The path to knowledge & wisdom is set, & its important to note that reading a single book on a subject does not provide knowledge, it provides information. There is a process of turning information to knowledge, & this often requires the synthesising of many books. Only then can a person know true wisdom! Paradoxically, like Socrates said, 'the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing'!
If you would like to start building the habits of reading, I have offered a few of my daily habits that help me. Regular reading can provide you with a language to better articulate how you engage with the world. It can provide you with a sure, concrete footing. & helps you to not be like the wave of the sea, driven & tossed by the wind (James 1:6 NRSV). Instead of saying I haven't got time, why not look for periods of wasted time in your day, looking to maximise it with a good book? Why not set a goal to read a book a month, or every two months, or even a book a year to get you started? Why not pursue new knowledge in an interesting topic, & allow yourself to be driven by curiosity? This the power of habit! Who knows where it could lead you.
Much love,
Ross
(To get started see below a list of my favorite books that have have profoundly impacted me):
Plato, The Republic (the foundation of everything we know about pretty much anything today)
Victor Frankly, Man's Search for Meaning (small book that I have re-read multiple times from the first-hand experience of a holocaust survivor)
Jordan Peterson, 12 Rules for Life (accessible book exploring the psychology of biblical narratives that are relevant today)
Christopher McDougal, Born to Run (explores the endurance of our ancestors from a evolutionary- biological perspective)
Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point (my first map in to social sciences that altered the trajectory of my life)
Ranulf Fiennes, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know (autobiography from a hero of mine about his adventures during his lifetime. this sent me on a journey for endurance)
Edmund Hilary, High Adventure (story of the first accent of Everest)
Yuval Noah Harari, Sapians: A Brief History of Human Kind (will change your whole perspective on life as you know it)
Ernest Becker, Denial of Death (this is considered one of the best books of the twentieth century. It is outstanding, but not always easy to read if dont have some foundational knowledge in philosophy)
Adam Grant, Give & Take (deep dive into the psychology of reciprocity in a fun, accessible way)
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