/lit/ - Literature

Stupid people do.

>>1570198
Murder your friend. It's the only way.

The truth of the matter is that a majority of the world's population just doesn't give a fuck about books nor reading.

Face it, the literati is a minority and always will be.

And people who don't enjoy reading aren't stupid or less than you or me--they merely just prefer to do other things. Imagine someone who wind surfed who pitied everyone who didn't want to/didn't enjoy wind surfing. Same thing.

>>1570211
>comparing wind surfing to reading
>implying the vast majority of people don't read for fun every now and then
Books have been an integral part of society for ages.

there are 3 types of people i encounter in real life:
1. much like your friend
2. people who try to read or intend to
3. myself

>>1570211
This is a really good post. The only thing I want to add is that it's always been this way, and there's no Golden Age to hark back to when everyone read. Never happened. Anyone who thinks that it did is just a sentimental fool trying hard to recreate what has yet to be created. That's what a fool believes.

>>1570215
For the majority of the population? Can you cite a source?

Or is green text sufficient rebuttal, here?

>>1570220
Can you cite your own statement?

>>1570220
http://www.nea.gov/news/news09/readingonrise.html
>A slight majority of American adults now read literature (113 million) or books (119 million) in any format.

>>1570227
I am happy with this.

>>1570221
Yeah, I can. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy

>>1570235
What...what is this proving? First-world countries have a 95-100% literacy rate. I am quite sure everyone on this board belongs to a first-world country. So...point here is?

I'm kind of like OP in the fact that I cannot comprehend why people would not want to read and do not try.
But this is coming from the guy who taught himself how to read and was reading and comprehending stuff like Sphere and Ender's Game by the fifth grade.

>>1570243
>Reading Ender's Game in fifth grade
It's a book for fifth-sixth graders.

>>1570232
Why? "slight majority". Do you know what that means? It means if you're hanging out with 7 people, 3 of them will NOT read literature. This is horrible if you ask me.

>>1570238
The point is that a vast majority of the world doesn't care about reading, as was originally stated in the guy's post.

ITT snobs pretend it's right and proper that everyone do what they do as they do it.

>>1570245
Well I guess so, but most kids at that age would be like "This is crap" and then never read it again.

>>1570250
>implying it is snobbish to think people should read

>>1570254

Actually I think I read it around that age. Oh, the benefits of having a geeky older brother.

>>1570261
How isn't it?

>>1570258
Yeah, my dad was really into sci-fi.
And then there's my mom, who owned and STILL owns every Stephen King book ever written.
Ever.

>>1570263
Tell me, can you honestly think of a reason to never read a single book for enjoyment? And "I don't like reading" isn't an excuse here. There are so many books in the world, it is absolutely guaranteed that each person will find many that they enjoy.

>>1570269
My dad didn't read much, definitely not much sci-fi, but he DID have a copy of Mirrorshades that I ruthlessly ganked.

My mom had a ton of, like, philosophy and mythology books lying around that I semi-pilfered.

>>1570211

>Imagine someone who wind surfed who pitied everyone who didn't want to/didn't enjoy wind surfing. Same thing.

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ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha

>>1570271
If you're browsing /lit/, it's pretty much a given that you enjoy reading to some extent.

I can't stand reading novels anymore.

Does that make me illiterate?

>>1570283
No, it makes you an idiot.

>>1570271
I think you don't understand the thread.

I read quite avidly. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. However, a lot of my friends don't read. The reason that they are my friends is because I'm generally repulsed by the "I read so I'm better" rhetoric that most readers head-first engage in.

I reject the notion that readers are smarter and "better" people. Once upon a time, reading was the only media outlet for information and ideas. Reading during these times was a good idea. Things are not like this any more. Get over it.

There are food snobs who look down their nose at people who can't or don't want to cook their own meals. Big fucking deal. So someone doesn't like to cook. It is the exact same thing. People don't like or even want to read.

We're not better for that, and they're not worse for it, either.

>>1570276
He wasn't into sci-fi too much, but he did have some Crichton lying around (Not exactly sci-fi, but still) as well as Card and Wells.
Now he's more into Grisham and such.

>>1570286

Reading isn't equivalent to baking or knitting or table tennis you fucking pea-brained shithead motherfucker nigger FUCK ajsoidjaslkxjlkajsdlksamlk

I raged. Fuck you and your non-thinking 'impartiality'. You are a big gay faggot who likes cocks in his mouth. Shut the fuck up and stop posting.

>>1570286
You make readers sound like different and abnormal people.

>>1570299
they are

Some people just don't like book,s the same way some people just don't like video games, or movies, whatever

>>1570238
Nope

>>1570300
>>1570300
>>1570300
>>1570300
Fucking THIS. Reading is NOT just a hobby. You can MAKE it a hobby, but it is also something directly related to being human.

>>1570331
>Fucking THIS. Singing is NOT just a hobby. You can MAKE it a hobby, but it is also something directly related to being human.
>Fucking THIS. Gaming is NOT just a hobby. You can MAKE it a hobby, but it is also something directly related to being human.
>Fucking THIS. Gaming is NOT just a hobby. You can MAKE it a hobby, but it is also something directly related to being human.

>>1570339
Woops, second one was supposed to be Dancing

>>1570339
I wouldn't agree with either of those things. Reading is something everyone can do. It doesn't take skill, it just requires utilizing your ability to be literate.

