A creative person should avoid reading books. They may do him more harm than good. Books can certainly make him a scholar, but then he begins to lecture people, whether there is any reason to do so or not. His erudition gradually kills his innate creativity, the beauty of his imagination, and the innocence of his soul. A creative person has the potential to contribute something original to society. After all, the world has enough people repeating what others have said; it needs someone who can think anew. But the moment a creative person begins to read too many books, he runs the risk of becoming a walking encyclopaedia. He may know everything about everything, except how to think for himself! Even he forgets who he is.

Worse still, if his work earns him acclaim, he may begin to believe that he must read even more to maintain his intellectual superiority. Soon, he develops an opinion on every subject, whether he knows anything about it or not. And should anyone dare to disagree with him, he is always ready with several quotations from celebrated authors, poets, and scriptures to silence the poor fellow. The more he reads, the more learned he becomes; the more learned he becomes, the more obstinate pandit he grows. Eventually, he may become so full of other people’s words of wisdom that there is hardly any room left for his own ideas. His innocence dies an unnatural death, his imagination is stifled, and his pride begins to flourish luxuriantly. 

Dear readers, if you want to become a scholar and grow arrogant, go ahead and indulge in intensive reading. Savour books as you would a sumptuous dish. But if you wish to preserve your innocence, that precious gift of nature, you know what to do.

A creative person should avoid reading.