> This is a really nice comment, but I find the comparison at the end so strange. You shouldn't compare reading these books to using social media, a better comparison would be: given a limited amount of time, should you read these books, or some other one?
I don't get what you find strange about comparing reading TAOCP vs reading social media. Your time is limited, and each activity that you choose bears an opportunity cost. Of course it is an interesting question to ask whether you should read another book instead, but I bet that most people waste a lot more time on social media than reading a book that is not TAOCP, so svat's comparison does make a lot of sense in my opinion.
I read social media when I'm too tired to really engage with anything in a serious way.
I (try to) read TAOCP sometimes when I have a surplus of energy and ambition.
Admittedly, sometimes ambition comes along a little bit after I force myself to do something challenging, but TAOCP is so difficult for me that I really have to be feeling it to make any headway.
Reading professional material means you want to improve yourself/your craft/your knowledge, while reading social media is shown to have mostly negative effects, so obviously nobody is going to advocate the latter.
I don't get what you find strange about comparing reading TAOCP vs reading social media. Your time is limited, and each activity that you choose bears an opportunity cost. Of course it is an interesting question to ask whether you should read another book instead, but I bet that most people waste a lot more time on social media than reading a book that is not TAOCP, so svat's comparison does make a lot of sense in my opinion.