2 ms·

Does reading books have intrinsic value, or is it just a specific (archaic?) way of transmitting information? Socrates would be a podcaster today

by sdwr 5mo ago

wartywhoa23 5mo ago
Ever heard about imagination?
apsurd 5mo ago
writing well is really hard. other mediums are other mediums. sure the new mediums have reach going for them, but im not sure socrates would’ve enjoyed or optimized for popularity.
- anitil 5mo ago
  > writing well is really hard I think because good writing is easier to read and understand than bad writing, there's almost an inverse relationship between how easy writing seems and how easy it is to read. So you read something and think "well, this is obvious" but the magic trick is how much work went in to making it so.
  - basilikum 5mo ago
    That's true for a lot of things. Skilled people make difficult things look easy.
none2585 5mo ago
I think specific, but not archaic. The written word can be beautiful like any other form of art - it's not only about transmitting information but transmitting emotion. Sorta like a photograph, painting, or song.
michaelhoney 5mo ago
Yes, I think so. When you read a book you spend a long time with the ideas it contains. You think about the book when you go about your day: primed by what you're reading, you see new connections. You are in conversation with the book. Maybe parts of the book seep into your dreams. Years later, you might remember what you were doing when you read a particular passage. Much of this is because reading a book takes time.
ealawe 5mo ago
Yes, as other's have pointed, its just really hard to write well, I have thought that books are just an inefficient medium, but once I started reading more broadly, outside of computer topics, I discovered that engineers are just horrible writers.
FreakLegion 5mo ago
Are you under the impression Socrates wrote anything in the first place?
ytoawwhra92 4mo ago
And people don't believe we're in a literacy crisis. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48532053 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48532053

Does reading books have intrinsic value, or is it just a specific (archaic?) way of transmitting information? Socrates would be a podcaster today

by sdwr 5mo ago

Does reading books have intrinsic value, or is it just a specific (archaic?) way of transmitting information? Socrates would be a podcaster today

wartywhoa23 5mo ago

Ever heard about imagination?

apsurd 5mo ago

writing well is really hard. other mediums are other mediums. sure the new mediums have reach going for them, but im not sure socrates would’ve enjoyed or optimized for popularity.

anitil 5mo ago
> writing well is really hard I think because good writing is easier to read and understand than bad writing, there's almost an inverse relationship between how easy writing seems and how easy it is to read. So you read something and think "well, this is obvious" but the magic trick is how much work went in to making it so.
- basilikum 5mo ago
  That's true for a lot of things. Skilled people make difficult things look easy.

none2585 5mo ago

I think specific, but not archaic. The written word can be beautiful like any other form of art - it's not only about transmitting information but transmitting emotion. Sorta like a photograph, painting, or song.

michaelhoney 5mo ago

Yes, I think so. When you read a book you spend a long time with the ideas it contains. You think about the book when you go about your day: primed by what you're reading, you see new connections. You are in conversation with the book. Maybe parts of the book seep into your dreams. Years later, you might remember what you were doing when you read a particular passage. Much of this is because reading a book takes time.

ealawe 5mo ago

Yes, as other's have pointed, its just really hard to write well, I have thought that books are just an inefficient medium, but once I started reading more broadly, outside of computer topics, I discovered that engineers are just horrible writers.

FreakLegion 5mo ago

Are you under the impression Socrates wrote anything in the first place?

ytoawwhra92 4mo ago

And people don't believe we're in a literacy crisis. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48532053 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48532053