Harvest the thoughts of the distant and dead
Digital MarketingBelieve it or not, you have a superpower.
One that few people throughout history have had.
Those who shared this power enjoyed a tremendous advantage over those who did not.
They could access information from other times and places, information that they should not have been able to learn.
These heroic few, of which you are a member, could learn faster and open their minds to new ideas. They could absorb the wisdom of the ages in moments… or spend a lifetime pondering it.
This superpower cannot be underestimated. Without him, your life would be radically different.
It is the ability to talk to any person in human history. Well, not just anyone. They had to meet certain conditions first. However, if they did, there is nothing to stop you.
Even if they live on the other side of the world.
Even if they speak a foreign language.
And even if they died centuries before you were born.
Sure, it’s not perfect. It’s a one-sided conversation. If you have a specific question, you should expect them to answer it.
Still, that’s nothing. If you couldn’t do that, you’d use it like a miracle.
So what is this unnatural ability that defies time and space?
This superpower is nothing less than the art of reading.
Before you scoff and say how ‘normal’ that is, remember that you live in a privileged time. For most of history, only the wealthy could afford an education. Something as simple as reading was beyond the purview of the working class.
And don’t make fun of what reading does for you.
Everything I said above, and more.
I have read the works of Marcus Aurelius, possibly the greatest Roman emperor in history. He died thousands of years ago and we did not share a common language. He couldn’t understand my life: the fact that I’m typing this alone on a keyboard would make his imagination expand.
Still, he understood enough to enrich my life in profound ways.
She could have a one-sided conversation with him, thanks to him writing down her thoughts.
And thanks to the people who keep those thoughts alive.
And to the others for translating them into modern English.
Also, the internet deserves some credit for delivering it to me.
It’s a team effort.
And it is a transcendental effort.
It would be a shame to waste it, huh?
I call reading a superpower because it allows you to expand your knowledge. The fact that knowledge can come from so many people, from almost any time in history, adds to its power. Without that, it’s still powerful enough.
I invite you to find a book that challenges you.
That broadens your intellect.
That pushes you to the limits of who and what you are.
Something that increases your skills… and your wisdom.
You’re reading this, which (humility aside) is a good start.
But don’t stop here.