It's normal not to be able to read books. But the price you pay is a bit brutal: The truth about the 'illusion of understanding' that happened to me through AI summaries, Audible, and multitasking, and how to not stop there (it's probably happening to you too)

Actually, to be completely honest right now,

I'm writing this article while harboring the raw, ulterior motive of,

'If I'm lucky, maybe more of my books will sell...'

But this isn't just
some self-serving talk.

Precisely because I am an author,
'This is bad,'
is what I found myself thinking.

That is...
that 'people who can read books now'
will likely have a significant advantage in the future.

And I realized the reason for this
through Audible.

Audible is the best! ...or so I thought.

Even while my hands and feet were busy, I desperately wanted to consume text.

Last November, I subscribed to Amazon's Audible.

All-you-can-listen for a flat fee.
I mean, isn't that just the best?

...or so I thought, but
one day, I realized something.

Listening with your ears and reading with your eyes have completely different levels of absorption.

It's fine for light books.
But when things get a bit complex,

it goes in one ear and slips right out the other.

I end up thinking, 'Wait, what did they just say?'

The 'Complete History of Bubbles' in the image is exactly that!!

It happened while I was listening to it while washing dishes.

The moment it got into a slightly complex topic,

“Huh? Why did that happen just now?”

I felt a slight snag.

But at that moment, my hands were covered in soap.
Touching my phone was a hassle, so
I decided not to press 'rewind'.

And I thought this:

“Well, whatever. I'll figure out the conclusion later.”

……Haven't you ever done this?
Even if it's not Audible,
for example, with videos or podcasts.

If it were a paper book,
you could just look back one line.

Before I knew it,

I reached the end while only having the 'illusion of understanding'.

At that moment, I felt a little shudder.

Ah, this is,

“I'm pretending the parts I don't understand don't exist.”

that's what it is.

And perhaps,
this accumulation of small 'oh, wells' is
slowly eroding the ability to understand structure.

What happens in the end?

The books I thought were 'great!',
I end up buying the paper version and reading them all over again.

A complete waste of time.
But apparently, this isn't because I'm stupid...

The time I almost snapped at an editor's red pen

Let me tell you a little story from the past.

When my web novel was first published as a book,
the first proof was truly terrible.

Red pen, red pen, red pen.

A storm of criticism.

Well, I knew it was bad writing. That was fine.

But there was one thing I couldn't accept.

The fact that my sentences were chopped up into tiny pieces.

A single block of text was split into about five parts. That was the case for the entire book.
That was the case for the entire book.

At the time, I thought to myself.

"This is like an elementary school student's essay!"

...is what I thought.

(I am truly sorry, editor.)

But now, I understand.

Writing has 'weight'.

Actually, not all writing is the same.

There is,

"Density" = load on the brain (cognitive cost)

involved.

・High-density writing → Requires energy to read
・Low-density writing → Can be read easily

To put it simply,

You brace yourself to read a technical book, right? But with a picture book, you find yourself reading it before you know it.
But with a picture book, you find yourself reading it before you know it.

That is the difference.

So, the editor was doing this.

The task of lowering the reader's cognitive cost.

I was pretentious back then, but
the editor's work was completely professional.

So, why can't we 'read books' now?

This is a very important point.

It became a hot topic in recent years, didn't it?

'Why can't you read books when you're working?'
Kaho Miyake's masterpiece.

The fact that it sold means 'Everyone is reading books after all!!' (laughs)

Setting that aside,
not being able to 'read books' is
not your fault.

Quite the opposite,
modern society is making it that way.

・Work is a series of judgments and replies
・A flood of information when you open your smartphone
・A state where the brain is constantly working

What happens as a result—

The brain automatically enters 'energy-saving mode.'

This is inevitable.

That's why people drift toward:

・Short videos
・AI summaries
・Short and easy-to-understand information

They drift toward these.

This isn't laziness.
It's actually the correct move as a biological organism.

But the price you pay is a bit brutal

This is where the real topic begins.

So, in exchange for that 'ease',
what are we losing?

The answer is simple.

It's 'structure'.

Information actually has two layers.

・The top 1/3 → Empathy/Conclusion (the feel-good part)
・The bottom 2/3 → Logic/Context/Strategy (the substance)

Current social media and videos,
feed you only this '1/3' at super high speed.

To use an analogy,

・Videos/Summaries → Nutritional jelly
・Books → Meat on the bone

Jelly is easy. It absorbs immediately.
But it doesn't build any chewing strength.

On the other hand, books are a hassle.
But,
because you chew them, they become part of your own flesh and blood.
It's that thing they say about how
your 'brain wrinkles' increase when you think a lot.

A slightly scary story about AI summaries

AI is incredibly talented, isn't it?
It's easy to understand, fast, and convenient.

But what is happening behind the scenes?

'Context' is disappearing.

AI is optimized for
'making things as easy to understand as possible'.

So when it summarizes,

・Prerequisites
・Trial and error
・The long way around in thinking

It strips away all these parts
as 'noise'.

But in reality,
that is often the most important part.

Real-world problems are not simple.
That is precisely why
the 'process of thinking' = context becomes your weapon.

So, feel free to summarize meeting materials, but
please don't summarize books (lol).

The reason successful people say 'read books'

This isn't about being high-achieving.

They know.

The value lies in the 'two-thirds that were cut out'.

The parts that disappear in a world of free content.

・Tedious premises
・Complicated logic
・Explanations that seem useless at first glance

That is exactly where
the hints to solving reality are packed.

That's why we read books.

Buying a book
isn't just consumption.

You are buying the 'right to access the context'.

This is quite essential.

So, you don't have to try hard right away.

If you've read this far and

'So, I guess I have to read...'

if that's what you thought, it's okay.

You don't have to suddenly
read 'The Brothers Karamazov'
or anything like that.

To start with,

・Try going to a bookstore
・Try playing an Audible book in the background

That's enough.

And,
if you think, 'That sounds nice,'
read that one book properly.

Just by doing that,
you are already standing at the starting line.

Finally (my honest opinion)

I've spoken quite arrogantly up to this point, but
I'll be honest.

If that one book
happens to be my book,

I would be incredibly happy (lol)

But more than that,
if you, having read this article,
reclaim the act of 'reading' once more,
that is what I would find best.

------------------------

If you read this article and

'Maybe I should go to a bookstore for the first time in a while'

If there is anyone who thought that,
I would be happy if you could let me know
with a 'Like'.

------------------------

Self-introduction👇

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