Do You Read?

[invisible]

Do you read? How often do you read? How important is reading to you?

What kind of reading material do you prefer? Fiction or nonfiction? Books, magazines, newspapers, journal articles, or articles published on the internet? Manuals, comics, plays, recipes, dictionaries, poetry...?

Is it important for everyone to have a habit of reading? Are people who do read better people than people who don't read?

 

[Bellosome]

I read one book every week. (Sometimes it takes less or more depends what i read). I read news online, i read forums, articles on a daily basis. I even read food labels just because.

Reading is VERY important to me because aside from being my escape to reality, it makes me learn. If I wasn't a reader, i wouldn't know the things i know now. I wouldn't be able to share what i know and still continue on learning.

On books, i mostly read fictions and self-help books. I like a bit of everything, i don't focus on one topic. Depends actually, on my mood or what my curiosity is at that time. Like, lately, i've been reading more about psychology.. The mbti (infj and intj in particular), i've been reading about history, and science. Overall i want to read and know general information and a bit of extra knowledge from it.


I think reading habits are important because you learn from reading. Continuous learning is good for everyone and knowledge is always power. But, it doesn't mean that readers are better than non readers, there are other ways to learn things like watching and exploring.

Personally, i love to learn through reading because i want to be left alone. Hahaha

 

[Wyote]

 

[Night Owl]

I like books, love them in fact, but having stringent ideas of what I class as 'a reader' I would not say that I qualify as 'a reader'. @bellisima sounds like 'a reader' by all means. I suppose being 'a reader' can be described as reading a large quantity of text, regularly on a frequent basis, with reading among the greatest activities in which one engages their energies and invests their time.

Stepping back, and taking a somewhat impartial view of myself, I don't really read all that much really. I am always reading no fewer than four books at once, alternating between them. Yet I probably make my way through one book every two months - most of these are spiritual classics, mostly from the 1500's, and philosophical and theological works; and I always have a fiction on the go - a classic that is. Outside of books, I read a bit of poetry, online articles - a few a week, and only if I'm doing research will I read scholarly articles - at which point I read A LOT, as I like to know what I'm talking about when I'm writing on it, to such a point where I can truly become comfortable and adopt my own ideas instead of simply taking on those of others.

I would say I'm more of a writer. I'll read one chapter from a book and feel inspired to write something. I'll read one page from a book, and become lost in pondering and thought, eventually writing something. The time I spend in writing far exceeds the time I spend in reading. And yet, although I don't read copiously, and thus wouldn't say I'm 'a reader', I certainly read, and reading is dear to my heart. What I read, I really absorb. I'm very fussy with what I read. I don't bother reading anything and everything, and almost loath when someone asks me to read this magazine or this article, or this book - I'm a fussy reader.. What I do read I really let it sink in, and learn from it, savour it - even if I don't like the content, I learn from it. I think one must be discerning with what one reads, just as with what one eats - a critical mind, without overdoing it, is important - as books communicate ideas, and ideas shape minds. I'm also against a kind of information gluttony, sometimes associated with ego. It's one thing to accumulate knowledge, but another to cultivate a sense of understanding and wisdom, which is knowledge that has been sifted, matured, and personalised. I hope for the latter, and am aware of my natural human tendency towards informationism which I try and ward against by means of taking time to really digest what I read.

Do I think it's important to read? Very much so. To read is to cultivate the human faculties of intellect and imagination. Through reading one encounters new ideas, and fresh perspectives different to one's own. I think books, fiction and non-fiction, but namely those which narrate or mirror human experience and existence, have a special place among texts to be read, as these above all help us to grow.

 

[Wyote]

but namely those which narrate or mirror human experience and existence, have a special place among texts to be read, as these above all help us to grow.

 

[Kgal]

Do you read? How often do you read? How important is reading to you?

What kind of reading material do you prefer? Fiction or nonfiction? Books, magazines, newspapers, journal articles, or articles published on the internet? Manuals, comics, plays, recipes, dictionaries, poetry...?

Is it important for everyone to have a habit of reading? Are people who do read better people than people who don't read?

Reading is very important to me as I am extremely curious about almost everything...and have a strong desire to learn.
Hence much of what I read is for knowledge.
Dad took me at age 9 to the library in the big city to learn how to train my new horse...when I saw that place I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The building architecture resembled a castle or cathedral from the old world and was filled with gleaming wood, spiral intricate staircases, and a gazillion books. Ahhhh.... it was an INFJ dream come true I tell you. [smiles broadly]

I grew up in a time where many people did not know how to read or write for that matter. I clearly remember seeing people sign documents with a big X and I have witnessed people being taken advantage due to their inability to read.

