First, commercialism may be at play here. It is said that book sales are at the lowest level in autumn. The reason for this is perhaps the weather. Fall is the ideal weather for outdoor activities so many people would rather go out than read books. To boost their sales, publication companies and book stores came up with the idea of promoting autumn as the best time of the year for reading. Thus, the season of autumn is commercialized as “ideal for book reading” in order to generate more profit.
Second, ancient wisdom says that weather is an unconditional requirement in the pattern of our daily life. The five elements, following the principle of the seasonal changing of the Yin and the Yang, appear in succession: in spring, it is 木 (tree), in summer 火 (fire), in autumn 金 (earth) and in winter 水 (water). Here the symbols 木 火 土 金 水 do not simply mean tree, fire, soil, iron, water. They are only expressions of allusion. Autumn is the time when all living things save energy for the winter. And the symbol of autumn (金) collects energy from all things. Thus, autumn is regarded as the best season to gain knowledge, just like storing grains in the shed for the coming winter.
Third, fall is the season of plentiful harvest. People do not worry about food and their mind is calm. The sky is clear and blue and the weather is relaxing, so people are more likely to enjoy reading a book in autumn than in other seasons.
Lastly, from a physiological point of view, the hormones in our bodies are affected by the changing of season. In fall, the amount of sunshine decreases, and this causes a decrease in the secretion of serotonin, also known as the “happy hormone”. With less serotonin in the body, people tend to feel melancholic. This mood slump makes people want to sit, ponder, and meditate, and fall weather is conducive for meditation and pondering.
These are possible reasons that explain why autumn is the best season for reading.
Kim Gyeong-ah wing1128@naver.com
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Shrinkflation, Consumer Deception
