"People disagreeing everywhere you look
Makes you wanna stop and read a book"

- Bob Dylan, Watching the River Flow

At first glance, one might not think there is anything special about this line from a 1971 blues-rock song from Bob Dylan. However, there is always more than meets the eye with Dylan lyrics. One might consider that Dylan wrote political songs but never involved himself in politics. He was aware of what was going on and concerned about right and wrong but never wanted anything to do with the partisan wranglings that consumed people. Instead, if one pays attention to Dylan's lyrics or listens to his Nobel speech, you know he has immersed himself in great literature. Rather than keeping up with the headlines and sound bites (people disagreeing everywhere you look), Dylan spent his time with wisdom that has been proven over the years (makes you wanna stop and read a book). 

I believe there is something to learn here from Dylan. We live in a time where there is more obsession over headlines and sound bites than when Dylan originally penned this song. We now have social media where opinions are plentiful and disagreements are many. People are transfixed by what is trending and move rapidly from one controversy to another without ever pausing to seek wisdom from a deeper source. In this context, Dylan offers us sage advice.

"People disagreeing everywhere you look
Makes you wanna stop and read a book"

What is needed is not another opinion on whatever is trending. We have too many of those already. What we are lacking is people who have spent time with the classics, people who have read ancient literature, and people who have wrestled deeply with Holy Writ. Just because we have more opinions nowadays does not mean we are any wiser. We are in need of individuals who have logged off and spent time growing in knowledge and wisdom.

Having knowledge of the latest headlines and an opinion does not equate with having something meaningful to say. More is needed and that more is wisdom. The problem is that wisdom takes time and effort. It means pausing to read a good book that might not be very easy to read. We may encounter words we do not know and ideas that are unfamiliar. We may have to learn about a culture that is unlike ours. We may have our own ideas and opinions challenged by those who came before us. Wisdom comes at a cost, but it is worth it. 

I believe Dylan is on to something. I think I will pay less attention to the people disagreeing everywhere I look and spend more time in old books that have much to offer. Hopefully, I will grow a little wiser along the way.