Going to school during the early 60's was a time of Learning for all as urged by the Kennedy administration. I was highly regarded and rewarded for all of my reading and learning attempts by a select small few....but especially from my parents.

When I discovered the high Fantasy of JRR Tolkien I found my best love for books. All the INFJness in me could pour through all of the attempts at Saving the World. I generally sought those themes from age 17 on till even now. Give me a Warrior Woman and her Dragon out to save the world by retrieving the Key...and I'm set for the evening. LOL

My ideas about reading are shaped by many vectors in my life.

Do I think people who read are better than those who don't? I believe I'm better off than those who don't...but I suspect that's not what you mean here.
I'll reframe it in to what I think is relevant here for me.

Do I think people who do not read are more ignorant than those who do?
I think a few years ago I'd say yes...I did. Even now there is much information that would help inform every one if they would only but read...instead of listening to other opinions and news.
At least that's what I used to think...
Now... I'm not so sure of those ideas anymore.
I have since experienced many instances where I talked some members of family in to reading an article with substantiated research about a topic we all deal with ...etc etc. None of them grasped the entirety of it nor the implications as applied to their lives. Even though research pointed directly to it.
On the other hand mainstream media did not substantiate the research.
I see this over and over and over again now that just because one can read....does not mean they comprehend....and suggests there is something else larger at play.

Also...I now see my own ignorance in many many areas where I thought I "knew" what was what.

On a personal note my father was dyslexic and barely graduated high school. The story went" with his report card in hand....Dad's English teacher asked him "Thomas? Are you planning on going to college?"...and my Dad said "Oh no sir!" The teacher wrote a big D for his English grade and handed Dad his report card with the words "You Pass"....
..and that was how Dad graduated high school.
He really couldn't read nor write very well. Mom was his right hand in all of that stuff for a very very long time. On the other hand...my Dad was a genius when it came to figuring out how things worked, how to make things work. and he designed all kinds of systems used at the refinery and our homesteads over the years that still work to this day. He was so prized at the refinery they made him a Superintendent and sent him to Saudi Arabia to build a huge refinery chemical plant Port Complex. He had a ball designing and implementing his systems and the plant manager loved him.
All this from a guy who barely graduated high school and for all intents and purposes....could not read well at all.

This taught me that our circumstances influence our ability to learn, think, and express our creativity and knowledge.

I fear I have rambled... Did I answer your queries?

 

[Wyote]

BTW it's never too late to start

http://www.gutenberg.org/

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/18755.Project_Gutenberg_Books

I am not a reader (though I have incidentally read a fair amount because you know, knowledge), I learn more auditorially so I do enjoy audiobooks and try to find audio stuff as much as I can.

https://www.gutenberg.org/browse/categories/1

 

[Sandie33]

I read incessantly.
The librarian thought me a fixture in our town Library when I was a child...
How many eight year olds read Socrates, Plato, Protagoras, etc? I did lol. The Librarian used to kick me out of the 'grown up section', gently taking me by the hand and leading me back to the children's section. Once her back was turned though, I'd sneak back into the grown up section, lol. I was always burried in books. Once, at 13 I was shaken awake because I'd fallen asleep on the floor in the Native American isle (clean up in isle four!) Reading is a good source of knowledge as well as an escape tool. I practiced my floor hoping all through college too. The internet has spoiled me, I can lie in bed now and surf the library... So, I joined our local Friends Of The Library group. It meets in the same small town Library that I was roused out of the grown up section in ... only the Librarian has changed ...

 

[Tin Man]

Reading is very important to me as I am extremely curious about almost everything...and have a strong desire to learn.
Hence much of what I read is for knowledge.
Dad took me at age 9 to the library in the big city to learn how to train my new horse...when I saw that place I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The building architecture resembled a castle or cathedral from the old world and was filled with gleaming wood, spiral intricate staircases, and a gazillion books. Ahhhh.... it was an INFJ dream come true I tell you. [smiles broadly]

I grew up in a time where many people did not know how to read or write for that matter. I clearly remember seeing people sign documents with a big X and I have witnessed people being taken advantage due to their inability to read.