>>1570342
Neither watching movies, shows, going to the theater or listening to music

>WE ARE IN COLLEGE

>>1570346
Those I would agree are integral to human nature.

>>1570238
>I am quite sure everyone on this board belongs to a first-world country.

Wrong.

I disagree, some people literally cannot comprehend what they read. There is some skill to reading, and understanding, what you're reading. Anyone can pick a book up and smash it into his face and claim he's intelligent, but if he doesn't know what the fuck went on in the book then he's a stupid faggot.

>>1570351
This was for >>1570342

I found that in school most other kids just didn't have the reading comprehension skills or the attention span needed to enjoy a book.

they get assigned novel studies each year but Public school teachers always pick the same fucking books. Even if they eventually found themselves enjoying whatever book, the curriculum draws out a single novel study out for over a month, and most kids just don't think spending a month reading something and analyzing it worth the trouble when "If it was a good book anyways hollywood will make a movie soon enough"

Even if these kids get to choose their own book they'll just go to the library and pick up the shortest book they can find.

>sign up for college level British literature course
>there are 7 other people in the class
>one of them is an auditor

No one cares anymore.

>>1570364
it's more like "knowledge is not hidden away in universities anymore"

you can read papers about British lit on the internet for fucking free moron

Reading takes hours that you will not have when you have an actual life. Your friend is well positioned for a glorious future.

>Sign up for folklore class

>There are five people in the class

>One of them is an engineer with asperger's syndrome taking the class so he can complain about how illogical mythology is

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

>Take renaissance literature class
>Professor asks people to read out loud
>Read aloud takes up the whole class because nobody can pronounce a single word
READING COMPREHENSION. WE DON'T NEED IT IN COLLEGE.

>>1570533

Hated this about high school. White trash bimbo with an IQ of 70 has to read Shakespeare out loud, and I'm supposed to get something out of it.

>>implying reading on the internet is equivalent to attending a reputable school

for me it's sci-i and classic /lit/

Pic related is the book i'm reading at the moment, next up is either Notes from the underground or Crime & Punishment.

>>1570542

With literature and the right approach, it basically is. I say this as a regretful former English major.

>>1570371

>>1570554

You say this as a failed student.

There are only two reasons why someone would hate reading
>they can't read
>they haven't found a genre they would enjoy reading about

>>1570873

Or something happened that made then associate reading with bad times.

My brother had a learning disability as a child, it took him a long time to learn to read or write. I used to help him out with his homework and read to him becuase I was nicer when I was young. But he got made fun of in school for being stupid, even though he was better at maths than anyone I knew and our dad used to give him lots of shit for it and force him to sit and read random books.

So, he doesn't like reading. He can read and write fine now but I'll often tell him about a book that came out or is coming out and he'll be waiting for the movie or looking for an audiobook.

I don't hate him for not reading. The people I hate are the ones who say reading is "too much effort". I'm lazy, but that's beyond lazy....

OP, I've had many housemates who look at me like I'm crazy when they have seen me reading a book for pleasure. It's like they can't comprehend why I would be reading when I could be watching T.V. I think attitudes like these are making society (more) stupid.
'A man who choses not to read great books has no advantage over the man who cannot' - Mark Twain

Yes. Plenty of people actually have this mindset.
Astounding, isn't it? Then, I suppose it's reasonable-ish if you've got someone whose life doesn't allow them a lot of free time, but I think they'd be doing themselves a disservice to watch movies in order to have "basically read" the books which they are derived from.

>>1570494
>taking the class so he can complain about how illogical mythology is
... seriously?

>>1570271
I don't read. I wanted to click /vp/ and misclicked and got here. (imagine my surprise!) Anyway, the reason I don't read is because I never find good books consistently. I've read like 3 books I like in my whole life. That's the problem with reading. You have to spend time and money on a book you might not even like!

The written language is transformed into thought-forms and then images in my head with absolutely no conscious effort on my part (unless it's convoluted or dated, like Victorian literature or Shakespeare). I am beginning to doubt whether this is true for most people.

>>1570554
The thing is, is university useful for education or for proving that you've undergone the education?

>>1572123
Tell us what you like, then tell us how you like it. Then we recommend something.

Does reading help an individual? It can do.
Does it make you a better individual? Not necessarily.

I hate those people who think reading books makes them better as much as those people who go 'Fuck books, it's stupid'. Most people I met come in the middle: they read from time to time, but are busy people who have a whole plethora of entertainment to choose from. They may not read regularly but they're not stupid enough to condemn it.

>>1572136

The point of university is to prove you've got the education. You could write on your CV you can write essays to a deadline, are educated on a topic and so forth but it's hard to prove. However, a degree shows all that and also demonstrates a reasonable level of intelligence.

>>1572134 Yes it is to prove you have undergone the education. Can can stick to something do as your told etc. I recently completed an English/History major and am now thinking 'Fvck should have done commerce for the money!'. But on the plus side spent my uni education in rooms filled with hot girls as opposed to business guys. Not sure how much this will count for on my resume?

>Can can stick to something do as your told etc.
>English major

It's times like these I wish I had an reaction image folder.

>>1572158
Yes, deleted previous comment, realise only one 'can' was required and that it is "you're".
:)