The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.
Interpretation
The best books challenge our thinking and provide profound insights. Easy reading may not lead to true learning, while thought-provoking works enrich our understanding of beauty and truth.
Pablo Neruda emphasizes the importance of engaging with challenging literature that stimulates critical thinking and introspection. Instead of opting for easy reads that offer little depth, one should seek out books that are often taxing to read but ultimately offer significant insights and beauty, likening such books to vessels that carry deep truths and enriching ideas.
In practice
In a book club discussion about the importance of literature.
Perhaps this war will pass like the others which divided us leaving us dead, killing us along with the killers but the shame of this time puts its burning fingers to our faces. Who will erase the ruthlessness hidden in innocent blood?
I want to see the thirst inside the syllables I want to touch the fire in the sound: I want to feel the darkness of the cry. I want words as rough as virgin rocks.” - Verb.
Only do not forget, if I wake up crying it's only because in my dream I'm a lost child hunting through the leaves of the night for your hands.
And here am I, budding among the ruins with only sorrow to bite on, as if weeping were a seed and I the earth's only furrow.
Once more I am the silent one who came out of the distance wrapped in cold rain and bells: I owe to earth's pure death the will to sprout.
I learned about life from life itself, love I learned in a single kiss and could teach no one anything except that I have lived with something in common among men.
You aren't learning anything when you're talking.
Most books about writing are filled with bullshit. Fiction writers, present company included, don’t understand very much about what they do—not why it works when it’s good, not why it doesn’t when it’s bad.
The game of life is the game of everlasting learning. At least it is if you want to win.
A book is a device to ignite the imagination.
Truly, learning appears to be a reverse geometric progression with experiences at one hour, one day, one month or one year dramatically more influential and formative than later experiences. As has often been quoted, 85% of brain development takes place by age 3, and yet we spend only 4% of our educational dollars by that point.
With languages, you can move from one social situation to another. With languages, you are at home anywhere.
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