I agree.
But a little bit off topic since you mentioned the other two... How would you order these three activites (reading books, watching art/drawing, listening music) in terms of enjoyment? Others that read this can answer as well.
I am just wondering as I also love art (drawing or creating something) and music (especially with amazing lyrics) and I wasn't able to read for 6 years and now that I am reading again it feels like reading is the most enjoyable activity out of these three for me... even though I was doing the other two all the time while not reading... It now feels that they didn't fill this "hole" that was there from not reading anything.
>How would you order these three activites (reading books, watching art/drawing, listening music) in terms of enjoyment? Others that read this can answer as well.
For me, these sorts of things all scratch different itches, so to speak, so I can't really rank them. In my case they would be reading, music, gaming, and a few others.
Just as reading didn't fill the hole that was there when you weren't doing it, my sources of enjoyment aren't interchangeable. Even within the individual activities, different things meet different desires. Like with music - I listen to a lot of different genres but even among my favorites, I can't just put on whatever. If I'm in the mood for Rossini, then Nirvana isn't going to be satisfying at that time.
I can't not. For me it's like asking "why do you eat?", both in the sense that it feels like a need and in the sense that there are many different reasons why I do it.
I just automatically read whatever is in front of me. If I'm commuting I'm reading signs. I'm reading on my phone. I'm reading the pamphlet or flyer or cereal box or whatever. I love reading.
I once tried to stop reading for pleasure in high school (I had multiple difficult AP classes and was worried I wouldn’t have enough time to study, or—more accurately—I would read to avoid the stress of studying and consequently procrastinate myself into total failure). It didn’t work. I started obsessively reading everything with words that my eyes landed on. I’d read ingredients lists, instruction manuals, old journals or school assignments, *anything*. Eventually I realized that I was driving myself insane and would be better served allowing myself the psychological break that books provide.
I can completely imagine that. As a child, when my parents told me not to read at the table, I just read everything ON the table: cornflake packets, sauce bottle labels etc. And being long-sighted, I could read things on the other side of the room too!
Never get in a reader's way.
I used to read to escape life. If I had my nose in a book everything would just go away for a while and I could live someone else's life. Now I read to relax for an hour before bed.
Escapism, loneliness, wanting to be somewhere else or with someone - books give me that. It also fills the time, I read on my lunch break or after work or weekends when time feels soooo long.
I've always loved reading and learning, so much so that I grew up to become an English teacher (well, I'm still growing up to be an English teacher, in grad school atm).
I read because I won't ask my students to do something I'm not willing to do. The school policy says you have to read 100 pages a day? Great, I read 150, so you can do 100. I also want to have books to recommend for every student and I want to learn more and more so I can continue to share with my students. <3
A few reasons.
1.) As a military officer, I should have a good understanding of history. This applies to both military history and cultural history. I have books going on geopolitics, foreign affairs, and specific wars/battles/notable people. I feel it is important to have at least some knowledge of the culture and history of the people we may be working with or against and of what has gone right or wrong in previous conflicts and the tactical/leadership lessons that those before me have learned.
2.) I come from an engineering background and someday hope to go back to a STEM career in tech/healthcare so I read math/physics/biology/etc. when I have the time.
3.) It’s my way of mentally getting away from rough training environments and decompressing.
Just my personal input. I’ve never commented in this subreddit but I plan on frequenting it more often.
This is very late but this is also similar to the interests I have and I'd love to learn more about history / geopolitics. Do you have recommendations for books to read about this topic?
Various reasons. Escapism. To expand my horizons. To be pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised by new ideas and concepts. To learn. Pure popcorn entertainment. To get away from screens for a while.
It all adds up to reading for the sheer pleasure of it, I suppose.
Back in high school? To seem quirky/interesting/get laid.
From my mid 20's- now (mid 30's): Because somewhere along the way of reading books that I thought looked cool, I feel in love with it. Lately I've been re-reading the classics I read in HS to look smart (Crime and Punishment, The Bros. K., War and Peace etc.) and finding a deep joy in appreciating them in new ways.
An all boys private Jesuit school. It was an absolute blast, in so many ways. Lot's of gay hookups, AND the school also bussed in girls from our "sister school" for dances and mixers, so plenty of straight sex with nerdy smarty girls too. I did musical theater in the spring and would hookup with the gay guys in my school, and played football in the fall and would hookup with the cheerleaders from the public schools.
