/lit/ - Literature

In my experience it’s best to keep the things that are truly important to yourself private. Sharing them only devalues them.

Reminds me of a kid ai knew in elementary school. Told everyone his dad had a Lamborghini and once he played basketball with Michael Jordan at his mansion. He moved after 7th grade when someone found a flash drive in the library with his name that was filled with 10gb of lesbian porn.

>>17996358
>He probably thought I was trying to impress him by pretending to have an interesting personality
I really doubt that. Don't overthink this stuff.

>>17996454
He's having a conversation, you autistic beast.
>so anon what are you into?
I can't tell you, it would devalue the special aspect it has in my life.

>>17996498
Did you have to remind me...

>>17996674
The point still stands. If it is something truly meaningful and important to him it doesn't belong in casual conversation with common folk. Stick to weather, local athletic clubs that sort thing.

>>17996358
I don't say things like that to people. I sometimes say worse things, but I don't say that specifically.

>>17996358
i just talk about the latest netflix show or marvel movie

>>17996674
You can indulge in prattle without bearing your soul.

>>17996358
IT LOOKS PRETENTIOUS AND PATHETIC BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IT AND THIS BEHAVIOR CAUSALLY SWEATS FROM YOUR EVERY PORE. FEAR IS CONSPICUOUS.
Act like it isn't that way, and it won't be that way. This is the moral of every 2000's guide to social hacking, this is how people get away with things. Say something, with confidence, and people will believe it. This is how it all works. Someone asks you, "what do you do for fun." Yell "I REEEEEEEEEEEAD" "I REEEEEEEEEEEAD BOOKS" "I SPEND ALL MY FREETIME REEEEEEEEEEEADING OR THINKING ABOUT REEEEEEEEEEEADING". I have now infected you with a sort of virus, I have knocked you down the a causal chain that you cannot come back from. You will now be confident and make yourself into what you already are. You do things, and everybody follows, not the other way around. You do something because you want to do it, and the Universe responds. If someone cringes at you, it is only after you made a conscious and confident decision to do that thing. They are an afterthought to your will to change the world, they don't matter.

Pretentious? Mabey but you can be anything you like, it's your life. And there's all kinds of nerds. Some people like history. Some people nerd out over music and make themselves elitists by only listening to the coolest best bands. Some people know their bibles inside and out, and could do just as good a job behind the pulpit as their pastor. Some people take pretentiousness to a clinical scale and we call them narcissistic. Oh well.... I prefer not to worry about it all. If you like literature then sp be it and enjoy your life. That's the most important thing, isn't it?

>>17996358
Everything in life is pretentious and pathetic.
If reading makes you not hate living for a while, others can go fuck themselves with what they think

>>17996498
That just sounds based.

>>17996358
Lately I’ve begun to master the art of speaking sparingly. It all comes down to the standards people have historically held men to; that is to say men are generally expected to act more and speak less.

>>17996358
I don't talk to people.

>>17996358
Just be cool brother. Dont get too emotional. Also a little self-awareness goes a long way I have a few hobbies I wouldnt even anonymously tell /lit/ about

If reading books is pretentious then I’m happy to be pretentious

I remember I told my friend about a book I was reading because it had to with something he was talking about and then I said something self deprecating about how I was just bringing it up to sound smart and he resentfully goes "yeah" as if I wasn't bringing it up just because it was relevant to our conversation. I don't remember what book it was but it wasn't like some deep philosophical tome it was like some fiction thing that I only briefly brought up because I could tell he was insecure about his intelligence, anyway needless to say I eventually stopped talking to him all together and I wish I did it sooner

>>17996358
Yes. Unironically stop talking about anything you do to anyone unless there is reason to

>>17997431
this is not just a random standard too. What good does endless talking do except opening yourself up for extra variables to worry about?

Only lower class people would find reading a lot unusual

>>17996358
I work in a blue-collar environment, I've been reading on my lunch breaks since day one, because I enjoy it, sure I get a couple jokes thrown my way but I just laugh it off, people are willing to accept anything if you do it with conviction.

I have sat in rooms with 30+ people casually reading Infinite Jest.
I'm the pretentious one, you ain't shit OP.

>>17996674
This is a good, funny post.

>>17999424
>hat good does endless talking do except opening yourself up for extra variables to worry about?
Based schizoid bro

>>17999592
Most people don't even know that book. I'm not kidding. There might be three people in a room of thirty who know that book, one of which has it on her shelf but hasn't read it yet.

>>17999530
This.
If you take the initial couple of jokes from people and laugh with them, you can do almost anything. It becomes autistic when you stop doing something, because other people comment on it.

Unless you are sure it will have some tangible effect on you, why give a fuck what others think. Some people dont even seem to have thoughts and emotions or anything going on inside them, theyre just stimulus-response machines made of meat

>>17996498
Wow, I have the exact same story...

>new kid at school
>claims he has a basketball court at his house
>that his dad drives some sports car
>that he has a picture with Michael Jordan

We all thought he was a faggot and bullied him relentlessly until his birthday and it turned out he actually did have all those things. His dad was some kind of sports promoter or something. Biggest house I’ve ever seen. Looked like a Roman temple.

>>17997431
>>17999424
>*gets no pussy*

>>17996358
Why would you want to be fake or care about the opinion of someone who can only believe the worse of you? Do you look up to and want to be friends with those types of characters in the stories you read? I don't think so.

>>17996358
just don't say it with that intention. if it comes up in the conversation, there's nothing wrong with saying you like to read.

