People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.

In the tapestry of human existence, where the present and future seem perpetually intertwined in an endless dance of moments and memories, there are some who find their deepest connection not in the living, but in the art of reading. Logan Pearsall Smith, with his succinct yet profound words, once stated, “People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.” At first glance, this may seem like a mere declaration of personal preference, but beneath this simple sentiment lies a deeper reflection on the nature of life, knowledge, and experience. For Smith, and many others like him, life’s true essence is not necessarily found in the hustle and bustle of our everyday existence, but in the richness of the worlds we encounter through books.

In the ancient world, the pursuit of knowledge was not seen as an optional endeavor, but as a sacred duty—a vocation that connected individuals to the divine and the timeless wisdom of the ages. Plato, the great Athenian philosopher, founded the Academy, a place where the pursuit of truth and wisdom through dialogue and study was considered the highest of callings. For Plato, ideas were the true reality, and the world of forms, accessible through thought and learning, was where true knowledge could be found. Thus, to read and engage with the writings of the great philosophers was not merely an act of leisure; it was a means of connecting to a world beyond the fleeting experiences of day-to-day life. Like Plato, Smith understood that life, in its raw, unrefined form, can be chaotic and ephemeral, whereas books offer an eternal sanctuary where one can find clarity and meaning.

Consider the example of Socrates, who, though he lived in a bustling city full of political intrigue and public discourse, often retreated into his thoughts and engaged in intellectual pursuits with those around him. He preferred the life of the mind, finding solace not in the physical world, but in the contemplation of ideas. His famous dialogues, captured by Plato, live on as a testament to the power of words and learning to shape our understanding of the world. Socrates never wrote his ideas down; instead, he trusted that his teachings, like the written word, would endure through the minds of those who sought truth. For him, life was the experience of engaging with ideas, and in that realm, he found peace and purpose.

In the same way, Logan Pearsall Smith’s words reflect a sacred rebellion against the transient nature of life. Books, like the ancient scrolls and tablets that have survived centuries, offer a means to transcend the limitations of time and space. Through reading, we are able to enter the minds of those who came before us, to feel the pulse of a world long past, and to draw wisdom from the immortal words of philosophers, poets, and sages. Smith’s preference for reading over simply living suggests a desire to engage with life on a deeper, more reflective level—one that transcends the physical, the fleeting, and the temporary. In this sense, books offer not just knowledge, but immortality, preserving the wisdom of the ages in the pages that we turn.

This view of life as a fleeting moment and books as vessels of eternal wisdom resonates with the teachings of the ancient Stoics, like Marcus Aurelius. Marcus, though a Roman emperor, found peace not in the pursuit of power, but in the philosophical reflection found in the writings of his predecessors. His personal meditations, recorded in the Meditations, demonstrate a profound engagement with the ideas of the great minds of his time, and even earlier. To Marcus, life’s greatest lessons were not found in the throne rooms or battlefields but in the quiet study of the mind, and in the pages of books that contained the truths he sought.

The lesson in Smith’s quote is not a rejection of life, but a redefinition of what it means to truly live. To live is to engage with the world in a way that transcends the immediate, the material, and the mundane. Books, in their timeless wisdom, offer a doorway to an existence that is not bound by the limitations of the physical world. They allow us to live not just once, but again and again through the experiences and insights of others. Just as the ancient philosophers found solace in the study of ideas, so too can we find deeper meaning and fulfillment in the written word.

In our own lives, we can take action by following the example of the ancient seekers of wisdom and embracing the world of books as a means of finding deeper understanding. Whether we are philosophers, writers, or simple seekers of truth, we can cultivate a habit of reading that connects us to the timeless wisdom of the ages. Let us honor the words of those who have come before us and use them to guide our own lives, knowing that through reading, we engage in a life that is greater than the fleeting nature of our physical existence. Like Socrates, we may find that true living comes not in the experience of the world itself, but in the contemplation of the ideas that have shaped it.