H1: I just have less time for reading in general because responsibilities proliferate after you attain tenure, unless you are very slippery and capable of saying no more than I am.

I don’t like saying no to students, in particular.

That feels like the reason I am reading less for both pleasure and business overall , not the reason I feel like I am reading more slowly than every before.

H2: My brain works differently.

That’s a possibility.

H3: I am more patient overall, more willing to spend time reading things closely.

Another possibility. I used to skip more things, get impatient with authors and description, give up on books more easily.

H4: I am reading way more philosophy and theory than I did when I was young, or at least theory of a different type.

My youth was spent primarily with economic theory, which I acquired fairly quickly, except for macro. Now I read philosophy regularly, and I do so in original languages as much as possible, which slows me down, naturally.

H5: Much more newspaper and media reading.

When young, I didn’t care as much about keeping up. Now I am a bit obsessive. I also let myself fritter too much on social media.

All these, I suppose are possible contributors. All I know is that I woke up this morning thinking about this as both a sign of my changing mind and body. I no longer read as quickly as I used to–far fewer notches on the “done” column–and instead savor things more.