>>17996358
I think most people consider themselves readers even if they don't read a lot, it'd be like saying your hobby is exercising. You need to have more to your personality than that, or you come off looking a bit banal. I've found a better way to bring up books is to mention a great book you've been reading recently and give a short description that might interest the person rather than try to convey how difficult or obscure it's meant to be.

>>18000623
>I think most people consider themselves readers even if they don't read a lot
Then most people are flattering themselves. I'd bet most people would think Dostoevsky was some new rapper if I mentioned his name in conversation.

>>17996902
based

>>17998544
I might be retarded but every time I read things like this I feel it’s about me. This has to be a sign of some mental illness

>>17999650
>her shelf
>her
Subtle tranny posting. Nice. I love me a good tranny bashing.

>>17996358
Don't think of it as being pretentious. Think of it as dunking on the stupid, vapid idiots that never picked a book up in their lives. They're the only people who think its pathetic.

>>17996358
what I really hate about telling people that you like to read is that they automatically assume you read everything.
>you like to read huh? have you read X? no? I thought you like reading...

>>17996358
I never tell people I read.
I partake in discussions on books I have read but that's it. I don't think people really care that you read.

>>18001854
they usually go for the only stuff they know, the Dan Browns, the 50 shades of gray, so you never have a chance

Don't tell people about your reading without it coming up in a conversation by itself. It doesn't mean anything to them and they might resent you. It's useless too. If they're actual readers, then it will show. But most aren't.

>>17996845
>watching jewflix or soivel. sad.

>>17996454
My feelings as well. People suck the joy out of everything.

Your worries stem from a place of insecurity. Work on that

>>17999424
In most cultures talking is just an enjoyable way to kill time. Italians, Hispanics, Latins in general will talk all day long just for the pure joy of hearing their own voice and the occasional bursts of wit and perception that arise from those sorts of conversations.
I've noticed with lots of Anglos if you talk too much it's seen as suspect. Like you're trying to pull one over on them by talking to much, or being overly needy, or effete because you're talking instead of being stoically quiet.
Frankly the people who make fun of people for reading are some of the dumbest least interesting people you'll ever meet. Like >>18000035 said, they're just flesh automatons and usually their hostility is rooted in some profound insecurity.
I know a guy who's like that, always making passive aggressive comments about me reading, traveling, chasing girls, not chasing girls, doing anything basically. He's worked the same job since highschool, had the same gf since highschool (he treats her like shit but acts like its cool because he has a 'hot blond gf' that puts up with his crap), and sunk almost 100k into building a house on his parents property so he can spend the rest of his life living with mommy and daddy. For a long time he annoyed me, but he's legit never put himself out of this tiny comfort zone where he's the center of the universe, and any time he says shit to me I point this out and it drives him mad.
If people are giving you shit, find out their weakness and use it against them. People love power, so if you can demonstrate that books give you intellectual prowess over them they'll respect you. Or just get cooler hobbies.

>>18000061
Was his name Brody?

>>17998544
I sort of feel this too with my circle of friends from high school. All smart kids, some athletes, who went on to universities like Columbia, Northeastern, MIT. We'll be chatting online and I'll talk a bit about whatever I'm reading and I'll ask someone what they thought of TBK (they started it on their on volition), and you can feel his disappointment in himself when he says he hasn't finished it since he started 3 months ago. They're all busy (except for the comp sci student who plays LoL everyday for 6 hours) and I don't think less of any of them, but it's sobering to see how rare actual independent reading is even among intelligent people.

>>17996358
you can talk to your therapist, i do that sometimes

>>18003474
>Frankly the people who make fun of people for reading are some of the dumbest least interesting people you'll ever meet.


https://youtu.be/QT13kk8HDDo

This thread is something else. I can't even begin to imagine what middle america cultural shithole you guys are from for this to be a thought that crosses your head at all.

>>18004229
recreational reading isn't common anywhere /int/cel

>>18005234
hahahaha

>>18005380
post flag so I can laugh

>>17996358
Yes because anyone who has any semblance of intellect "reads a lot". What you're basically doing is bragging about being baseline and informing them you have no OTHER hobbies.

>>17996358
It’s all about the delivery.

>>17996358
Why don't you go outside and actually meet people?

>>17996873
i can't i don't want to prattle at all

>>17996902
does that apply to wanting to become a girl
>Someone asks you, "what do you do for fun."
>Yell "I COOOOOOOOM" "I COOOOOM TO TRANNY PORN" "I WANT TO TURN MY DICK INSIDE AND BECOME A TRAAAAAAAAAANYYY".

>>17998284
why not? what kind of hobbies?

>>18003835
>none of the intelligent people i know read
>>18005542
>every intelligent person reads
who do i believe, /lit/?

>>18006853
Name ten intelligent people who don't read.

>>18006856
David
Michael
James
Patrick
Jordan
Alan
Kieran
John
Carl
Samuel

>>18000061
>looked like a roman temple

Now that's what I call new money shit

>>18006882
WHERE IS SANDEEP? This is no way near inclusive enough

>>18004224
He's right though

No, because I'm not a neurotic incel who spends 90% of his time worrying what people think of him.

Wish I was young again, lul

>>17996454
>I can't tell anyone I enjoy doing this extremely common activity because it will devalue it.
I hope your parents don't know you're on 4chan past your bedtime

>>18006691
>i jerk off under a newspaper at parks and wait for milfs to walk by so I can show them.
>I swallow my toothpaste because I can't let anything go to waste.
>when I wash my hands I get the edges of my shit sleeves wet so I can enjoy the feeling of my shirt sticking to my arm afterward.
>I fart on public transit so I can see everyone's reaction
>I collected all my ex's pubic hair that she left in my bed
>i wear a diaper and pretend to be a baby when I visit my parents