Why Reading And Writing Might Not Translate To Higher Standard Of Living

Yesterday, I was watching a talk show where teachers, writers, and a few politicians were discussing the importance of literacy in living a better life and earning more money.

This got me thinking, I know many people who really read and write a lot, yet they don’t seem to be what we would call successful. Also, there are many countries where literacy rates are rather high, but people don’t have a high standard of living compared to other countries where people seem to be less focused on reading and writing. Why is that the case? I decided to explore a bit deeper.

Image by Christine on Flickr (Creative Commons)

There are several reasons why someone who reads and writes a lot might not achieve high financial success or a life they consider “successful.”

You might not agree with all of the factors I believe play a role in this, but here they are:

Misaligned Skills and Interests:

• Passion Versus Paycheck: Reading and writing might be a personal passion, but not necessarily translate to high-paying careers. Someone who loves poetry might not be drawn to a well-paying technical writing job.
• Skill Gap: Extensive reading and writing don’t guarantee specific job skills. They might excel at creative writing but lack the business acumen or technical…