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Reading has been a crucial aspect of human civilization since
the early days of simple hieroglyphics. The connection between reading and
refinement is undeniable, but the term "refinement" encompasses much more than
just good manners. It is a combination of qualities that differentiate humans
from the animal world. In this essay, we will examine the bearing of reading on
the development of these qualities.
The first characteristic of a cultured person is a high standard of personal
morality and unselfishness. Religious texts such as the Christian Bible, the
Muslim Koran, the Hindu Upanishads, the Philosophy of Buddha or Confucius
instill these values in individuals. However, secular literature can achieve the
same objective. The innocence of Ophelia and the nobility of Sydney Carton in
literature cannot fail to impress and attract the reader.
Great literature, whether it takes the form of poetry, drama, or the novel, has
an undoubtedly maturing effect on our emotional nature. Greek tragedy was
intended to induce in the audience a "Catharsis," or purging of emotions,
primarily those of pity and terror. But all good literature has a salutary
effect on the emotional side of our nature.
For most people, the "refined" person is the "educated" person, whose intellect
has been developed through reading intelligent books. Clear, logical thinking
owes much to grounding in the school-room, but even more to the love of reading
that such grounding fosters. Reading becomes a stimulating function of adult
life and ceases to be a child's tool for passing an examination or getting a
job.
Cultured living requires people to be "well-informed," and wide reading imparts
useful general knowledge. The well-read man or woman is more fitted to live in
the community and travel profitably outside it. Such knowledge is obtained from
a variety of sources ranging from the newspaper and magazine to the many
available volumes of specialized non-fiction books.
An added benefit of good reading is the development of a love of language for
its own sake. Style, imagery, figurative language, the atmosphere of prose and
poetry, emotional intensity, and intellectual content all inculcate a love of
beauty, the mark of a truly civilized person.
The attitudes towards life, family, community, and nation that good literature
contains are also influential. Readers constantly check their own philosophy
against what they find in literature, and in analyzing it, refine their own
ideas. Sometimes readers desire to model their lives on those of great men and
women, and in this connection, the importance of reading biographies cannot be
overestimated.
In today's cosmopolitan community, it becomes increasingly important to know
about other countries and people. Knowing about other cultures from books and
learning their languages smooths the path to friendship. It is a characteristic
of a refined person to wish to make friends with other nationals, not to regard
them suspiciously as "foreign devils."
Ultimately, the refined person is the mentally disciplined person who demands a
full and intellectually satisfying life. Reading provides the necessary
stimulation to cultivate this mental discipline, thereby refining and enhancing
our lives. |
