Read old books
If you want to think better, read old books.
Haruki Murakami explains this best in “Norwegian Wood”:
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
The Cultural Tutor, who went from flipping burgers in McDonald’s to Twitter stardom, also has the same principle: he doesn’t read anything published within the past 50 years.
By reading old books, time becomes a filter that separates good books from bad books. Instead of the New York Times Bestseller list, trust Father Time, and you will find Mother Wisdom.
Reading old books leverages the Lindy Effect for your thinking. The longer something has been around, the longer it is likely to continue. If a book has remained relevant for 50 years, it’s likely that it will retain its value for years to come. If it has survived that long, it’s worth reading.
Reading old books gives you an edge because you think of ideas that no one else is thinking. By reading old books, the old can become the new. People will think of you as a genius, but all you are doing is reading what no one else is reading.
Reading is a cheat code, but you need to be smart about it. Reading the words is easy. Being deliberate about what you read is where you get an edge.
If we compare the concept of information consumption to diet, then social media posts resemble fast food. They are made in factories. They're tempting, effortless to digest, but you will feel worse after eating them. Think Twitter threads that scream AI and content crafted to game the algorithm.
Articles are takeouts. They are delicious, made with love by your local Kebab man, but they’re oily and greasy. You shouldn’t be eating them everyday.
The latest bestsellers are the food at Michelin star restaurants. Everyone raves about them, and the presentation is part of the experience. But there’s very little substance. Often, you go to these restaurants for the social reward of being able to talk about it with others.
Old books are whole, unprocessed foods. These are the most nutrient-dense food. Very little has been added to it, yet they are what your body needs.
Eat whole, unprocessed foods if you want a healthy diet. Read old books if you want healthy thinking.
Fast food was why I stopped writing online. I wasn’t satisfied with the ideas I’m writing about, and my head and my pen weren’t in sync. I was repeating ideas that everyone else already knows. Who cares about the 5832nd article about GTD?
I decided to take a different approach this year.
Psychocybernetics over Atomic Habits
Meditations over The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Man’s Search for Meaning over You Are a Badass
Don’t get me wrong, there’s still value in new books. I’m sure some bestsellers today will endure and be deemed as good old books in the future. But keep in mind that the time spent reading new books could have been spent reading good old books.
I’m not discarding new books, I still love Atomic Habits. I’m just changing my diet. Similar to how we eat, we should focus on reading old books 70-80% of the time. You can spend the rest reading books displayed in airports.
The next time you pick a book, ask yourself: when was this published?
5 links I want to share this week:
“I think about decisions in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos.
Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don’t like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats.
Some decisions are like haircuts. You can fix a bad one, but it won’t be quick and you might feel foolish for awhile. That said, don’t be scared of a bad haircut. Trying something new is usually a risk worth taking. If it doesn’t work out, by this time next year you will have moved on and so will everyone else.
A few decisions are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them. Some mistakes are irreversible. Maybe you’ll move on for a moment, but then you’ll glance in the mirror and be reminded of that choice all over again. Even years later, the decision leaves a mark. When you’re dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully.”
Another filter for reading:
“Before you read something, always ask yourself: what’s interesting about it? Before you write something down: what’s so relevant about it that it’s worth writing down?” — Sönke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes
This article is part of David Perell’s Shiny Dime Challenge. I highly recommend anyone looking to improve their writing to join.
Using ChatGPT as a partner in the creative process. A look into how David Perell creates alongside ChatGPT .
Thanks for reading :)