Going to school during the early 60's was a time of Learning for all as urged by the Kennedy administration. I was highly regarded and rewarded for all of my reading and learning attempts by a select small few....but especially from my parents.

When I discovered the high Fantasy of JRR Tolkien I found my best love for books. All the INFJness in me could pour through all of the attempts at Saving the World. I generally sought those themes from age 17 on till even now. Give me a Warrior Woman and her Dragon out to save the world by retrieving the Key...and I'm set for the evening. LOL

My ideas about reading are shaped by many vectors in my life.

Do I think people who read are better than those who don't? I believe I'm better off than those who don't...but I suspect that's not what you mean here.
I'll reframe it in to what I think is relevant here for me.

Do I think people who do not read are more ignorant than those who do?
I think a few years ago I'd say yes...I did. Even now there is much information that would help inform every one if they would only but read...instead of listening to other opinions and news.
At least that's what I used to think...
Now... I'm not so sure of those ideas anymore.
I have since experienced many instances where I talked some members of family in to reading an article with substantiated research about a topic we all deal with ...etc etc. None of them grasped the entirety of it nor the implications as applied to their lives. Even though research pointed directly to it.
On the other hand mainstream media did not substantiate the research.
I see this over and over and over again now that just because one can read....does not mean they comprehend....and suggests there is something else larger at play.

Also...I now see my own ignorance in many many areas where I thought I "knew" what was what.

On a personal note my father was dyslexic and barely graduated high school. The story went" with his report card in hand....Dad's English teacher asked him "Thomas? Are you planning on going to college?"...and my Dad said "Oh no sir!" The teacher wrote a big D for his English grade and handed Dad his report card with the words "You Pass"....
..and that was how Dad graduated high school.
He really couldn't read nor write very well. Mom was his right hand in all of that stuff for a very very long time. On the other hand...my Dad was a genius when it came to figuring out how things worked, how to make things work. and he designed all kinds of systems used at the refinery and our homesteads over the years that still work to this day. He was so prized at the refinery they made him a Superintendent and sent him to Saudi Arabia to build a huge refinery chemical plant Port Complex. He had a ball designing and implementing his systems and the plant manager loved him.
All this from a guy who barely graduated high school and for all intents and purposes....could not read well at all.

This taught me that our circumstances influence our ability to learn, think, and express our creativity and knowledge.

I fear I have rambled... Did I answer your queries?

I mirror your thoughts in this. While reading is essential to me, I don't think it makes me better or more intelligent than other people. On one time I thought it did, but I've met many bright, insightful people with little education and many well read people who were ignorant and narrow minded.

I think your dad would have gotten on very well with mine. Left school before 15 (he walked out after an argument with the headmaster), but he has such a brilliant mind for figuring things out. Even after years studying literature, there's still plenty of times he sees things I completely overlook in books.

 

[invisible]

I was reading by 3. I read Ursula Le Guin's first four "Earthsea" novels when I was 9 and they opened up a whole new world for me, I am still a huge fan of those novels. By my teen years I was an avid reader of fictions. I read The Hobbit and the LOTR series when I was 13. But mostly what I read during my teen years was stuff that was meant for my age range, what is called "teen fiction" or "young adult". I would usually read a novel every day or two of that type of material at that time. I can't remember most of what I read. I read Wuthering Heights when I was 15. But for the most part, complex literature did not come easily to me until I was in my 20s. When I was about 23-27 I studied to take a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in English and while I was doing that I typically read 2 or 3 novels or works of literature that were about 300 pages long every week, in addition to critical and theoretical material.

I don't believe in the idea of protecting a mature, educated mind from certain types of reading material. That reminds me way too much of Professor Bhaer in "Little Women", yuck. For me, good reasons to refrain from reading something is because it bores me so intensely that I'm too busy rolling my eyes to be able to focus my vision and I'm pretty certain I can't learn anything useful from it... or because I'm interested in a positive way in maximising the time and energy I spend on reading scholarly and historically significant material. Otherwise, my experience of reading outside my interests has expanded my horizons and perspectives, and what could be bad about that?

Reading dictionary entries is so much a part of my life that I do it every day without thinking about it. I use a dictionary app on my smartphone.

