People who don't read books.

The King of Moo

What do you think of people who don't read books?

I don't understand how people can live their lives without reading. It's just such a basic thing for me that not reading seems no different from not watching films or not listening to music.

I know some people say you can just watch films instead as you're still getting a story, only it's less boring and easier to do.

But the experience of reading is completely different from watching a film.
A book is usually more immersive than a film and reading is a great exercise for one's imagination and a great way to expand one's vocabulary and generally improve how one speaks and writes (which goes for adults as well as kids).

Do you know anyone who doesn't read?

Do you yourself not read, and do you think that's ok?

cena

The King of Moo wrote: »

What do you think of people who don't read books?

I don't understand how people can live their lives without reading. It's just such a basic thing for me that not reading seems no different from not watching films or not listening to music.

I know some people say you can just watch films instead as you're still getting a story, only it's less boring and easier to do.

But the experience of reading is completely different from watching a film.
A book is usually more immersive than a film and reading is a great exercise for one's imagination and a great way to expand one's vocabulary and generally improve how one speaks and writes (which goes for adults as well as kids).

Do you anyone who doesn't read?

Do you yourself not read, and do you think that's ok?

Sure boards is like reading a book for alot of people

Not reading is one thing but I've always thought not listening to music is weirder.

candlegrease

cena wrote: »

Sure boards is like reading a book for alot of people

lol

Really enjoyed that for some reason.

Dudess

If people aren't into it, fair enough - each to their own, but those who have a problem with others who read, seem thick as ****.

stupidusername

Tl;dr

I haven't been able to get back into reading for a long while because tablets i'm on make me quite sleepy,and reading has always been something to make me fall asleep. Hope no one judges me for it!

It depends on the person,and their reasons for not reading really.if you know someone is smart then what difference

mathie

dares no avantidge to reddin buks shure

The King of Moo

Deleted User wrote: »

Not reading is one thing but I've always thought not listening to music is weirder.

I had a friend as a kid who claimed to hate all music. Even at a young age, my mind completely boggled at that.

Crazy Horse 6

I don't enjoy reading at all just seems like a waste of time. Thankfully both my girls love books and they literally have to be pulled away from them for dinner time etc.. that would be my wifes influence on them she's addicted to books.

Snakeblood

No 'The Worst People' option?

Dravokivich

I don't read often because I'd have to re-read a page about 4 / 5 times in order to remember what's going on.

Wetai

I don't really read books, the last one I read was Harry Potter 7 when it came out, I think, and there weren't many before that (mostly other HP books, which I stopped at like 3/4 because they were getting really long). I generally prefer entertainment such as TV/films/gaming.

In primary school, we were told to do a few minutes reading, mine was in the form of Final Fantasy games (which did, in fact, have a lot of reading as they didn't have voice acting till relatively recently, and have a pretty expansive story) and I ended up reading ahead of some people in our primary school class (along with two others) and with a fairly good vocabulary.

Sykk

I don't read novels. I'm not really interested in fiction or even true stories that aren't educational. The only things I read are study material for my degree and geographical/astronomical/historical things

Where To

People who don't read books should be punished by being forced to read books!

The King of Moo

Dudess wrote: »

If people aren't into it, fair enough - each to their own, but those who have a problem with others who read, seem thick as ****.

stupidusername wrote: »

Tl;dr

I haven't been able to get back into reading for a long while because tablets i'm on make me quite sleepy,and reading has always been something to make me fall asleep. Hope no one judges me for it!

It depends on the person,and their reasons for not reading really.if you know someone is smart then what difference

If people try it and aren't into it that's fair enough and I'd try not to judge them (though I'd admit I'd find it hard not to, even though I know that's unfair), and of course if you've got certain circumstances like your medication that's fine.

I think it's people who never even consider reading that I don't understand.

Dotrel

Depends on what you're reading. I find straight-forward fiction to be dull as ditchwater and a waste of time.

Even say something like Moby Dick is only enjoyable because most of the book diverts from the narrative and deals with subjects like cetology and life on the sea rather than Ahab blathering on about his white whale.

Sykk

where do i go from here wrote: »

People who don't read books should be punished by being forced to read books!

You're on to something there...

Biedronka

I think people who don't read are retarded in a way.
You just can't develop your intellect without reading, you can't explore some parts of your brain without it.
Most of the young people I know (couples around 30) don't even have one book at home -not even a magazine!
This is just sad. I wouldn't like to raise my child in a house without books, or without pictures/paintings on the walls.

By the way, in Irish schools when you learn english or literature, do you have a list of books that you have to read? How many and what kind?
Did you enjoy reading them?
When I was at school we had to read many and some of them were really not interesting and I wouldnt even call them good literature, so maybe this puts people of reading.

The King of Moo

Snakeblood wrote: »

No 'The Worst People' option?

I thought it might be too inflammatory, so I'll let "philistines" suffice.

Crazy Horse 6 wrote: »

I don't enjoy reading at all just seems like a waste of time. Thankfully both my girls love books and they literally have to be pulled away from them for dinner time etc.. that would be my wifes influence on them she's addicted to books.

That's fair enough, but just out of curiosity, would you consider watching a film to be a waste of two hours or so?

