Reading and Expertise
Reading the right books at the right times and for the right reasons is of high value. But reading is not sufficient for expertise in “just about anything,” unless expertise in a topic is merely a general familiarity with what others have written about it.
One must study and master the books worth studying and mastering. And one must learn to reason effectively and think independently. Moreover, if the topic involves know-how (say, a knowledge of how to play the guitar), one must practice.
You see, reading is well and good. I highly advise critical engagement with excellent books on various subjects. But too much reading, especially of the heteronomous kind, can preclude autonomy of thought.
The one who overstays his welcome in the pages of others is like the empty-handed tourist who wanders around a foreign country searching for a novel experience to impress itself on his mind, though he knows little about his own land and offers nothing more than a bit of coin to the local economy.
In contrast, the autonomous and educated mind is sovereign over his own nation. He is prepared to bring goods to the foreign lands he visits, though he spends requisite time at home in his own mind. When he travels abroad, his critical eye prevents him from handing over his own kingdom to foreign control.