 The benefits of reading far outweighs the benefits of not reading. Every educational institution in the world makes use of books. Books are perhaps the most potent educational medium ever invented. Students who don't follow in class can read up and develop new ideas as well as comprehend way better than they appear. Reading can actually transform your life. According to OEDB.org, as we like to have the emotional and mental chatter found in the real world, we enjoy deep reading that allows us to feel what the characters in the story feel. And this, in turn, makes us more empathetic to people in real life, becoming more aware to the lives of others. In today's video, I'm going to share with you 15 benefits of reading. You can subscribe to this channel for more awesome videos such as this one. 1. Reading Makes You Smart When you read, you acquire a lot of information and that makes you smart. While red people can sustain a conversation in different fields of study, people also like to associate with people who share same interests, so this can make you more sociable and acceptable. 2. Reading Books Helps You Read Fast This is perhaps the most important benefit of reading. People who read often can read fast. Reading fast has unlimited benefits. You can read exam questions and comprehend faster. You can read your textbook faster. You can memorize things faster. Anyone who starts reading from a young age sets himself up for success in later years. Every employer without exception will prefer someone who reads and comprehends really fast to someone just getting the hang of it. Who will they tell to read the 100-page agreement they want to enter into with another company? Who will read the reports from other divisions and harmonize it across all divisions working on the project? The faster you can read, the better for you. Imagine spending an hour reading 20 pages of material. How many hours would you need to read a 150-page report then? 3. Reading Improves You of Vocabulary When you read, you encounter new words. People who know the most words are usually readers. The fun part is that you don't just learn new words, you learn contextual usage and differences in discipline. This will help you interact better with people from different places because you understand how they talk to each other from similar characters in books you have read. According to Lifehack blog, being articulate and well spoken is of great help in any profession and knowing that you can speak to higher ups with self-confidence can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem. You could even aid in your career as those who are well read, well spoken and knowledgeable on a variety of topics tend to get promotions more quickly and more often than those with smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of literature, scientific breakthroughs and global events. The more you read, the wider your vocabulary. Also, according to Healthline, researchers have found that students who read books regularly beginning at a young age gradually develop large vocabularies and vocabulary size can influence many areas of your life, from scores and standardized tests to college admissions and job opportunities. 4. Reading makes you more empathetic. According to Healthline, research has shown that people who read literary fiction, stories that explore the inner lives of characters, show a heightened ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others. Researchers call this ability the theory of mind, a set of skills essential for building, navigating and maintaining social relationships. People who read literary fiction usually have a lot of empathy. They see the world differently and try to play their part in making it a better place. Literary fiction and poetry with strong tragic themes usually show people the cruelty of the world and the hopelessness of some characters. Over time, readers start to place themselves on the shoes of the characters. Once they do that, they would start rethinking their standards and visibly start trying to lead a better life. This is why fiction was, and is still so rampant. It has the innate power to transform society. 5. Reading novels reduces stress. Reading a book that is entirely unrelated to work when you come back from work can be a huge stress reliever. You should try it. 6. Reading stimulates the brain. Did you know that your brain increases its activities when you pick up a book? According to Lifehack blog, studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the process of or possibly even prevent Alzheimer's and dementia since skipping your brain active and engaged prevents it from losing power. If you had an opportunity to do something now that will prevent some brain disease in the future, wouldn't you take it? It wouldn't hurt to open a book. Maybe it's time you took a break from your phone. All the notifications may not allow you to think clearly, but when you read a book, you enter into the world of the writer. You may be lost in there for several hours until you are finished. 7. Reading improves your memory. This is one of the most significant benefits of reading. When you read, you improve your memory significantly. Reading expands your thinking and exposes you to new information. The more information you consume, the better you can retain them. People who read a lot tend to have a lot of information stored up. It is as though every time you read something new, you are practicing how to retain information better. According to Lifehack, when you read a book, you have to remember an assortment of characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, history and nuances, as well as the various arcs and subplots that weave their way through every story. That's a fair bit to remember. But brains are marvelous things and can remember these things with relative ease. 8. Reading improves your analytical skills. Have you ever read a murder mystery novel and grappled with the true identity of the killer up until the end? Well, you are actually improving your analytical skills. The more murder and mystery novels you read, the better at predicting them you become. I personally can predict a lot of Sidney Sheldon's plots these days. How about you? Start reading today. Your future self will thank you later. 9. Reading helps you improve your focus and concentration. In today's internet world, paying attention is more difficult than it sounds. If you want to pay attention, read a book offline. People who read tend to stay offline to avoid distractions. Try reading for 20 minutes daily and you will see just how focused you will be on everything you do. Silence the noise. Social media will not help you achieve your dreams. It will only show you people who have achieved theirs and make you depressed. 10. Better writing skills. This is a natural consequence of reading a lot, just as people who eat a lot tend to get fat. People who read a lot tend to write. Note that not all readers write, but when they do write, they write way better than people who don't read. 11. Free entertainment. When you are on a train heading to another city, instead of sitting quiet, you can read. Reading is a form of entertainment. You can read romance novels. You can read adventures, historical fiction, and even poetry. It can be incredibly soothing when you have had a long day. Some people are looking forward to reading all through the day. It's the only time they can escape from work. 12. Better communication skills. People who read a lot have better communication skills than people who don't read frequently. Imagine a 24 year old who had read Shakespeare's entire collection and more and a 50 year old who reads just one book a year. Who do you think will be more eloquent? People who read have a vast vocabulary to play with. This is something that people who don't read can't have. If you want to be eloquent, read 13. Books can motivate you. Some books have inspired people to action. Books can show you new angles to a problem and change your mind about subjects. They can also push you to achieve your goals. Those types of books are called self-help books. Try reading the one applicable to your situation. Some books can help you plan better. Some books will help with goal setting and execution. Or even books that teach you how to invest and manage your finances. It is ultimately left to you to decide what you want to do with it. 14. Books stimulate creativity. Books are the treasure trove of ideas for creative people. From reading a book, you can travel to a city through your imaginations, interact with characters and come back. There is no limit to what is possible when you read fiction. They can write about people walking on air, about people jumping off towers and landing on the back of giant birds. When you read a lot of books, you may start trying out your hand in creating your own stories. Have you ever read a story or a book? I have. I would love to read yours. 15. Prevents age-related cognitive decline. Reading is a potent way of avoiding cognitive decline. According to Healthline, the National Institute on Aging recommends reading books and magazines as a way of keeping your mind engaged as you grow older. Still on this matter, a 2013 study conducted by Rush University Medical Center found that people who have engaged in mentally stimulating activities all their lives were less likely to develop the plagues, lesions and top-protein tangles found in the brain of people with dementia, all the more reason to read. Start early and improve over time. You don't have to read 50 books a year, like American billionaire Bill Gates, but you can at least read 10 or 12, one for each month.