"Much reading is an oppression of the mind, and extinguishes the natural candle, which is the reason of so many senseless scholars in the world"

This quote by William Penn recommends that too much reading can be detrimental to the mind. He implies that reading can be oppressive and can snuff out the natural candle light, or the natural interest and intelligence of an individual. Penn believes that this is the reason there are a lot of "ridiculous scholars" on the planet. He is recommending that too much reading can lead to an absence of understanding and understanding, and can cause a person becoming a "senseless scholar". Penn is alerting versus the risks of over-reading and is recommending that it can result in an absence of understanding and knowledge. He is encouraging individuals to be mindful of just how much they read and to ensure that they are not over-reading and extinguishing their natural curiosity and intelligence.