Will you die if you stop reading?

From April 2021 to March 2022, I regularly visited the High Court of Rajasthan, Principal Bench Jodhpur, as a legal trainee. My main role was to observe court proceedings, whether it was the bar and bench dealing with daily cases, outside court chatter, client meetings, negotiation talks, senior-junior conversations, or lunch breaks. My source of learning came from being attentive to everything happening around me—jotting down things that I liked or disliked while listening to arguments, moments that appeared strange, or instances that excited me when an advocate presented a compelling case. Basic legal understanding was further developed through reading case files/briefs, acts, commentaries, case laws, etc.

However, when I reflect on it now, I don't feel satisfied with whether I learned in the way I should have. During that time, I never once heard anyone around me persuading me to READ more. Instead, outside the courtrooms, in corridors, lunch spaces, or offices, the major topics of discussion usually revolved around things like, "which place have I been to for vacation?" or "where will I go next?" or "which restaurant is good for dinner?" And then there were those talks like, "Look, I bought this suit or pen or watch," or "that big lawyer (referring to random names) is earning so much money." These were the primary subjects of most conversations.

I realised that the majority of lawyers consider that just being physically present in court, talking to other lawyers, or listening to arguments would be enough to help them learn. But I completely disagree with this notion. Learning is a conscious choice that requires singular and focused efforts. Observing your surroundings and listening to your peers does indeed contribute to learning, but the quality and depth of this learning are quite limited.

Even here in London, which is well-known for the reading habits of its people, I haven’t seen lawyers actively encouraging reading. Still, if I compare India and the UK, people here are certainly more into reading. But an incident that stood out for me was when I asked one of my seniors in the office a question, "Do you think reading helps a lawyer?" and their response was a clear no. This particular incident happened a couple of months back, but I still remember every minute detail of it.

Let me tell you about the Indian perception of reading (which I’ve observed in my circle or upbringing)—we have been raised to believe that we need to read only to pass examinations and score good marks, and that's it. Reading, for exams, not for life. From what I have seen, only students read, and once they are in professional life, hardly anyone continues this habit. This idea of needing to read and study only for passing exams, not to understand or solve problems, is a totally flawed belief.

Reading helps you think—it’s about developing the ability to think. The returns attached to reading are asymmetric and exponential. It’s a mental exercise that keeps your brain healthy and properly functioning. When they say, “People die at 25 but live to 75,” what they mean is that people stop thinking and stop learning. Reading helps you grow.

Take any person of importance—name any: Lincoln, Gandhi, Napoleon, Tesla, Musk, Franklin, Churchill, Osho, Gates, Tata—the list can go on. When you attempt to observe their lives, you’ll find that they were avid readers. Reading keeps your brain active, young, and future-proof. I haven’t met any of these people whose names I mentioned, but it was easy for me to connect this dot of reading with them. In particular, within my circle, there was one person who was truly successful in life and loved reading—Shri Lekhraj Ji Mehta. He was an amazing lawyer, and I trained at his office. When I joined, he wasn’t practising anymore and was around 100 years of age, but I still saw him reading even at that age.

Just see the importance of reading through the following letters by A. Lincoln

Letter to Isham Reavis on November 5, 1855

My dear Sir:
I have just reached home, and found your letter of the 23rd. ult. I am from home too much of my time, for a young man to read law with me advantageously. If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already. It is but a small matter whether you read with any body or not. I did not read with any one. Get the books, and read and study them till, you understand them in their principal features; and that is the main thing. It is of no consequence to be in a large town while you are reading. I read at New-Salem, which never had three hundred people living in it. The books, and your capacity for understanding them, are just the same in all places. Mr. Dummer is a very clever man and an excellent lawyer (much better than I, in law-learning); and I have no doubt he will cheerfully tell you what books to read, and also loan you the books.

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing. Very truly Your friend
A. Lincoln

Letter to William H. Grigsby on August 3, 1858

My dear Sir:
Yours of the 14th. of July, desiring a situation in my law office, was received several days ago. My partner, Mr. Herndon, controls our office in this respect, and I have known of his declining at least a dozen applications like yours within the last three months.

