A flight. Friends. A book within reach. I used that small scene to ask a bigger question: what habits do we make normal around each other?
A flight is a small example. There is time to fill, a book within reach and a choice about where your attention goes. The question is not whether every minute must be productive. It is whether the habits you say you want have a place in your actual day.
If you want more reading in your life, start by bringing the book. Ask a friend what they are reading. Share one idea you found useful and ask what they think about it. That creates a more interesting opening than giving someone a lecture about discipline.
You can also make a small agreement: read for a while, then compare notes. Nobody needs to finish the same number of pages or agree with the author. The point is to create room for curiosity together.
The sharp wording of the post puts pressure on the circle. A fair starting point is to apply that pressure to yourself too. Are you doing the thing you wish the people around you would do? Have you invited them into it?
A single flight is not a test of somebody’s worth as a friend. Look at the broader relationship: is there room to grow, ask questions and take each other’s interests seriously? That is a more useful standard than counting books in the cabin.