4 ms·

> I was also going through a phase in my life where I believed reading more fiction would help power up my imagination. I kind of hate this mindset. Why does

> I was also going through a phase in my life where I believed reading more fiction would help power up my imagination. I kind of hate this mindset. Why does reading always have to be with the goal of self improvement? When someone binge watches a new TV series on Netflix no one asks them what skill they were trying to sharpen by enjoying that media.

globular-toast 2y ago
As someone who reads books for fun (including hardcore technical books) I get where you're coming from. But I think the author understands that books can be both fun and useful. In fact they point it out several times. There's nothing wrong with reading books (or watching netflix) for fun, but there's nothing wrong with doing it because it's useful either.
- cmiller1 2y ago
  Perhaps, but the fact that they needed to include that line almost defensively speaks to the culture, as if they had to justify why they were reading fiction books.
  - toofy 2y ago
    people are allowed to blog why they decided to read more of some genre. why does it upset you so that someone else wrote their own personal reasons on their own blog?
walterbell 2y ago
In censorship-plagued societies, some non-fiction can only be found in fiction.
Sam6late 2y ago
There are many ways of reading, the selection and the diversity (old and contemporary writers) of what you read helps you see how you could appreciate a more critical view of what you are reading. Reading a novel before watching someone's rendering of the same novel into, say Netflix, may expand your imagination and possibly show you how limited the director's version of the same story. I felt that with Stephen King's thrillers, Pet Sematary and Thinner, then watching them as movies.
hombre_fatal 2y ago
Just because you categorize something as a leisure activity doesn't mean someone shouldn't do it with an objective in mind. Daily creative writing, journaling, (trying to) learn to dance, reading books in Spanish when I'd get more enjoyment reading in English. These are all things I've done with goals in mind beyond leisure. In fact I don't particularly enjoy them enough to do them without an objective, else I wouldn't have had to go out of my way to do them. You don't enjoy everything or else you wouldn't have to try at anything. > When someone binge watches a new TV series on Netflix no one asks them what skill they were trying to sharpen by enjoying that media. But they weren't demanding this of anyone else. It was an objective for themself. You are actually the one demanding something of someone else just because you have different preferences. ;) Is that a great mindset?
maksimur 2y ago
TV series and movies can also be watched with a goal in mind, whether secondary to the fun or not. Examples are seeing how culture changed or how a genre evolved.
layer8 2y ago
Those without that mindset don’t write blog posts about it.
bisby 2y ago
I also dislike the mindset that reading == intellectual. I know plenty of people who read a LOT but it's all Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey type stuff. And I know people who never read books, but are constantly watching documentaries or otherwise always learning. People should be able to have hobbies and self improvement separate and each one delivered in whichever medium they happen to prefer. (And I'm not trying to say bad things about either of the books I mentioned, but rather illustrate that certain types of books aren't going to make you a scholar, just because you read a lot. Read what you enjoy.)
- edanm 2y ago
  As someone who reads a lot - probably more than 99% of people, I guess? - I mostly agree. > People should be able to have hobbies and self improvement separate and each one delivered in whichever medium they happen to prefer. Agreed. > Read what you enjoy. Semi-agree on this one. There are different reasons to read. You can read for pure entertainment. You can read to learn things. You can read to be motivated. You can read to calm down. You can read to be part of the conversation. Reading what you enjoy is good advice, and it's a valid approach, but so is reading something that's a little but hard and not very enjoyable, because you want to expand your knowledge, to learn and grow. Read what you want for whatever reason you want, would be my recommendation. (I personally mix most of the reasons above.)
  - Ntrails 2y ago
    > Read what you want for whatever reason you want, would be my recommendation. My minor counter here is "don't let the reason you read [something] be because someone has made you feel like you should"? I (personally) observe pushing through a thing you actively don't enjoy for external validation etc will just demotivate and bleed into the entire activity. That's not to say you should not try a book because somebody suggests/recommends it. But try, don't feel obliged in order to gain approval. In the same vein, don't avoid reading "trash" for fun because people are asses. Be it young adult swashbuckling, adult romance or elves and wizards - don't let anyone make you feel bad about your preferences.
hinkley 2y ago
I can get through about six to eight books a year on the self improvement route and a couple dozen or more if I just have fun with it. Revisiting old audiobooks is especially good for those times you are doing a mundane task or just need something comfortable for one of those days/weeks.