If you wish to be a lawyer, attach no consequence to the place you are in, or the person you are with; but get books, sit down anywhere, and go to reading for yourself. That will make a lawyer of you quicker than any other way. Yours Respectfully,
A. Lincoln

Letter to James T. Thornton on December 2, 1858

Dear Sir
Yours of the 29th, written in behalf of Mr. John W. Widmer, is received. I am absent altogether too much to be a suitable instructor for a law student. When a man has reached the age that Mr. Widner has, and has already been doing for himself, my judgment is, that he reads the books for himself without an instructor. That is precisely the way I came to the law. Let Mr. Widner read Blackstone's Commentaries, Chitty's Pleadings's -- Greenleaf's Evidence, Story's Equity, and Story's Equity Pleading's, get a license, and go to the practice, and still keep reading. That is my judgment of the cheapest, quickest, and best way for Mr. Widner to make a lawyer of himself. Yours truly
A. Lincoln

NOTE: Lincoln sometimes misspelled Widmer's name in the above letter.

Letter to John M. Brockman on September 25, 1860

J. M. Brockman, Esq.
Dear Sir: Yours of the 24th. asking "the best mode of obtaining a thorough knowledge of the law" is received. The mode is very simple, though laborious, and tedious. It is only to get the books, and read, and study them carefully. Begin with Blackstone's Commentaries, and after reading it carefully through, say twice, take up Chitty's Pleadings, Greenleaf's Evidence, & Story's Equity &c. in succession. Work, work, work, is the main thing. Yours very truly
A. Lincoln

https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/law.htm 

And look at Musk on reading:

Musk: I encourage people to read a lot of books. Basically, try to ingest as much information as possible and develop good general knowledge so you at least have a rough lay of the knowledge landscape. Try to learn a little bit about a lot of things. You might not know what you’re really interested in now. How would you know what interests you if you at least aren’t looking at the entire landscape? Talk to people from different walks of life and different industries and professions and skills and occupations. Just try to learn as much as possible. Man’s search for meaning. I encourage people to read broadly in many different subject areas. Then, try to find something where there’s an overlap between your talents and your interests. You may be good at doing something but don’t like it. You want to try to find a thing where you have a good combination of the things you’re inherently good at, but you also like doing it.

Lex: Is reading a super-fast shortcut to figure out where you are both good at it and it will have a positive impact?

Musk: You’ve got to learn about things somehow. So, reading a broad range of things. As a kid, I read through the encyclopedia, and that was pretty helpful. There were things there I didn’t even know existed. I recommend reading the condensed version of the Encyclopedia Britannica. You can skip subjects if you know you’re not interested after reading a few paragraphs, then jump to the next one. I certainly have a lot of respect for someone who puts in an honest day’s work to do useful things. Don’t have a zero-sum mindset. Have a grow-the-pie mindset. Some very smart people take the attitude that doing things seems morally questionable; it’s often because they have, at a base, a sort of axiomatic level, a zero-sum mindset. They often don’t realize it. They think the only way to get ahead is by taking things from others. But this is false because the [economic] pie has grown dramatically over time. Be careful not to act from a zero-sum mindset where the only way to get ahead is to take things from others, which may result in you trying to take things from others that are not good. It’s much better to work on adding to the economic pie. Create more than you consume. That’s a big deal.

https://www.theleadermaker.com/advice-for-young-people-elon-musk/

I could make countless arguments in favour of reading, although I’m still in the process of improving this habit myself. But the returns it generates are truly stupendous.

Another example I’d like to share is from a couple of months ago. Due to a personal situation, I wasn’t able to read as much as I used to, and honestly, my friend, that period was mentally exhausting and frustrating in a way I can’t even put into words. My mind was all over the place, drifting into countless, pointless thoughts, and my focus and mental presence just vanished. If you try to put yourself in this situation, I’m sure you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

I also noticed something else during that time: the countless excuses that would pop up in my head—"Oh, I’m not in the right place right now," or "I need a peaceful environment to read," or "Nighttime isn’t ideal; I have work," and on and on. All these are meaningless excuses that only held me back. To complete a book, you just have to sit down and read. That’s it. It’s not necessary to understand every page or grasp every piece of content immediately—definitely not. You won’t realize it, but in doing so, you’re actually lubricating the gears in your brain, making it more efficient and developing a sharper ability to think.

So, when someone tells you that reading won’t help, don’t listen. Run from that person. Without reading, the only person who’s truly at a loss is us. It’s your most powerful tool for growth.

If you ever want to discuss ideas or topics you’re reading about, or if you’re looking for a reading partner, count me in. I’m also on the lookout for someone who can provide a solid reading list focused on law—particularly constitutional and public law. Let’s keep this journey of growth going together.