In parallel to chrissnell’s suggestion on classical music: read some classical literature. I mean the Greek and Roman greats. As with “classical” music, theres’s a valuable survivorship bias — nobody bothered to preserve the crap.
As with the music, there’s a lot to choose from (I put “classical” in quotes because in both cases the term spans centuries of work and innumerable styles and themes). And don’t worry about what other people like: enjoy what you do. Personally I don’t really listen to Mozart as he mostly wrote pop music and spectacle (were he alive today he’d be onstage with lady Gaga). Some fun to listen to but for me doesn’t “stick to the ribs”. Other’s think he’s fantastic — and we’re both right! (Do love his Requiem, though as my then 17yo said, “should come with a warning label”). In the case of the greats I love Plutarch, don’t care for Thucydides, think Plato is a jerk but do read him, Aristotle was kinda a jerk too, but so was Cicero. Sophocles: fantastic!
Speaking of survivorship bias I read little fiction by living authors. If it’s still in print, or discussed, after a gap it’s more likely to be interesting. As with music, open a book and if you don’t like it read something else! It’s not a duty. But there’s also a lot of meta commentary on the older work and that can change your view and taste for what you read.
As with the music, there’s a lot to choose from (I put “classical” in quotes because in both cases the term spans centuries of work and innumerable styles and themes). And don’t worry about what other people like: enjoy what you do. Personally I don’t really listen to Mozart as he mostly wrote pop music and spectacle (were he alive today he’d be onstage with lady Gaga). Some fun to listen to but for me doesn’t “stick to the ribs”. Other’s think he’s fantastic — and we’re both right! (Do love his Requiem, though as my then 17yo said, “should come with a warning label”). In the case of the greats I love Plutarch, don’t care for Thucydides, think Plato is a jerk but do read him, Aristotle was kinda a jerk too, but so was Cicero. Sophocles: fantastic!
Speaking of survivorship bias I read little fiction by living authors. If it’s still in print, or discussed, after a gap it’s more likely to be interesting. As with music, open a book and if you don’t like it read something else! It’s not a duty. But there’s also a lot of meta commentary on the older work and that can change your view and taste for what you read.
Have fun!