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Western education drills into us the mantra that reading books is virtuous. It certainly is something that children need to learn how to do, like eating and sle

by jl6 8y ago

Western education drills into us the mantra that reading books is virtuous. It certainly is something that children need to learn how to do, like eating and sleeping. But like eating and sleeping there are limits to the benefit you will get from reading books, and I don’t think this is widely recognised. The prevailing opinion still seems to be that reading is unreservedly Good For You. Why do I say that? Because reading is ultimately a form of consumption. The quality and quantity of that reading matters, just like it does for eating and sleeping. Someone who spends all day reading isn’t necessarily in any better position than someone who spends all day playing video games. Don’t get me wrong, I do love and recommend reading books - but the right amount of the right stuff.

Bizi1 8y ago
"Nietzsche said that life without music is a mistake. I would agree, adding that it is no less a mistake without books." Oh, how I agree. And also with you jl6. It is some kind of consumption and the quality of it matter, for sure and timing. Reading the "right" books for you age or understanding of the world.
j9461701 8y ago
This is something I really agree with. Both myself and my father read very often, but we read utter schlock. We are no more intellectually improving ourselves than someone watching an action movie. To think otherwise is empty self-flattering of the worst sort. Also, at least for academic subjects, I've found doing problems is much more informative than spending the same amount of time reading the text. You can study as much python as you want, but until you sit down to write a program - you have on idea where you are.
Emma_Goldman 8y ago
There is a big difference between 'reading for pleasure and self-education', and 'reading for a specific purpose'. I agree that one can do too much of the former but I'm not so sure about the latter. There's plenty of academics and writers, of all stripes, who would not be able to do what they do if they did not spend most of their time reading.

by jl6 8y ago

Bizi1 8y ago

"Nietzsche said that life without music is a mistake. I would agree, adding that it is no less a mistake without books." Oh, how I agree. And also with you jl6. It is some kind of consumption and the quality of it matter, for sure and timing. Reading the "right" books for you age or understanding of the world.

j9461701 8y ago

This is something I really agree with. Both myself and my father read very often, but we read utter schlock. We are no more intellectually improving ourselves than someone watching an action movie. To think otherwise is empty self-flattering of the worst sort. Also, at least for academic subjects, I've found doing problems is much more informative than spending the same amount of time reading the text. You can study as much python as you want, but until you sit down to write a program - you have on idea where you are.

Emma_Goldman 8y ago

There is a big difference between 'reading for pleasure and self-education', and 'reading for a specific purpose'. I agree that one can do too much of the former but I'm not so sure about the latter. There's plenty of academics and writers, of all stripes, who would not be able to do what they do if they did not spend most of their time reading.