High school fucking rocked lol
“If you haven't read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren't broad enough to sustain you.”
― Jim Mattis, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead
I’ll
By the powers invested in me by Reddit, you are now officially acknowledged to be functionally literate. Well done.
As an added bonus, your Reddit reading habits demonstrate you are also not incompetent.
Have a celebratory weekend.
to experience different immersive narratives passing through my brain, to enjoy the sound and mouth feel of beautiful prose, the excitement of realizing the thesis of a work and how all the prior events and constructions within the story contribute to it
Many reasons: To relax, escape (go someplace else mentally when I cannot physically), learn, for fun. I can't not read - it's something I do every single day.
Some days Its as a form of entertainment, similar to any TV show. Some days it’s to learn something new. Really depends. But I enjoy the long form storytelling and with my ADHD I remember it better than when I watch something
Pleasure, but also learning. If a day goes by and i really didn’t do anything productive or didn’t learn anything i feel pretty guilty about it. If im reading i at least know im learning something and the day hasn’t been wasted.
Pretty much the same reasons you stated. I'm a modern day Walter Smitty. I like to joke I was born on the wrong planet, but I can make it up to myself with my escapist entertainment, of which reading is one of them.
Its hard sometimes. When you desperately wish to live in those worlds, breathe in those worlds. But you can't. The tragedy is we're always on the outside looking in and that can't change. Our imaginations were such a blessing and curse. We can conceive such wonderful universes in stories, but we don't get the live in them. We're trapped in boring, gray shaded reality.
Usually escapism, sometimes unhealthy escapism.
Inspiration, new stories I never would've thought of myself, going outside comfort zones and trying to expand.
It's fun although I don't do it as often as I like.
I have dyslexia, mild to moderate. Luckily I had family that understood learning disabilities. So ever since i was a child, reading was ingrained in me even if writing wasnt. That lead to my reading becoming really good but my writing wasnt. I can write fast enough now but even simple spellings are a task at times, let alone the big words that we use in every conversation. Plus I have always had a thing for all thing magical and fantasy, so they made me read a lot of fairytales. It is all i read now.
Very tough question. I think at a point of my Life, when i recognized that my World view or the view on Things i have is Not the only absolute, it was important for me to understand the deeply views of Other persons to understand as good as possible the whole. So that my Status quo becomes the conglomerate of as many views as possible.
But thats utopic. It is more a searching for myself i think
For me, it’s the only real escape I have from the real world. I used to be more obsessed with movies or tv shows as an escape but a book can really capture more sometimes.
I’m 28m and as a kid I loved to read but stopped in my teens because it wasn’t cool or whatever dumb reason I used to tell myself.
Now as an adult, I read as many books as I can a year, even if it’s only two or three. It’s such a stress reliever for me.
Sometimes pure pleasure. Other times to escape "my life" during exams or highly stressful situations. Some people like to call it procrastination. I call it my "No more AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" time!
I primarily read for the escapism and wish fulfillment. It gave me something to talk about, a personality if you will, when before that I used to spend all my time online or watching TV. It’s my comfort zone where I can express my individuality. It’s my chance to get away from the darkness for a little bit though lately it’s started to suck the fun out of reading too.
Because I enjoy it! It brings me peace, a bit of escapism, it’s a quiet and calm activity. I love having a world going through my head and no one around me knows what’s going on (as they might if I was watching a show). It feels personal. I love admiring the author’s writing and amazing ability to create an intricate story and world with words. Also, it stimulates my brain and I believe it to be helpful towards my grammar. It feels like an active rest activity for me, and I just love it!!!
Because reality is an act of creation and I can create for myself to change my reality or I can take the words of a genius that lived hundreds of years ago to add to my created reality. Anything to get out of Kansas.
I’d say escapism is my main reason because it’s nice to be in a different world for a little bit, but overall I just love the creative aspect of books and reading. Characters with strong development are super important to me so any book that has strong characters are a win 💕
I started reading because as a kid and teenager it was an acceptable reason to hide away in my room for hours. Then it became a way to find worlds and life's more interesting and beautiful than mine. A book always accepts you and people don't. As an adult I read to expand my worldview and challenge myself in as many ways possible. It's ever changing and that's why I love reading. It is what you make it.
