“A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone.” A legendary Game of Thrones character, Tyrion Lannister, who constantly boasts his intellectual prestige, uttered these words. He was responding to Jon Snow, who asked Tyrion why he reads so much. Tyrion said that Jamie, the Kingslayer, has his sword…and Tryion, the imp, has his mind.
The passage may be confusing if you have never read the book, A Game of Thrones, or watched the TV series. Tyrion is a main character in the series and was born into House Lannister, a celebrated lineage of strong, brilliant, successful men. He is a dwarf who is often called the “Imp” or “The Halfman,” and goes through a bit of an identity crisis as he struggles to grow up in this notorious family of perfect men. His brother, Jamie Lannister, is a strong warrior who was elected to protect the king at a young age. He earned the nickname “Kingslayer” after he stabbed the Mad King in the back while serving as his protector.
Throughout the series, Tyrion constantly proves to everyone that power of the mind can often trump physical force or strength. This endorsement of knowledge and reading is an opinion that is voiced too infrequently. According to a study done by the Institute of Education in the University of London, reading for recreational purposes can put you ahead intellectually, in and outside of the classroom. The study found that people who read for pleasure made more progress in math, vocabulary, and spelling than those who rarely read. The Internet is filled with similar studies revolving around the fact that reading is great for your brain and drives success.
It is a message that so many adults have tried to drill into our heads since day one. Our parents, our teachers, our grandparents, our aunts, our uncles, our older cousins have all told us of the advantages of reading, but most of us never listened. For most kids, it probably wasn’t cool when their mom told them to sit down and read a book. For me, however, it was different. I grew up watching my mom read books day and night. She would sit curled up in this spot right by the glass windows, with a blanket, a coffee, and one of my cats in her lap. She was always so focused and so interested, eager to learn more. She would finish some books in one day, and every time we left the house to run an errand, we wound up in the local bookstore, Book Review, or the closest Barnes and Nobles. My mom did not tell me that reading was “good for my brain” or lecture me on how important it was for school. She gave me reasoning that was vivid and compelling, igniting a flame of curiosity in my young mind. I wanted to see what she was talking about. I wanted to experience characters and landscapes brought to life while reading fiction. I wanted to explore random areas of non-fiction, leading to my eventual interest in politics.
I’m thankful every day that my mom introduced me to reading and helped me develop a love and passion I still exercise daily. If I’m not reading an outside book at the time, I’m always reading articles or other publications online. Speed and comprehension skills come easier and writing becomes enjoyable. The power of your mind and the import of books are priceless, and I would argue that it is always worth the extra time and energy. If you have read my article up to this point, I am probably preaching to the choir—that is, targeting an audience that already reads for enjoyment. To those people, read on. It is a hobby, a skill, and a necessity that will never get old. To those who are reading this and do not read often, challenge yourself by picking up a good book and a warm blanket. The Game of Thrones series is not a bad place to start.