Love2love

I am very important, I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany

-Trek-

I seem to lack the patience required to read books, I blame growing up with television and the sega mega drive.

Acidflash

The King of Moo wrote: »

a great way to expand one's vocabulary and generally improve how one speaks and writes

The King of Moo wrote: »

Do you anyone who doesn't read?

Yes, I know a few people who don't read at all. I go through phases where I will read a few books then not pick one up for a few months / year.

CarMe

Me and my friend were talking about going to the cinema last night so I texted her saying "We need to talk about Kevin is out in the cinema, that's one of the best books I've ever read" to which she replied "Ah it wouldn't be my cup of tea if it used to be a book" from a girl who loves sex and the city!
Each to their own I say but I'm so glad reading is s part of my life I dip in and out of.

stupidusername

Oh thats the important bit really,what kinda books you read? Well i've no interest in fiction of any sort.

Dotrel

-Trek- wrote: »

I seem to lack the patience required to read books, I blame growing up with television and the sega mega drive.

Twenty years on and it only dawned on me that Sega and Mega are almost spelt the same.

I'm going to start calling it the Sayga Mayga drive from now on just to annoy people

Captain Graphite

My Dad's a pretty smart guy but he claims he has never read a book in his life (except for when he had to for school.) Like he reads newspapers and stuff but never reads fiction. He thinks it's a waste of time. The only book I've ever seen him read is a Haynes car manual.

I don't understand his attitude towards books myself but I don't bother arguing with him over the merits of literature.

--Kaiser--

In my experience, people who don't read anything (newspapers, books, comic books even) are usually pretty stupid and have nothing interesting to say

old hippy

A friend of mine had reading difficulties right up until his mid teens. He now enjoys reading.

There's a few people who I work with who don't read & I can't really relate to them But maybe that's more to do with my expectations of people...

IvyTheTerrible

I used to be really judgmental about people who didn't read. But my since meeting my boyfriend, I changed my mind. He tries his best but for some reason he just cannot concentrate on more than a few pages at a time. And it's not like he is stupid, he does really well at work, he just cannot read a book.

Diabhal Beag

I hate reading books. Just not into committing to 300+ pages. I do read magazines (which I'm sure book-readers will probably be shouting that it isn't the same at your monitors). It just never interested me from school to present day.

The King of Moo

Biedronka wrote: »

I think people who don't read are retarded in a way.
You just can't develop your intellect without reading, you can't explore some parts of your brain without it.
Most of the young people I know (couples around 30) don't even have one book at home -not even a magazine!
This is just sad. I wouldn't like to raise my child in a house without books, or without pictures/paintings on the walls.

By the way, in Irish schools when you learn english or literature, do you have a list of books that you have to read? How many and what kind?
Did you enjoy reading them?
When I was at school we had to read many and some of them were really not interesting and I wouldnt even call them good literature, so maybe this puts people of reading.

I remember reading a lot of really good quality children's literature in school as kid, books like those by Roald Dahl, and really enjoying it, but I'm not sure how many of them I read in school or got them from the library to read for myself.
Though I do remember a big emphasis on reading in school, though that was quite a while ago, so things might be different now.

sbsquarepants

I spend a lot of my time reading, papers, magazines, internet crap and so on - but I just do not see the appeal of reading novels. They just don't float my boat, never have since I was a kid. Give me the movie over the book every time

old hippy

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

I hate reading books. Just not into committing to 300+ pages. I do read magazines (which I'm sure book-readers will probably be shouting that it isn't the same at your monitors). It just never interested me from school to present day.

I'm not going to shout, mate but you really are missing out on so much. Reading can really take you places - doesn't matter how long or short they are. Hope you change your mind one day

Orando Broom

People don't read books are boobs.

paddyandy

How much time do we spend in Reality ...light of day stuff?

old hippy

Orando Broom wrote: »

People don't read books are boobs.

No, they're not.

bnt

Snakeblood wrote: »

No 'The Worst People' option?

That was what the "Philistines!" option meant. You need to read more.

I also can't imagine not reading - and no, Boards is no compensation. There is so much poor writing on here that it could become self-perpetuating: bad habits live on because this is all we read. No: we all need to read good books, well-written books, books that take us to places we may never dream of going. A picture may be worth a thousand words if you're in a hurry, but if you have the time to read a thousand words, you can create a mental picture far more evocative than any picture on a screen or a page.

old hippy

paddyandy wrote: »

How much time do we spend in Reality ...light of day stuff?

In the working day? 9 hours, I guess. The rest is escapism, be in buried in a beautiful book, an intriguing woman or a racy pub

Crazy Horse 6

The King of Moo wrote: »

I thought it might be too inflammatory, so I'll let "philistines" suffice.



That's fair enough, but just out of curiosity, would you consider watching a film to be a waste of two hours or so?

I actually can't remember the last time i went to the cinema or rented a movie. I don't watch TV at all bar the news and some discovery channel. Although at the moment i'm watching The wire boxset which my wife bought me for Xmas last year and i find it enjoyable enough. But yeah i'd consider watching a movie to be a waste of time tbh.