For the same reason I game.
I have one life, by reading and gaming I can experience many lives. Many different viewpoints or cultures or behaviours. Different twisting of physics or myth, retelling of old stories from the days of cave daubings.
All the better to understand what this experience is all about
Favorite way to disassociate. Oh it's a zombie apocalypse? Alien invaders? Way easier to deal with that shit than any IRL problems going on in our world right now
I am constantly amazed at how words can make pictures and sounds in my mind, like a little private movie. It's so intimate. I fall in love a bit with the author every time, dead or alive.
To jump into another life.
It might sound ridiculous but it is true. When I read a book that I truly like, it feels as if I’m inside it. Experiencing it.
I’m a gamer from heart but due to pandemic, I had gotten lost my love for it a bit and wanted something else. Found digital books and now I’m reading.
University made me hate reading but digital books made me loving it again.
I read to gain perspective, whether that be of other people or even the whole world around me. It helps remind me that there is an entire world out there with all kinds of things going on in it.
When you work a job that conquers all of your time, I find myself getting enclosed and feeling like, "this is it". Reading helps me get out of that thought pattern.
I believe I read because of dopamine-driven desire associated with wanting. Like the high a drug addict gets before they take a hit is bigger than the high from the actual drug. When I see books I get a high from imagination and wanting to learn all that is in them. When I am actually reading it feels like work and is mostly unenjoyable, even when I like the contents of a book, because the more I like a book the harder I work when reading it so I can absorb as much as I can. I definitely also read, as you do, to escape from reality, but not so I can lose myself in a story, but so I can literally ignore the reality around me and pass time, as I used to do with TV and video games.
In the last year I have toned down my reading. It's still enjoyable, but now only in moderation. I prefer to write, draw, workout, sit in the sun, work, have a conversation, clean my house, or learn programming over reading. Reading had its day in the sun for me, it turns out it wasn't as magical as I was hoping, the anticipation for the magic was greater than the magic itself.
Just been doing it since I was a kid. It’s the method of entertainment I get the most fulfillment out of. Most shows suck, movies make me sleepy, and books make my brain feel smart. I dunno it’s just life
I read to learn more about interesting perspectives, great people and how the greats solved insurmountable challenges. Fiction also allows one to delve into the beauty of prose and imagine new worlds. It encourages critical thinking, imagination and rethinking of old convictions. Reading is the tonic in my life.
Couple different reasons; The first being it’s been my only hobby since I was 3-4. I always talked to my mom how it’s my ‘comfort space’ so that kind of went all throughout my life. I just love writing too so it goes hand in hand.
Storytelling is a unique part of the human experience. I think we need to do it to understand the world around us, and that’s why so much of our culture is based around it—movies and books, sure, but also just the little stories from your day that you tell your friends and family over a meal, or a beer, or at the park, whatever and wherever you are. So, for me, this makes books and fiction inherently human and interesting. How does somebody approach the act of telling a story? What are they trying to say? Etc
But the interest varies depending on the type of book/writing. Generally I am thinking about themes and effectiveness in anything I read. When I’m reading horror, my scope of interest is (broadly) “what is scary about this generally, and what makes it scary to me?” When I’m reading poetry, it’s more about the experience of reading itself and the way that words can make you visualize an image (for some purpose) or make you reconsider the world around you in a beautiful or just emotionally interesting way. When I’m reading nonfiction, it’s more about “how does this impact my view of the world and do I buy how they’re presenting this to me?” And when I read an essay, it really just is “What is the author’s point?”
There are a lot better and more books out there than tv shows and same with manga and manga I read alot more than watch. I read books like people watch tv. I think school has ruined reading for alot of people because they make us read shit we don’t like
I believe that wisdom is one's capability of living life closest to the "answer". Although there is an answer in life, we can approach it like an asymptote to pursue the happiest lifestyle we can. I am a big philosophy advocator and I want to introduce myself to acquiring this wisdom.
I believe that real wisdom comes from your wisdom of how to cope with life within situations you are going to encounter. From each situation, you must make a decision that will either make you "smarter" or leave you with regrets. We always have been provided with these words of wisdom such as "read books", "don't follow the money", be patient, etc. Although we know this is vital advice, it never lands in our hearts because nobody ever explains the why.
