You read a headline, hear an opinion, or scroll past a strong claim online. But how do you know whether it is true? How do you decide what deserves your attention and what does not. And when two people present completely different versions of the same issue, what helps you make up your own mind.
Former US President John Adams believed that reading could play an important role in developing that judgment. In his diary in 1761, Adams wrote, “I must judge for myself, but how can I judge, how can any man judge, unless his mind has been opened and enlarged by reading” . The quote reflects his belief that knowledge and reading could help people develop the ability to think independently and make better judgments.
