The ability to read and comprehend what has been read is significant for many reasons.

Through reading and comprehending, humans acquire knowledge and understanding of the world around them. This allows us to cooperate and accomplish tasks that we would not be able to do without instructions and/or examples. We are able to apply knowledge gained from past experiences and progress further than those who have gone before because we can read about, and thereby avoid repeating, mistakes made in the past. Reading allows humans to gain understanding of different experiences and viewpoints from other cultures and times in history, creating appreciation for the variety of possibilities in life and opening opportunities for new adventures and creations. Reading allows for sharing of data that can further research and support development of technology and/or practices that may preserve or improve life for future generations. On a purely individual level, reading allows each of us to expand our personal horizons of awareness through vicarious experiences and through encountering knowledge and situations we would not otherwise have.