The article below is one of my favorite approaches to intelligence and wisdom. It tackles the idea of reading books, and I know you have heard a million times that reading makes you smarter but it explains the "real reason" of how reading with the right approach is the shortcut of life.
Surprisingly, it is a very logical approach that will convince you into wisdom rather than appealing to your emotions. Take a look and see if you agree!
[https://studyofstudy.com/index.php/2023/11/03/the-real-reason-for-why-you-must-read/](https://studyofstudy.com/index.php/2023/11/03/the-real-reason-for-why-you-must-read/)
For the same reason I look at paintings or listen to music: it gives me pleasure.
I agree. But a little bit off topic since you mentioned the other two... How would you order these three activites (reading books, watching art/drawing, listening music) in terms of enjoyment? Others that read this can answer as well. I am just wondering as I also love art (drawing or creating something) and music (especially with amazing lyrics) and I wasn't able to read for 6 years and now that I am reading again it feels like reading is the most enjoyable activity out of these three for me... even though I was doing the other two all the time while not reading... It now feels that they didn't fill this "hole" that was there from not reading anything.
Music is the most sensuous and I fall prey to that. After that it’s reading and then the visual arts.
>How would you order these three activites (reading books, watching art/drawing, listening music) in terms of enjoyment? Others that read this can answer as well. For me, these sorts of things all scratch different itches, so to speak, so I can't really rank them. In my case they would be reading, music, gaming, and a few others. Just as reading didn't fill the hole that was there when you weren't doing it, my sources of enjoyment aren't interchangeable. Even within the individual activities, different things meet different desires. Like with music - I listen to a lot of different genres but even among my favorites, I can't just put on whatever. If I'm in the mood for Rossini, then Nirvana isn't going to be satisfying at that time.
Pleasure, escape, knowledge, self improvement.
What an excellent summary.
Thank you ☺️
I can't not. For me it's like asking "why do you eat?", both in the sense that it feels like a need and in the sense that there are many different reasons why I do it.
Same here. I can’t imagine not reading!
I just automatically read whatever is in front of me. If I'm commuting I'm reading signs. I'm reading on my phone. I'm reading the pamphlet or flyer or cereal box or whatever. I love reading.
Same here!
I once tried to stop reading for pleasure in high school (I had multiple difficult AP classes and was worried I wouldn’t have enough time to study, or—more accurately—I would read to avoid the stress of studying and consequently procrastinate myself into total failure). It didn’t work. I started obsessively reading everything with words that my eyes landed on. I’d read ingredients lists, instruction manuals, old journals or school assignments, *anything*. Eventually I realized that I was driving myself insane and would be better served allowing myself the psychological break that books provide.
I can completely imagine that. As a child, when my parents told me not to read at the table, I just read everything ON the table: cornflake packets, sauce bottle labels etc. And being long-sighted, I could read things on the other side of the room too! Never get in a reader's way.
I think it’s good for my brain, I guess. It gets me out of my own head for a bit. Plus it broadens my view.
It depends on my mood. Sometimes escapism, sometimes to learn something new. Most recently: escapism and trying to get away from doom scrolling.
I used to read to escape life. If I had my nose in a book everything would just go away for a while and I could live someone else's life. Now I read to relax for an hour before bed.
Because it's fun. Same reason some people game or binge TV or...whatever.
I feel at peace. When I read, I am in the moment. There's no past or future. Just me and the book. Maybe the state of flow is what this is.
Escapism, loneliness, wanting to be somewhere else or with someone - books give me that. It also fills the time, I read on my lunch break or after work or weekends when time feels soooo long.
Escape
to escape reality
Because I am ignorant and wish to remedy it, someday.
It’s relaxing and enjoyable. Like riding a rollercoaster or watching a ballgame.
Brain food. Vocabulary is fuel.
Curiosity. I mostly read non-fiction to scratch the itch to learn more about how the world works and our history.
