This sentiment—“life is too short, and reading is too long”—captures a tension between the brevity of existence and the expansiveness of literature, reflection, and knowledge. It resonates with a modern impatience, where time feels fleeting and fragmented, making the deep immersion required by reading seem both a luxury and a burden. But there’s more complexity to unpack in this tension.
Why Reading Feels “Too Long”
1. The Demands of Modern Life
• In a world dominated by fast-paced, surface-level media (social networks, news, etc.), reading—especially novels or philosophical works—requires a commitment of time and attention that feels increasingly rare.
• This accelerates the feeling that longer forms of thought no longer fit into a world of instant gratification.
2. Mortality and Priorities
• The realization that life is short often forces people to prioritize experiences, relationships, or immediate pleasures, making sustained engagement with long texts feel impractical or indulgent.
3. The Abundance of Texts
• With countless books, articles, and perspectives available, the sheer volume of material can create paralysis—the sense that even a lifetime of reading is insufficient to “read everything that matters.”
Why Reading Is Worth It Anyway
1. Reading Slows Time
• Paradoxically, while life feels short, reading can expand time by immersing us in worlds, thoughts, and experiences that deepen our perception of existence. It allows us to access lifetimes of insight compressed into pages.
2. Depth vs. Surface
• While life is short, reading connects us to deeper meanings and complexities that surface-level experiences often cannot offer. A single profound book can leave a lasting imprint on how we see the world, making the “length” worthwhile.
3. Quality Over Quantity
• Reading doesn’t require consuming vast amounts; it’s about reading what truly matters to you. A carefully chosen book can be more meaningful than endless distractions.
4. Life and Reading Intertwined
• Reading is not separate from life but part of it. Stories, ideas, and thoughts shape how we experience and understand our short existence. In this sense, reading becomes an act of living more fully.
Alternatives to “Long Reading”
For those who feel life is too short for prolonged reading, shorter forms of literature or philosophy can still offer depth:
• Essays, Poetry, Aphorisms: These compact forms distill insights without the length of novels or treatises.
• Hybrid Experiences: Audiobooks, graphic novels, or multimedia works offer new ways to experience stories or ideas while fitting into busy lives.
Your Context
In the context of your interests in problematique, existential roots, and the metaphysics of van life, this tension could reflect the need to balance the depth of immersion (found in reading) with the raw immediacy of lived experience.
Perhaps the question isn’t whether reading is “too long” but whether it aligns with your priorities and helps articulate the wound or event you are working through. In this way, reading becomes an active part of living meaningfully, not a separate or burdensome task.
