One lament of the digital era is the diminished value of the written word. The words of intellectuals and scientists have lost power in today’s culture. Most of us do not have the patience, nor the desire to think deeply enough on a topic to comprehend a well-reasoned position based on fact and logic.

Today, the power lies with those who best utilize juvenile language and overly simplistic catch phrases. Though these bullet pointed statements have little substance, they easily fuel anxiety and encourage the public’s most dangerous impulses. Had Edward Bulwer-Lytton lived today, he may have instead written, “The Tweet is mightier than the sword.” It will serve you well if you can avoid being swayed by such juvenile rhetoric.

Anything you find yourself scrolling through endlessly should be considered for deletion. Limit distractions. Keep open space in your mind for thought and reason. Strengthen your attention span. Read to expand your imagination. Read to seek truth. Read to better yourself. Read for the pure pleasure of it. Remember, the greatest minds that have ever lived have put their thoughts and ideas into books. Buy a bookshelf and fill it. Then buy another, and fill it…