Studies serve three main purposes: enjoyment, refinement, and capability. They bring pleasure in solitude and quiet moments, add sophistication to conversation, and strengthen judgement and decision-making in practical affairs. Skilled people may handle specific tasks well, but the broader strategies—how to plan and organise complex matters—are best guided by those with learning.
However, overindulging in study is laziness. Using it only for show is pretentious, and relying entirely on its rules to judge everything is overly academic. Studies enhance our natural abilities but must be shaped by experience. Natural talents are like wild plants that need pruning through study, while studies themselves can be too broad without the boundaries of real-world experience.
People view studies differently. Crafty individuals dismiss them, simple people are in awe of them, but wise people use them. Why? Because books don’t teach us how to apply what we learn—that wisdom comes from actually doing things and real world experience. When reading, don’t focus on arguing, blindly believing, or impressing others. Instead, read to reflect and understand.
Books come in three types. Some are to be sampled briefly, others consumed lightly, and a precious few studied deeply and thoroughly. Certain books can even be delegated—have others summarise them for you—but only for less important works. Otherwise, such second-hand knowledge is like weak, diluted water—lacking depth and substance.
Reading broadens your mind. Discussion sharpens your readiness. Writing brings precision to your thoughts. If you don’t write, you’ll need an excellent memory. If you don’t engage in discussion, you’ll need quick thinking. If you don’t read much, you’ll need to be clever at pretending to know more than you do.
Different types of learning shape you in unique ways. History teaches wisdom. Poetry sparks creativity. Mathematics trains precision. Natural sciences deepen understanding. Ethics inspires seriousness. Logic and rhetoric sharpen argumentation. As the saying goes, “Studies mould character.” There’s no mental block or flaw that cannot be improved by the right kind of study.
Just as physical exercises cure specific bodily ailments—bowling for kidney stones, shooting for the lungs, walking for digestion, and riding for mental focus—so too can specific studies help mental weaknesses. If your mind wanders, study mathematics; its proofs demand full attention. If you struggle to see differences between things, study philosophy or theology, where careful distinctions are key. If you have trouble reasoning or building cases, study law. Every shortcoming in the mind can be addressed with the right kind of learning.
Bacon Blueprint 