Don't get me wrong, lifting is the #1 thing you should regularly be doing to not only boost SMV but your long term prospects on life. But you know what else is important to do regularly? Worthwhile (key word there) reading. Just like with lifting it will help you tremendously when interacting with people, build your worth professionally, and strengthen your cognitive abilities. However, reading is also a hobby done in isolation (no immediate social benefits) and while sedentary (no immediate physical benefits) so it is crucial to make sure you are making the most out of the time put into it. I put worthwhile reading into 3 key categories - reading to learn about the world, reading to specialize, reading to learn a skill.

Before we get to that lets start with reading that ISNT worthwhile.

Time wasters

  • Works of fiction - Don't get me wrong, some of the most popular works of all time are fictional works. Just look at the cultural influence pieces like Lord of the Rings and A Song of Fire and Ice have had. But it wont provide any real benefit to you. This isn't to say DON'T read works of fiction. They can be enjoyable and are certainly better than many other activities. But they should be placed in the same category as watching Netflix, browsing Reddit, etc. as activities you realize you don't gain from much, but use to unwind.

  • Biased low grade journalism - This includes most of what the average joe out there reads and follows. It's what is on the front page of Yahoo! or Buzzfeed, it is what is talked about on CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News every night. Definitely includes Breitbart, Huffington, Post, etc. It is the first layer of 'news' people follow that most of the time doesn't really matter and is more often than not used to illicit an emotional response from you to keep you tuned in. No, what the President tweeted, what an athlete said about the national anthem, or what won best Super Bowl ad doesn't matter. This will leave you no better educated than the single mother on facebook spouting off political nonsense.

  • Sports, Reddit, and Manosphere sites - Again this falls under the category of 'stuff you CAN read, but wont benefit from'. When I was younger I used to love reading ESPN articles or Sports Illustrated. But it is mostly aimed to the masses and you gain zero from it. Reddit is a time suck (that I even struggle with, but have improved tremendously), that's well known. What about The Manosphere? Might take flack for this but my sincere belief is that once you internalize the red pill then you are wasting your time re-reading the same theories, views on some feminist fueled event, etc. Come here or other manosphere sites occasionally to teach others or stay fresh, but the educational gains you get from it - while very worthwhile - depreciate quickly as you come to learn more and can often turn into a circle jerk.

Now onto what you SHOULD start reading today.

Reading to learn about the world Good sources of information - The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Economist, Bloomberg, Business Insider (sometimes), CNBC, The New York Times (stay away from opinion stuff)

The benefits of this are greater awareness of what is going on in the world around you, the ability to develop yourself into a well rounded person who can talk with various groups of peers, and eventually understand areas in the world in which there is both opportunity and unnecessary risk. Yes, the above publications have their own unique biases that I often disagree with. NYT has a liberal slant, The Economist is very globalist, WSJ is fiscally conservative, etc. But they are still some of the best sources of knowledge out there that cover events both domestically and across the globe, while also hitting on business issues at home. In fact the above rotation includes the most frequent sources of reading for many of the richest in the world (Gates, Bezos, Buffet) - if it works for them it works for you. Read as much WSJ/Bloomberg/CNBC as possible for business news and Economist/New York Times for political/current events and you will start to see benefits. I am sure there are a few others I am missing here but feel free to comment if you have any (intentionally left out The Washington Post as I believe it has entered liberal rag status, which the New York Times flirts with)

Reading to learn a skill Good sources: Really any book mentioned here. How To Win Friends and Influence People, The Four Hour Workweek, The Millionaire Next Door, self help books of any kind, business books of any kind, guides that serve to help learn new hobbies, etc.

A huge swath of material goes here, and of the 3 categories this is the easiest one since YOU GET TO CHOOSE what you are interested in. There are plenty of books on how to start a business, or startup guides for when you've already launched. There are worthwhile books on investing. Want to learn a new diet? Articles online for that. New workout technique? Same. Interested in becoming a surfer/rock climber/wielder/etc. Then all of this is starting ground for you. While there are certain hobbies and activities that are more accepted here than others, someone that is truly worldly can hold a basic conversation with anyone whether it be about music, board games, or a martial art. The more stuff you learn about - even if you don't master - the better off you will be.

Reading to specialize Good sources of information: Industry specific newsletters, websites, research, companies financial statements, investor reports, industry magazines.

This is possibly my favorite since it is done by the least amount of people and a good way to make yourself very valuable to your employer (or to yourself if you wish to start a business some day). It is commonly known that while being generally good at multiple things certainly isn't bad, the quickest way to make yourself indispensable is to become an expert in one area and that is where the big money can start coming in. Whether you realize it or not you work in a larger industry and while it may seem like you cant influence it, the more knowledge you have the better you will be served in the long run. Example: You are a physical trainer at a gym, hardly a business job, more sales focused, but you enjoy it because it keeps you active and you are good with people. I guarantee you there are free publications you can subscribe to all about the gym and fitness industry - with ample content at your fingertips and all you need to provide is an email address. With this knowledge you can quickly learn what areas of fitness are growing (social fitness classes, barre/crossfit/etc.) and which are shrinking (some big box middle class geared gyms). This could help you in conversations with your boss (possibly read other ways gyms are bringing in revenue and suggesting it to yours), to earn money on the side (how to become certified in those quickly growing areas), or to start your own gym one day. I don't work in the fitness industry but the above is just an example. I don't care if you are a truck driver, pizza delivery boy, or bank teller - if it's your full time career then you should know what acquisitions are going on in the space, what competition is doing well, which are doing poorly, and what the 5, 10, etc. year outlook looks like just as basics. I read 5-10 articles from trade publications a day on the industry I work in to keep fresh, and if meeting with clients will dig through their financials if they are a public company. If you do not have the enthusiasm to read about the area you work in then find a different job because there is a disconnect. No one gets dick hard excited about their work but I do find what's going on in my field to be VERY interesting and enjoy reading about it.

It's amazing what you can learn if you dedicate your computer/TV/Reddit time to quality and worthwhile reading. I am by no means an expert on all of the above subjects but it is something I started doing a lot more in the past year and have already experienced financial and social benefits from it. Since this sub has done a great job of providing advice to me in the past, I felt the need to return the favor.