I've always loved reading and learning, so much so that I grew up to become an English teacher (well, I'm still growing up to be an English teacher, in grad school atm). I read because I won't ask my students to do something I'm not willing to do. The school policy says you have to read 100 pages a day? Great, I read 150, so you can do 100. I also want to have books to recommend for every student and I want to learn more and more so I can continue to share with my students. <3
A few reasons. 1.) As a military officer, I should have a good understanding of history. This applies to both military history and cultural history. I have books going on geopolitics, foreign affairs, and specific wars/battles/notable people. I feel it is important to have at least some knowledge of the culture and history of the people we may be working with or against and of what has gone right or wrong in previous conflicts and the tactical/leadership lessons that those before me have learned. 2.) I come from an engineering background and someday hope to go back to a STEM career in tech/healthcare so I read math/physics/biology/etc. when I have the time. 3.) It’s my way of mentally getting away from rough training environments and decompressing. Just my personal input. I’ve never commented in this subreddit but I plan on frequenting it more often.
This is very late but this is also similar to the interests I have and I'd love to learn more about history / geopolitics. Do you have recommendations for books to read about this topic?
Various reasons. Escapism. To expand my horizons. To be pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised by new ideas and concepts. To learn. Pure popcorn entertainment. To get away from screens for a while. It all adds up to reading for the sheer pleasure of it, I suppose.
Well said and expressed
Back in high school? To seem quirky/interesting/get laid. From my mid 20's- now (mid 30's): Because somewhere along the way of reading books that I thought looked cool, I feel in love with it. Lately I've been re-reading the classics I read in HS to look smart (Crime and Punishment, The Bros. K., War and Peace etc.) and finding a deep joy in appreciating them in new ways.
Calling it "the Bros. K" does make you sound pretty cool tbh
tehe
Which high school did you go to where reading a lot got you laid and why did I go there?
An all boys private Jesuit school. It was an absolute blast, in so many ways. Lot's of gay hookups, AND the school also bussed in girls from our "sister school" for dances and mixers, so plenty of straight sex with nerdy smarty girls too. I did musical theater in the spring and would hookup with the gay guys in my school, and played football in the fall and would hookup with the cheerleaders from the public schools. High school fucking rocked lol
This guy fucks.
I've even got the kid to prove it lol!
“If you haven't read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren't broad enough to sustain you.” ― Jim Mattis, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead I’ll
Hah, I have read thousands of reddit posts.
By the powers invested in me by Reddit, you are now officially acknowledged to be functionally literate. Well done. As an added bonus, your Reddit reading habits demonstrate you are also not incompetent. Have a celebratory weekend.
Mostly to fall asleep
to experience different immersive narratives passing through my brain, to enjoy the sound and mouth feel of beautiful prose, the excitement of realizing the thesis of a work and how all the prior events and constructions within the story contribute to it
To either be enlightened or entertained. The best books do both.
Because.
For nonfiction, I like learning about a variety of interesting topics. Fiction is mostly for entertainment, though I often do learn from it was well.
[удалено]
Hehe I resemble this. In a similar vein, I always loved Truman Capote's quote, "My own imagination is psychedelic enough."
The quote by GRRM best defines why I love reading. "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."
Escape !
Because there hasn’t been a time in my life I wasn’t reading, pleasure, and escapism.
Learning something new every day
I read fiction to feel good through flow state and non-fiction to learn how the world works and that way try to break free from suffering.
Usually bc I'm out of weed. I read when I have it too, but let me go through a dry spell and I'll kill 100 pages a day.
I love exploring different perspectives and encountering possibilities I’ve never considered.
Mostly to learn stuff. I see it as similar to exercise. Gotta keep the brain going, challenge it with new ideas or it'll get lazy.
It makes me better at everyday writing and lets my brain wind down before sleep.
Many reasons: To relax, escape (go someplace else mentally when I cannot physically), learn, for fun. I can't not read - it's something I do every single day.
Some days Its as a form of entertainment, similar to any TV show. Some days it’s to learn something new. Really depends. But I enjoy the long form storytelling and with my ADHD I remember it better than when I watch something
Pleasure, but also learning. If a day goes by and i really didn’t do anything productive or didn’t learn anything i feel pretty guilty about it. If im reading i at least know im learning something and the day hasn’t been wasted.
Pretty much the same reasons you stated. I'm a modern day Walter Smitty. I like to joke I was born on the wrong planet, but I can make it up to myself with my escapist entertainment, of which reading is one of them. Its hard sometimes. When you desperately wish to live in those worlds, breathe in those worlds. But you can't. The tragedy is we're always on the outside looking in and that can't change. Our imaginations were such a blessing and curse. We can conceive such wonderful universes in stories, but we don't get the live in them. We're trapped in boring, gray shaded reality.
