“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends, they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
This quote is by Charles W. Eliot. He was an American academic who lived from 1834 to 1926, and he was the President of Harvard University for 40 years.
Mr. Eliot’s words caught my attention because of the way he compared books to living beings—friends, counselors, and teachers. And, although I hadn’t previously thought of books in that way, his descriptions of them are certainly fitting.
Reading a book can be a type of companion or friend in that the words of the authors are present with us during the time we are reading. And for those books that especially resonate with us, aspects of that which we read remain with us and come to mind from time to time as well.
Counselors, whether mental health counselors, legal counselors, financial counselors, or other types of counselors, are sought out because of their education, expertise, and experience in their fields. When we meet with counselors, we gain from their wisdom and knowledge. Similarly, when we read well-written books, we gain wisdom and knowledge. There are nonfiction books about thousands of topics as well as fiction books with many different themes and focuses. Through reading, we learn about various aspects of life—and there’s always more that we can learn.
Books teach us about myriad topics. No matter what our interests are, there are books about them. Just as we learned a great deal as students during our childhood and our young adult years, we can be lifetime learners by reading. And in the same way that many teachers had a positive effect on our lives, the writing of many authors has that potential as well.
It’s concerning that after completing high school or college, many people don’t read books, or read very little. They read what was required for the courses they took, but upon graduation they no longer make time for personal reading. I realize that many people are busy with raising families, working, sometimes working more than one job, and so on. I did less personal reading when I was raising my daughter and working full-time. I’m speaking more about people who do have free time but don’t use any of it to read. It’s concerning because reading helps to broaden our knowledge about many aspects of life, and it can help us to be more empathic toward others, to have creative ideas, to make positive changes, and to enrich our lives.
So, for the reasons Eliot says, I encourage you to add reading books to what you do if you are not already doing so. Even a few minutes a day will make a difference. And for parents, I encourage you to read to and with your children—both for their sake and because many children’s books speak to adults as well.