“The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation”JohannWolfgang
Have you ever doubted the value of literature in our world today? Well, let me take you on a little journey to show you that literature is a must for a better life.
In the age of technology, internet and rush, books seem to be a bit boring or too much time wasting in the middle of all the preoccupation that life nowadays swirls us into. Books are not often used for educational, cultural or linguistic purposes; they are unfortunately used for “home designing”. It is nice to have large shelves of heavy books in your house; it does in some way make you look more educated and sophisticated right? Well, I think it’s time you wiped the dust off your books and started digging deeper into them, perhaps you’ll find something that would do you good. As Alberto Manguel said “Books may not change our suffering, books may not protect us from evil, books may not tell us what is good or what is beautiful, and they will certainly not shield us from the common fate of the grave. But books grant us myriad possibilities: the possibility of change, the possibility of illumination.” The possibility of change and of illumination, aren’t those two important factors that pushes us to guide a better life and a richer comprehension of facts? I will not tell you to search for solutions in some rotten pages nor am I telling you to spend your lifetime reading, all I am asking for is to look at literature as a mechanism, a treatment that will not give you the answer right away but it will train your mind and soul to look at life in a different way, a way that might change your perspective of life forever.
Apart from being an educational and cultural material, literature has always been an inspiration for a lot of people. It does not simply describe reality but it also adds to it and enriches it to push us into understanding and taking advantages of our daily. It is true that literature helps with relaxation and wiping worries away but we shall not forget that it motivates us to create a better world around us, to live a better life and to be surrounded with positive thinking. As Cyril Connolly once said “while thought exists, words are alive and literature becomes an escape not from, but into life”. An escape into a life that we choose not into one that was implied to us.
If you still think that literature is a waste of time, think again, you might find out that the only thing that has been missing from your life is a good book, your thoughts and a nice cup of tea.