My reading habits these days are poor. I read constantly but I fail to devote meaningful time to reading. My general reading materials are not necessarily high quality and are usually obtained through the internet - mostly pop articles or amateur criticism. I do still learn by hearing what other people have to say. I also read a decent amount of scholarly material related to my degree and it exhausts me, but I don't necessarily regard that stuff as greatly edifying, it's more of a practical professional requirement. Last week I read a couple of novels because I had some holiday freedom, but before then I hadn't read a novel in a year! Ideally I would like to read a novel a week. I think that I've just been really busy with family obligations and study commitments. The thought of reading during my spare time has been "too much", "I can't face it". But I hope in future I will have more time and energy to devote to reading. In my future reading I would like to focus on literature and on modern philosophy.

I don't think people are wicked for not reading. But I have a personal prejudice which insists that people who have acquired sufficient literacy have an obligation to their society to read in general, and specifically to read beyond their comfort zone, and to seriously and genuinely explore perspectives that are alternative to their own through their reading.

 

[Kgal]

But I have a personal prejudice which insists that people who have acquired sufficient literacy have an obligation to their society to read in general, and specifically to read beyond their comfort zone, and to seriously and genuinely explore perspectives that are alternative to their own through their reading.

I read a book a few months ago about how a man found the way to live a balanced and harmonious life through the teachings of Jesus. For me that's wayyyyyy outside of my comfort zone. Does that count? LOL

The Earthsea novels are great! That's the best genre ever.

 

[invisible]

I read a book a few months ago about how a man found the way to live a balanced and harmonious life through the teachings of Jesus. For me that's wayyyyyy outside of my comfort zone. Does that count? LOL

The Earthsea novels are great! That's the best genre ever.

That definitely counts! I haven't read The Bible, but my sense of it all tells me that Jesus was a really exceptional person. What do you think? As you know I was raised in a conflicted Catholic environment, I have received communion and I have confessed before (many years ago). I'm sorry to say that as far as his divinity goes, I'm not remotely buying it, but I think he was an incredibly special human being (maybe a little "crazy"... but then, some of the best people are). I have significant reservations about the relevance of his work to human existence now... but despite anything else that has happened in my life related to Christianity, I really respect Christians for their faith and ideals.

Have you ever read the other Earthsea books? There are about 7 I think and it is cool to see what happens to Ged, Tenar, and Therru in the end... and there is also a book of short stories and one of them is about a dragon girl, which is pretty awesome. Have you read anything else by Le Guin? I have read her novel "The Left Hand of Darkness", which is very concerned with gender, and it was amazing. I've read a couple of her other novels too but that one really stands out.

A few years ago I wrote her a letter to tell her how much I appreciate her work and how much it has influenced me in my life. She didn't write back, but she explains on her website why she can't write back, so I didn't expect her to. But a while after I sent the letter, I felt a real "tingly feeling" related to it for a few days, and I knew that she had read my letter and that she had enjoyed reading it and had understood what I was trying to say.

 

[Kgal]

That definitely counts! I haven't read The Bible, but my sense of it all tells me that Jesus was a really exceptional person. What do you think? As you know I was raised in a conflicted Catholic environment, I have received communion and I have confessed before (many years ago). I'm sorry to say that as far as his divinity goes, I'm not remotely buying it, but I think he was an incredibly special human being (maybe a little "crazy"... but then, some of the best people are). I have significant reservations about the relevance of his work to human existence now... but despite anything else that has happened in my life related to Christianity, I really respect Christians for their faith and ideals.

Have you ever read the other Earthsea books? There are about 7 I think and it is cool to see what happens to Ged, Tenar, and Therru in the end... and there is also a book of short stories and one of them is about a dragon girl, which is pretty awesome. Have you read anything else by Le Guin? I have read her novel "The Left Hand of Darkness", which is very concerned with gender, and it was amazing. I've read a couple of her other novels too but that one really stands out.

A few years ago I wrote her a letter to tell her how much I appreciate her work and how much it has influenced me in my life. She didn't write back, but she explains on her website why she can't write back, so I didn't expect her to. But a while after I sent the letter, I felt a real "tingly feeling" related to it for a few days, and I knew that she had read my letter and that she had enjoyed reading it and had understood what I was trying to say.

I'll have to find those later Earthsea books and read them. Thanks for the recommendation.

Aww...you wrote to her and felt as if she had read them because your body tingled. I totally get that...and agree you knew when she received your words of appreciation.
But... up there you say you think Jesus was a little crazy (for why I don't know)...yet here you are saying you felt someone very very far away read your words. ...
To most people ( not me ) that sounds a little crazy....
....just sayin'....

