You can't replace reading with other sources of information like videos, because you need to read in order to... — Paul Graham

You can't replace reading with other sources of information like videos, because you need to read in order to write well, and you need to write in order to think well.

Author: Paul Graham

Insight: There's something counterintuitive happening in how we consume information today. We're drowning in podcasts, documentaries, and explainer videos—all genuinely useful—yet many people still feel foggy when they sit down to actually think through a problem. The reason isn't that videos are bad; it's that they're passive in a way reading isn't. When you read, your brain has to actively construct meaning from symbols. You're essentially writing the story in your head, which trains the exact muscles you need when it's time to write something real. The tricky part is that writing and thinking are almost the same skill. You can't write clearly without thinking clearly, and you can't think clearly about something complex without writing it down. That's why people who read regularly—especially people who read difficult or meandering prose—tend to be better at untangling messy problems. They've practiced the process. A video can tell you what to think; a book forces you to build the thought yourself. This matters more now than it did before, precisely because alternatives are so tempting. The effort of reading, the time spent stumbling through dense paragraphs, isn't a bug—it's the point.

Source: You can't replace reading with other sources of information like videos, because you need to read in order to write well, and you need to write in order to think well. Paul Graham