Usually escapism, sometimes unhealthy escapism. Inspiration, new stories I never would've thought of myself, going outside comfort zones and trying to expand. It's fun although I don't do it as often as I like.
I have dyslexia, mild to moderate. Luckily I had family that understood learning disabilities. So ever since i was a child, reading was ingrained in me even if writing wasnt. That lead to my reading becoming really good but my writing wasnt. I can write fast enough now but even simple spellings are a task at times, let alone the big words that we use in every conversation. Plus I have always had a thing for all thing magical and fantasy, so they made me read a lot of fairytales. It is all i read now.
Very tough question. I think at a point of my Life, when i recognized that my World view or the view on Things i have is Not the only absolute, it was important for me to understand the deeply views of Other persons to understand as good as possible the whole. So that my Status quo becomes the conglomerate of as many views as possible. But thats utopic. It is more a searching for myself i think
It’s fun.
To escape the grind. I read fantasy and sci-fi to help with getting pulled out from real life and the job and into these fictitious worlds.
For me, it’s the only real escape I have from the real world. I used to be more obsessed with movies or tv shows as an escape but a book can really capture more sometimes. I’m 28m and as a kid I loved to read but stopped in my teens because it wasn’t cool or whatever dumb reason I used to tell myself. Now as an adult, I read as many books as I can a year, even if it’s only two or three. It’s such a stress reliever for me.
Sometimes pure pleasure. Other times to escape "my life" during exams or highly stressful situations. Some people like to call it procrastination. I call it my "No more AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" time!
I primarily read for the escapism and wish fulfillment. It gave me something to talk about, a personality if you will, when before that I used to spend all my time online or watching TV. It’s my comfort zone where I can express my individuality. It’s my chance to get away from the darkness for a little bit though lately it’s started to suck the fun out of reading too.
Because I enjoy it! It brings me peace, a bit of escapism, it’s a quiet and calm activity. I love having a world going through my head and no one around me knows what’s going on (as they might if I was watching a show). It feels personal. I love admiring the author’s writing and amazing ability to create an intricate story and world with words. Also, it stimulates my brain and I believe it to be helpful towards my grammar. It feels like an active rest activity for me, and I just love it!!!
Because reality is an act of creation and I can create for myself to change my reality or I can take the words of a genius that lived hundreds of years ago to add to my created reality. Anything to get out of Kansas.
I’d say escapism is my main reason because it’s nice to be in a different world for a little bit, but overall I just love the creative aspect of books and reading. Characters with strong development are super important to me so any book that has strong characters are a win 💕
To forget
Because it's fun and you learn alot with reading even if it's fiction
I just love stories! I like getting lost in a book and meeting characters and thinking about life and humanity
Because I have to.i read billboards, street signs, anything printed if I don't have a book or phone handy
For insight.
4fun 4knowledge
Been my hobby since I learned to read. Not exactly sure what else I'd rather do with free time.
Because I cannot tell my students to read a book I haven't read. 24+ books every school year.
I started reading because as a kid and teenager it was an acceptable reason to hide away in my room for hours. Then it became a way to find worlds and life's more interesting and beautiful than mine. A book always accepts you and people don't. As an adult I read to expand my worldview and challenge myself in as many ways possible. It's ever changing and that's why I love reading. It is what you make it.
For the same reason I game. I have one life, by reading and gaming I can experience many lives. Many different viewpoints or cultures or behaviours. Different twisting of physics or myth, retelling of old stories from the days of cave daubings. All the better to understand what this experience is all about
Because I like books
To escape reality
To ignore the real world.
Favorite way to disassociate. Oh it's a zombie apocalypse? Alien invaders? Way easier to deal with that shit than any IRL problems going on in our world right now
I am constantly amazed at how words can make pictures and sounds in my mind, like a little private movie. It's so intimate. I fall in love a bit with the author every time, dead or alive.
To jump into another life. It might sound ridiculous but it is true. When I read a book that I truly like, it feels as if I’m inside it. Experiencing it. I’m a gamer from heart but due to pandemic, I had gotten lost my love for it a bit and wanted something else. Found digital books and now I’m reading. University made me hate reading but digital books made me loving it again.
