From the Founders: Few Reasons Why Garrett Reads

There have been a great many innoble incentives in my life pushing me towards the books, and probably a few reasons I should be grateful for. I will highlight three of these.

Of course, there is the dream of being seen as someone who reads; someone with the world’s knowledge between their ears, who is both wise and witty, who can quote the great thinkers of humanity and use them to prove his enemies and competitors wrong, going toe-to-toe and tongue-to-tongue with the best of them. I am Sisyphus in this pursuit - in a circular struggle with no true satisfaction to come. There will always be more to cram into my skull, and more spilling out, and getting the brainwaves out past my lips is another issue. But the ego doesn’t quit.

Underlying the ego is a more pure desire to really hold all that knowledge; with a curious mind comes an insatiable appetite for new ideas, for entertainment in the content of a story or essay, or from a hedonistic self-indulgent camaraderie with longwinded and otherwise poetic prose. Like a towel, I try to mop up the knowledge vomited onto pages before it dissipates. It often leaves my mind just as quick as I stick it there, and so I’m known to reread on occasion.

Ultimately, even if it doesn’t stay with me, I read because I can feel myself growing with each new book or essay. I feel it add some patchwork to my technicolored coat. I learn the reality that another person wrote into life, or experienced themselves, and it changes how I approach being me the next day. It inspires me to live different, a strong reason for doing almost anything.

Garrett Layton, YCS Cofounder