As far as his divinity as described by the various religions....nope... he was no more special than you or I. Meaning we have divinity flowing through us just like Jesus did ....just like every one on the planet does. We all have access to this divinity(Source Energy) within us at all times. We just don't believe it...and therefore don't see it...or feel it. We ignore the signs and signals from the universe telling us this fact....just like we ignore the jackhammer sounds coming to us from down the street under construction.
We humans are good at tuning out the things that are unimportant to us.

A couple of months ago I read a fictional novel about the Being that incarnates as Jesus. It was explained from Creator(Source Energy in the book) that Humanity was finally at a place where their beliefs and conscious awareness could accept the ideas and teachings from Jesus. Evidently humanity had evolved from being barbarians and hunter gatherers enough to contemplate the divinity within. The Jesus teachings were supposed to dovetail and transcend the days of Moses teachings. Jesus learned a lot from the Eastern teachings of the Buddha. Then this Being reincarnated later as Mohammed to bring teachings designed to fill in the gap between the Jewish teachings and the Jesus teachings. Hence the reasons why all three of those religions have overlap with each other. The book exlained the purpose was to give something for every one to believe in that would nudge them to understanding there is only the One.
...not that there is only one god.... that there is only the One....and we are all aspects .... divine essences ....of the divine One. (and I use divine here to establish the Source)

While the book is "fiction".... I came away with a different perspective on humanity's evolution of consciousness and could see how there was an attempt to offer choice. ...a choice for all to transcend their base humanity of Fear and move in to one of unity and compassion.
Do I think Jesus taught that? Yes I do. He taught what is called in many ancient teachings across many ancient religions and paradigms....as Ascension into the Rainbow Body. [which by the way is what i'm journeying through]

Growing up as Catholics we weren't really exposed to much of the Jesus teachings at all. In fact I didn't know much about him at all....except he tried to save humanity and they crucified him for it. I hated being near that huge statue of him on the cross and would always go stand as near to the Mary statue as I could when I was little. Looking around me at what I saw I thought Jesus was an idiot to try and save humanity.... [shrugs] I mean when you're a child and every thing is black and white....it seems pretty obvious....especially when every night on the news back in those days we were subjected to the Dooms Day Clock depicting our chances of being annihilated by nuclear war with Russia.

I think Jesus was a reincarnation of the Buddha and tried yet again to turn humanity towards learning how to ascend...or transcend....our Fearful nature.
During my own transcendence journey one of the steps was to accept the Christ consciousness (a level of Light attainment on the ascension journey). I have had experiences and visions similar to the Jesus story.....and I have to say I am truly humbled...and now understand why Jesus set out to do what he said. Only I....like he.... do not believe we are saving humanity at all... The teachings are for humanity to save themselves....one heart at a time.....by connecting with Creator within themselves in their own unique way....without religious dogma and hierarchy.

Oh wow... books sure do liven up our lives....don't they?

 

[freekundli]

I love reading. I have collection of books and in my free time i love to read books.

 

[aeon]

Do you read? How often do you read? How important is reading to you?

Yes, daily, and very, respectively.

What kind of reading material do you prefer?

fiction - yes, again now, but for years I was averse to it for some reason - I think it had to do with my long-running dysthymia
nonfiction - yes, always, all kinds
books - yes
magazines - a select few - The Atlantic, The Paris Review, Harper’s Magazine, Granta, Foreign Policy, UTNE Reader
newspapers - never...not paper ones, anyway...sometimes I will slum on The Guardian
journal articles - yes
articles published on the internet - Wikipedia and the BBC
manuals - yes, sometimes for things I don’t (yet) own, and certainly the service manuals (2,000 pages) for my car.
comics - no
plays - no
recipes - yes, but more so in the whole of a cook book than searching or collecting individual ones.
dictionaries - yes, ever since I was small.
poetry - yes, and it is a joy to find something new that makes me tremble.

I also like magazines like The Journal of Neurobiology, and Pharmacology Review.

I’ve also read some of the Bible, certainly the Gospels, most of the Quran, and various other things from various perennial wisdom traditions.

Is it important for everyone to have a habit of reading?

Important to me? No, and other people can (and do) decide that for their selves. I think it is a good idea, though.

Are people who do read better people than people who don't read?

I’m not sure I really understand the question, but to the degree I think I do, no.


Cheers,
Ian

 

[Vict]

Yeah.

Short stories hit the spot. They don't really end. Just kinda linger on a question.