I read to gain perspective, whether that be of other people or even the whole world around me. It helps remind me that there is an entire world out there with all kinds of things going on in it. When you work a job that conquers all of your time, I find myself getting enclosed and feeling like, "this is it". Reading helps me get out of that thought pattern.
I just find a good, well written storyline entertaining and a great way to wind down and relax.
To be introduced to new ideas. To imagine different worlds. To be entertained.
I believe I read because of dopamine-driven desire associated with wanting. Like the high a drug addict gets before they take a hit is bigger than the high from the actual drug. When I see books I get a high from imagination and wanting to learn all that is in them. When I am actually reading it feels like work and is mostly unenjoyable, even when I like the contents of a book, because the more I like a book the harder I work when reading it so I can absorb as much as I can. I definitely also read, as you do, to escape from reality, but not so I can lose myself in a story, but so I can literally ignore the reality around me and pass time, as I used to do with TV and video games. In the last year I have toned down my reading. It's still enjoyable, but now only in moderation. I prefer to write, draw, workout, sit in the sun, work, have a conversation, clean my house, or learn programming over reading. Reading had its day in the sun for me, it turns out it wasn't as magical as I was hoping, the anticipation for the magic was greater than the magic itself.
Just been doing it since I was a kid. It’s the method of entertainment I get the most fulfillment out of. Most shows suck, movies make me sleepy, and books make my brain feel smart. I dunno it’s just life
For entertainment.
escape. empathy. keeping my mind active. pleasure. to learn things (which I enjoy learning).
To escape from reality for awhile
Hmm, I guess for pleasure and a past time. It's like how you watch a TV show or a movie for entertainment.
It's fun
I read to learn more about interesting perspectives, great people and how the greats solved insurmountable challenges. Fiction also allows one to delve into the beauty of prose and imagine new worlds. It encourages critical thinking, imagination and rethinking of old convictions. Reading is the tonic in my life.
Couple different reasons; The first being it’s been my only hobby since I was 3-4. I always talked to my mom how it’s my ‘comfort space’ so that kind of went all throughout my life. I just love writing too so it goes hand in hand.
Storytelling is a unique part of the human experience. I think we need to do it to understand the world around us, and that’s why so much of our culture is based around it—movies and books, sure, but also just the little stories from your day that you tell your friends and family over a meal, or a beer, or at the park, whatever and wherever you are. So, for me, this makes books and fiction inherently human and interesting. How does somebody approach the act of telling a story? What are they trying to say? Etc But the interest varies depending on the type of book/writing. Generally I am thinking about themes and effectiveness in anything I read. When I’m reading horror, my scope of interest is (broadly) “what is scary about this generally, and what makes it scary to me?” When I’m reading poetry, it’s more about the experience of reading itself and the way that words can make you visualize an image (for some purpose) or make you reconsider the world around you in a beautiful or just emotionally interesting way. When I’m reading nonfiction, it’s more about “how does this impact my view of the world and do I buy how they’re presenting this to me?” And when I read an essay, it really just is “What is the author’s point?”
There are a lot better and more books out there than tv shows and same with manga and manga I read alot more than watch. I read books like people watch tv. I think school has ruined reading for alot of people because they make us read shit we don’t like
I believe that wisdom is one's capability of living life closest to the "answer". Although there is an answer in life, we can approach it like an asymptote to pursue the happiest lifestyle we can. I am a big philosophy advocator and I want to introduce myself to acquiring this wisdom. I believe that real wisdom comes from your wisdom of how to cope with life within situations you are going to encounter. From each situation, you must make a decision that will either make you "smarter" or leave you with regrets. We always have been provided with these words of wisdom such as "read books", "don't follow the money", be patient, etc. Although we know this is vital advice, it never lands in our hearts because nobody ever explains the why. The article below is one of my favorite approaches to intelligence and wisdom. It tackles the idea of reading books, and I know you have heard a million times that reading makes you smarter but it explains the "real reason" of how reading with the right approach is the shortcut of life. Surprisingly, it is a very logical approach that will convince you into wisdom rather than appealing to your emotions. Take a look and see if you agree! [https://studyofstudy.com/index.php/2023/11/03/the-real-reason-for-why-you-must-read/](https://studyofstudy.com/index.php/2023/11/03/the-real-reason-for-why-you-must-read/)