Earlier this year I was really excited about a book: How Rich People Think by Steven Siebold. Apparently he had interviewed lots of millionaires and noted his observations.
I open the book and see it’s made of dichotomous statements. I flick through.
71.
Middle class believes ambition is a sin…
World class believes ambition is a virtue.
Uh-huh…okay.
72.
Middle class believes rich people are snobs…
World class believes rich people are guarding their consciousness.
Uhm…what? What the hell does that even mean?
As it turns out, the book is full of these platitudes. It’s all woo-woo and no meat. Inspiring? Sure. Except you won’t learn a single thing about how rich people think. But that’s the title of the book dammit!
It’s supposed to be about rational thinking, principles and maybe human errors. But it’s not.
He should have called it “What Rich People Believe.” That would’ve been better.
Here’s one of the biggest misconceptions I’ve held about reading for a long time:
I thought I had to finish every book. Even the bad ones.
If you love reading but still feel like you’re wasting your time, it’s likely for one of two reasons:
- You’re trying to read everything in a world where that’s become impossible.
- You think you have to finish every book and article you start.
Let’s address #2.
We’re used to reading books cover to cover, no matter how bad they are, no matter how boring they are and no matter how little value they provide. It’s what we’ve been taught all of our lives.
In school, at home, at work: “You gotta finish what you start!” In a lot of situations, that makes a lot of sense. But when it comes to non-fiction and learning, that couldn’t be more wrong.
A few pages into the book I was bored to tears. I’ve been in self-improvement for five years. I’ve heard all this stuff.
In a moment of clarity I looked at it, closed it and put it on the shelf. It’s over. No harm done. I tried. It was worth a shot. Maybe the next one will be better.
Reading is never a waste of time. Reading stuff only because you feel obligated to always is.
You don’t have to finish bad books.
Once again.
You don’t have to finish bad books.
PS: I made a new mini email course about reading. I made a video about this lesson too, so if you liked it, take a look.