Standard Toaster

*hugs Kindle*


I've read rakes and rakes of book since I got a Kindle. Mainly work related ones tho at the moment. I life saver on the bus.

paddyandy

old hippy wrote: »

In the working day? 9 hours, I guess. The rest is escapism, be in buried in a beautiful book, an intriguing woman or a racy pub

... don't forget Sleep.

The King of Moo

Crazy Horse 6 wrote: »

I actually can't remember the last time i went to the cinema or rented a movie. I don't watch TV at all bar the news and some discovery channel. But yeah i'd consider watching a movie to be a waste of time tbh.

Fair enough, though for me personally, I think I'd go crazy if I didn't get a healthy dose of fiction, either cinematic or literary, every now and then!

But each to their own.

Blisterman

Funny enough, I had this conversation with my brother the other day. He thinks it's strange that I only read non-fiction books.
I said that once I know everything that really happened, then I'll start reading made up things.

Mr.Crinklewood

Couldnt be arsed reading this.

-Trek-

I kind of hope one day they will invent a device like they had in the Matrix, download a novel into the brain via a USB cable, that might solve my lack of patience towards reading problem.

conorhal

It's not the people that ‘don't read’ (even though I think such people end up having a rather narrow world view), but rather it's the people that seem to actually wear the fact that they ‘don't read' as a badge of honor that bother me.
I remember having a conversation with a girl and making a point during the discussion that we were having by referencing a book that I'd been reading at the time. She then came out with the statement, "oh, I haven't read a book since my leaving cert forced me to". I was genuinely shocked by the pride she seemed to take in that fact, and it seems to me that there is a cohort out there that seem to revel in being genuinely ignorant.
The same goes for my sister in law, if I'm visiting over a weekend I'll tend to buy a Sunday paper, I've noticed that when I do she will pull out the homes and lifestyle sections and then bin the news section without even glancing at it. I find that level of disinterest in what goes on outside your own small frame of reference to be ….a bit odd.
Then you hear stories about 'a certain Irish celebrity' doing a Hello! Photo-shoot, when the photographer suggested taking one of those cheesy shots involving her reading a book to her child sitting on her knee it turned out that there actually wasn't a book in the house and they had to do the shot using a stereo instructions manual. It's no wonder literacy rates are falling through the floor in this country.

My folks may have been poor and come from both a rural and inner city Dublin background, but their childhoods were filled with books, and as a consequence so was mine. Literacy was their way out of poverty and giving them a broader horizon as surely as illiteracy is the way into poverty for so many of this generation. There was a time that reading was a working class persuit every bit as much as it was one for the professional classes, these days there seems to be a profound 'anti-intelectualism' among certian groups, and it's growing.

It’s like George RR Martin said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before they die, a non reader lives only one.”

sbsquarepants

Orando Broom wrote: »

People don't read books are boobs.

I love boobs!;)
There's an awful lot of snobbery around reading books I find. Some people look down their noses at those who don't like reading as if the only reason to not read is because you can't.
I can read, I can even understand big words, in fact I love words and language, but i do NOT like novels. Simple as that, I don't find they expand my mind, fire my imagination, help my vocabulary or anything else for that matter - they do precisely nothing for me, so why would I waste my free time forcing myself to read one, when there are so many better, more enjoyable ways I could spend my precious free time?

kowloon

There is a fair bit of snobbery around the printed word.

I remember reading a particularly annoying narrative of a battle that really could have done with a map. Instead the author thought it was better to describe contour lines and the course of a river.

Sometimes pictures, charts or film are a better way of putting the point across. A lot of academics seem to forget that they're supposed to be laying out their argument as clearly and as efficiently as possible and get lost in their own bullshit.

As for entertainment, it's entertainment and is entirely a matter of taste. Picking film over book doesn't make someone stupid anymore than owning lots of books somehow makes someone an intellectual.

Freddie59

The King of Moo wrote: »

What do you think of people who don't read books?

I don't understand how people can live their lives without reading. It's just such a basic thing for me that not reading seems no different from not watching films or not listening to music.

I know some people say you can just watch films instead as you're still getting a story, only it's less boring and easier to do.

But the experience of reading is completely different from watching a film.
A book is usually more immersive than a film and reading is a great exercise for one's imagination and a great way to expand one's vocabulary and generally improve how one speaks and writes (which goes for adults as well as kids).

Do you know anyone who doesn't read?

Do you yourself not read, and do you think that's ok?

I only read when on holidays. And then I could do a book per day. As for improving how you speak and write I would not necessarily agree. The biggest amount of damage to punctuation and grammar has been caused by text speak.

Pople cannot differentiate between 'their' and 'there', 'your' and 'you're', etc.

And WTF is 'would of' about??!! This is basic stuff!

stupidusername

conorhal wrote: »

It's not the people that ‘don't read’ (even though I think such people end up having a rather narrow world view), but rather it's the people that seem to actually wear the fact that they ‘don't read' as a badge of honor that bother me.

I've never experienced that, though I do get a hint of snobbiness from 'reading' threads on boards. like you're a better person if you read.

westies4ever

the late great bill hicks



http://youtu.be/Uvs2g5Nj0NI