The Skeptical Reader: Building a Way of Thinking Through Inquiry
Hey, I’m Zumair, but you can call me Omar. Welcome to Skeptical Reader, where I explore the world through a skeptical lens. Skepticism is about questioning beliefs and claims rather than accepting them at face value. I am the author of this blog called Skeptical Reader. Skepticism refers to having questions or critically examining some beliefs, claims, or any information in your mind. I have always found myself questioning a lot of things, and I have also been criticized for questioning a lot of times. I believe it’s the curious minds that have brought the world as far as it is now. That’s why I created this blog—to share my curiosity with all of you. I will be exploring books, business insights, and scientific discoveries through a skeptical lens so that you can understand and enhance your critical thinking abilities.
Why Skepticism Matters?
Everywhere you go—be it social media, news, or magazines—there is a lot of misinformation spread rapidly throughout the world. Skepticism helps you recognize facts from fiction and reduces the influence of fake news and misleading claims. Your mindset changes into a mindset of inquiry, and questions rise in your great mind. You seek evidence for whatever you get to know, and that’s a kind of brain exercise that leads you to become a critical thinking individual. Now, you, as a critical thinker, are enabled to make better decisions regarding your personal life or professional life. Your skeptical approach lets you drive innovation and ensures claims are tested and validated before being accepted as truth. In our democratic society, it is essential to encourage discussions and debates to allow diverse perspectives to be heard and evaluated. By fostering a skeptical mindset, anyone can become more empowered to change assumptions, advocate for themselves, and engage actively in their communities.
Better way of thinking
Everyone doesn’t have the same experiences in their life. We are all unique, and our lives are too. The way we think depends on the situation of our lives—how we lead our lives, how we eat, how we earn, how we spend, how we learn… these are all metrics that set our ways of thinking. The most important thing to build a better way of thinking, regardless of the metrics I have mentioned above, is “Reading.”
Reading is the most effective way to boost your way of thinking. You become what you read. Books are the best investment you can ever make. You must read to make great decisions all the time, and I know it’s not so easy for a beginner to just start reading a fat book after getting pumped up by watching a 20-minute motivational video that recommended the top 5 books that will change your life. WOWW!
It’s like the penny stocks that made Jordan Belfort so rich… just kidding! But yeah, it’s like that. You grow your reading habit by investing in small shares, but it’s not money; it’s time that you invest. You start by reading a few articles on whatever you are interested in every day. Watch the news seriously. Watch documentaries and TED Talks. Once you have built a growing mindset in yourself, you start reading the best books out there you can find. Hold on… you don’t let dust reside on the book until you finish it, or you will lose your shares. One day, you will be wondering about yourself after reading a few books when you fall in love with reading.
My Reading Journey
I have read so many books in high school, but all of them were academic. I never dared to read a fiction or non-fiction book. The first book I held in my hand to read was “A Thousand Splendid Suns” in 2023. I started reading this book, but it took me a few months to finish it because of my laziness and procrastination. I used to watch Ali Abdaal’s videos since 2021. One book he recommended in one of his videos was “Atomic Habits.” Absolutely fantastic! The words were more powerful than a motivational speech to me. I built a habit of watching TED Talks regularly and, of course, documentaries too. Suddenly, I started feeling so good about myself that I don’t waste my time. This book is amazing for a beginner who wants to read to improve their lifestyle and build small habits that will one day have the shape of mountains.
Now, I love to read books so much that I buy books even before finishing the current book I am reading. It’s like a queue of books on my reading list. One thing I would recommend to the book lovers out there is to read whatever you have in your hand, not only the books that are titled “New York Times Best Seller” or the books that are in the spotlight. It will help you distinguish how you felt reading that book and which book is your type and which is not. And it’s also up to the individual how he/she reads the book and when he/she reads. Maybe you won’t remember a lot of things from the previous pages of a book once you reach the end of a book like me, but you will be able to feel the things you learn from that book. Try explaining to a friend or your close people about something you have learned from a book. Try journaling about the main topics of a book so that you can have your own summary of the book and recall the ideas and thoughts you get from it.
