On Reading: From Scattershot to Focused

[Written by Gemini]

Do you ever pick up a book you know you’ve read before, only to find yourself utterly bewildered, as if the words are brand new? You vaguely remember the cover, perhaps a fleeting sensation of familiarity, but the content itself is a blank slate. If so, you’re not alone, and you’re certainly not the first to experience this intellectual déjà vu. In fact, the Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca grappled with this very issue nearly two millennia ago in his letter “On Discursiveness in Reading.” (Letter 2, page 19).

Related Post: Letter 1 on Time, How to Read a Book

What Exactly is “Discursiveness”?

Let’s start by defining our key term. Discursiveness, in the context of reading, refers to the act of jumping aimlessly from one book or topic to another, without truly dwelling on or internalizing any of them. Think of it like a butterfly flitting between flowers, never settling long enough to extract the full nectar from any single one.

Synonyms for discursiveness in this sense include:

• Scattershot: Hitting many targets but with no real precision or focus.
• Desultory: Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; jumping from one thing to another.
• Erratic: Not regular or consistent in movement or behavior.
• Rambling: Moving aimlessly from one place to another.
• Superficial: Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely; not thorough or deep.

This hits home for many of us. In our modern age of endless content and instant gratification, it’s easier than ever to fall into the trap of discursive reading. We skim headlines, bounce between articles, and start countless books we never finish.

My Own Journey from Forgetfulness to Assimilation

For years, I was a prime example of a discursive reader. I devoured books, one after another, proud of the sheer volume I consumed. The problem? I rarely took notes, assuming that simply reading the words was enough for them to stick. The result was a shocking revelation upon revisiting those same books years later – it was as if I’d never read them at all. The insights, the arguments, the very essence of the text had evaporated into the ether of my unengaged mind.

This is where the power of active assimilation comes in. For me, that has largely taken the form of writing. Whether it’s crafting a detailed summary, exploring a specific concept, or even just jotting down reflections, the act of writing forces me to engage with the material on a deeper level. It’s no longer a passive intake of information; it becomes an active process of processing, connecting, and solidifying understanding. It’s why writing blogs, even with the help of AI, can be such a powerful tool for truly “owning” what I read.

Seneca’s Prescription for Deeper Reading

In his letter, Seneca, with his characteristic directness, offers a clear rebuke to this discursive approach. Here are his core points, summarized:

• The Danger of Many Books: Seneca argues that “to be everywhere is to be nowhere.” He likens a mind that dwells in many books without focus to a life lived in constant travel, never truly settling and building a home. Such a mind, he asserts, gains no true benefit from its extensive reading.
• The Importance of Selectivity: Instead of breadth, Seneca champions depth. He advises choosing a few excellent authors and “nursing” them, allowing their wisdom to truly sink in.
• The Necessity of Digestion: Reading, for Seneca, is not merely about consumption; it’s about digestion. Just as food must be properly broken down to nourish the body, ideas must be pondered and assimilated to nourish the mind. Without this internal processing, even the most profound wisdom remains external and fleeting. He states, “from the many things which I have read, I claim some one part for myself.”
• The Futility of Superficial Knowledge: Merely knowing many things is not true knowledge. Seneca implies that a superficial understanding of many topics is less valuable than a profound understanding of a few. True learning leads to wisdom, not just an accumulation of facts.

Wealth, Contentment, and the Unexpected Connection

Now, let’s address the question that often arises: why does Seneca, at the end of a letter about reading habits, suddenly pivot to discuss wealth and the feeling of having “enough”? “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” At first glance, it seems completely out of place, a non-sequitur. However, within the Stoic framework, this connection is deeply logical and entirely intentional.

Seneca’s philosophy, and Stoicism in general, is fundamentally concerned with inner peace and contentment. The Stoics believed that true happiness comes not from external possessions or circumstances, but from our internal state and our virtuous character.

Consider the discursive reader. They are constantly seeking new information, new stimulation, new “fixes” from the external world of books. This endless pursuit mirrors the pursuit of external wealth or possessions. Just as someone who constantly accumulates riches never feels truly satisfied, the discursive reader, jumping from one text to another, never feels truly intellectually nourished or complete. They are always seeking the next “thing,” believing that more will somehow lead to fulfillment.

Seneca’s transition to wealth serves as a powerful analogy. He implies that:

• Intellectual Discontent Mirrors Material Discontent: Just as a truly wealthy person is not defined by the amount of their possessions but by their feeling of sufficiency, a truly learned person is not defined by the number of books they’ve read but by the depth of their understanding and assimilation.
• Enough is a State of Mind: Whether it’s enough money or enough knowledge, the feeling of “enough” is an internal state, not an external quantity. When you are truly satisfied with what you have (or have learned), you are no longer driven by a restless, endless craving for more.
• True Riches are Internal: For Seneca, the greatest wealth is a mind at peace, a mind that is not tossed about by external desires or superficial pursuits. By cultivating focused and assimilative reading habits, one cultivates a richer inner life, one that is not dependent on the constant influx of new information, but rather on the deep cultivation of existing wisdom.

In essence, Seneca concludes his letter on reading by reminding us that the goal of all intellectual pursuit, indeed of all life, is to achieve a state of inner tranquility and contentment. Just as chasing endless wealth leads to perpetual dissatisfaction, engaging in discursive reading leads to intellectual shallowness and a persistent feeling of “not enough.” By focusing, digesting, and truly internalizing what we read, we cultivate not just knowledge, but the profound inner richness that allows us to feel truly “enough.”