globular-toast 2y ago

As someone who reads books for fun (including hardcore technical books) I get where you're coming from. But I think the author understands that books can be both fun and useful. In fact they point it out several times. There's nothing wrong with reading books (or watching netflix) for fun, but there's nothing wrong with doing it because it's useful either.

cmiller1 2y ago
Perhaps, but the fact that they needed to include that line almost defensively speaks to the culture, as if they had to justify why they were reading fiction books.
- toofy 2y ago
  people are allowed to blog why they decided to read more of some genre. why does it upset you so that someone else wrote their own personal reasons on their own blog?

walterbell 2y ago

In censorship-plagued societies, some non-fiction can only be found in fiction.

Sam6late 2y ago

There are many ways of reading, the selection and the diversity (old and contemporary writers) of what you read helps you see how you could appreciate a more critical view of what you are reading. Reading a novel before watching someone's rendering of the same novel into, say Netflix, may expand your imagination and possibly show you how limited the director's version of the same story. I felt that with Stephen King's thrillers, Pet Sematary and Thinner, then watching them as movies.

hombre_fatal 2y ago

Just because you categorize something as a leisure activity doesn't mean someone shouldn't do it with an objective in mind. Daily creative writing, journaling, (trying to) learn to dance, reading books in Spanish when I'd get more enjoyment reading in English. These are all things I've done with goals in mind beyond leisure. In fact I don't particularly enjoy them enough to do them without an objective, else I wouldn't have had to go out of my way to do them. You don't enjoy everything or else you wouldn't have to try at anything. > When someone binge watches a new TV series on Netflix no one asks them what skill they were trying to sharpen by enjoying that media. But they weren't demanding this of anyone else. It was an objective for themself. You are actually the one demanding something of someone else just because you have different preferences. ;) Is that a great mindset?

maksimur 2y ago

TV series and movies can also be watched with a goal in mind, whether secondary to the fun or not. Examples are seeing how culture changed or how a genre evolved.

layer8 2y ago

Those without that mindset don’t write blog posts about it.

bisby 2y ago

I also dislike the mindset that reading == intellectual. I know plenty of people who read a LOT but it's all Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey type stuff. And I know people who never read books, but are constantly watching documentaries or otherwise always learning. People should be able to have hobbies and self improvement separate and each one delivered in whichever medium they happen to prefer. (And I'm not trying to say bad things about either of the books I mentioned, but rather illustrate that certain types of books aren't going to make you a scholar, just because you read a lot. Read what you enjoy.)

edanm 2y ago
As someone who reads a lot - probably more than 99% of people, I guess? - I mostly agree. > People should be able to have hobbies and self improvement separate and each one delivered in whichever medium they happen to prefer. Agreed. > Read what you enjoy. Semi-agree on this one. There are different reasons to read. You can read for pure entertainment. You can read to learn things. You can read to be motivated. You can read to calm down. You can read to be part of the conversation. Reading what you enjoy is good advice, and it's a valid approach, but so is reading something that's a little but hard and not very enjoyable, because you want to expand your knowledge, to learn and grow. Read what you want for whatever reason you want, would be my recommendation. (I personally mix most of the reasons above.)
- Ntrails 2y ago
  > Read what you want for whatever reason you want, would be my recommendation. My minor counter here is "don't let the reason you read [something] be because someone has made you feel like you should"? I (personally) observe pushing through a thing you actively don't enjoy for external validation etc will just demotivate and bleed into the entire activity. That's not to say you should not try a book because somebody suggests/recommends it. But try, don't feel obliged in order to gain approval. In the same vein, don't avoid reading "trash" for fun because people are asses. Be it young adult swashbuckling, adult romance or elves and wizards - don't let anyone make you feel bad about your preferences.

hinkley 2y ago

I can get through about six to eight books a year on the self improvement route and a couple dozen or more if I just have fun with it. Revisiting old audiobooks is especially good for those times you are doing a mundane task or just need something comfortable for one of those days/weeks.