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aerhardtyesterday at 10:06 PM1 replyview on HN

Reading makes me feel addicted to life.

I was a decent reader as a kid, then for the longest time I couldn’t read. I got psychological help to recover my attention, and gently started reading 10 mins of something easy after waking up. Now I read at a pace of about 1.5 books per week and I can’t get enough of it. There are so my worlds that I want to explore further. Russian literature. The history of ideas. Sci-fi. 19th century France. Computer science. So many books, so little time!

Reading can generate many virtuous cycles. It requires attention, but begets attention. It can calm the mind and feel meditative. It can inspire thought and sometimes useful action. It can help you be more interesting in conversation. It can become addictive, but rarely as much as screens and won’t make you miss social opportunities.

It’s not for everyone but my theory is that if you’ve ever been immersed in two or three books at any point in your life, there’s a good chance that the potential is in you to scale it to a fulfilling habit.

I really hope you sort things out and find meaning one way or another. I’m glad that at you’re in good professional hands - that is a great first step.


Replies

ekjhgkejhgkyesterday at 11:55 PM

Why couldn't you read and what kind of psychjological help did you get?