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/lit/ - Literature

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11459733 No.11459733 [Reply] [Original]

Do you ever feel embarrassed about reading something in public? I have no problem with reading on the train or at a cafe etc but it's typically things that I doubt people would recognise. While I have in the past and am currently reading philosophy, I actively avoid consuming it anywhere outside of the privacy of my own home. Same goes for my weeb books.

>> No.11459834

>>11459733
no

>> No.11459861

>>11459733
No because I use a kindle.

>> No.11459879

>>11459733
Nobody gives a shit who you are, what you're doing or reading. If they look at you at all, they'll forget all about you 2 minutes later. You aren't the centre of the universe, take some time to come to terms with that and go about you days how you'd like.

>> No.11459880

>>11459733
Why would you ever care about what other people think? Other people don’t matter. In fact, Other people probably don’t exist. You might as well stop wearing clothes in public because it does not matter.

>> No.11459887

>>11459733
a classic example of jewish comedy perpetuated without the fear of repercussion

>> No.11459890

>>11459879
>If they look at you at all, they'll forget all about you 2 minutes later.
I'd say it's even less than that.

>> No.11459998

>>11459890
Not if they are deeply interested in people like I am. All I do is sit and think about the people around me on the train or whatever. I will spend the entire trip trying to figure out why you are reading that particular novel.

>> No.11460035

>>11459998
True, but you're a total weirdo, unlike most people.

>> No.11460055

To be embarrassed to read makes it sound like you live in some kind of dystopian hellscape of ignorance where trying to lift your eyes above the murk is shamed. I know Americ's bad but come on.

>> No.11460061
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11460061

>> No.11460079

>>11459733
I feel like reading philosphy in public makes you look like a poser pseud. I always read fiction in public

>> No.11460081

>>11459998
This. I wouldn't be worried about what other people think if I wasn't scanning people 24/7.

>> No.11460082

>>11460035
Fair point.

>> No.11460090

I left my Kindle at the laundromat while reading Culture of Critique. I realized a couple hours later and went back to retrieve it, the attendant there had it in Lost & Found luckily and she didn't seem like she opened it. From then on I've had a passcode on my Kindle

>> No.11460104

>>11459733
i'm always a bit embarrassed to be seen reading a book that says "now a major movie" or a picture from the film itself on the cover

>> No.11460106

The only time I felt embarrassed reading on the subway was reading the last chapter of Ulysses until I realized anyone who has any idea what it was saying probably wouldn't be inclined to judge something like that.

>> No.11460114

>>11459887
yeah, so what?

>> No.11460136
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11460136

>>11459733

literally nobody cares what you're reading, ever

>> No.11460173

When I was reading Infinite Jest I tried to hide the cover and spine whenever I was in public

What's particularly annoying is that reading is today seen as a sort of statement. In the 1960s reading a book on the train wouldn't have been a statement on those around you, it would have been a normal behavior that everybody engages in. Not so anymore.

I have been stopped by strangers and asked "What you reading for?" multiple times. This is insane to me. What am I reading for? I'm reading to read. They seem to take it as a personal insult that I'm not looking at my phone.

>> No.11460186

Not really embarrassed about it but I have a hard time focusing in public so I definitely couldn't read any Kant on the damn train. Maybe that just goes to show how much of a brainlet I am, but I practically have to go over that kind of stuff with a fine-toothed comb and take notes on top of it all or the shit is just in one ear and out the other.

>> No.11460204

>>11460173
>They seem to take it as a personal insult that I'm not looking at my phone.
That's because they literally do. The hive-mind of contemporary civilisation is genuinely threatened by anything that isn't indulging in endless electro-magnetic drivel. It's beyond fucked.

>> No.11460249

>>11460136
This
If you even consider the idea, you're failed at not being wholly subordinate to the social expectations of others.

>> No.11460364

>sitting on a bench reading
>guy and a girl walk past
>guy says "reading some shakespeare?" and they both start laughing and walk on

i dont get it, why are people mean for no reason. i wasnt even reading shakespeare

>> No.11460410

No I read at my desk at work during lunch and if I get in early and there isn't anything I can get started on.

No one's really said anything, occasionally I'll be asked what I'm reading and I'll say and they won't know what it is so the conversation drops.

I'm the only man in my team so I don't tend to go out to Lunch with the girls other than on a few occasions

>> No.11460428

>>11459733
BIRDS NEST SOUP

>> No.11460440

I finished Lolita during my train trips to uni.

>> No.11460469

>>11460364
There are cunts all over the place.

I was once in a pub with a friend chatting about some accelerationist bullshit and i noticed a dude smirking at me then peering to the girl next to him, i'm guessing sharing some comment about my appearance or something. I looked like a bum at the time. It seemed like this was a first or second date. She still had the besotted 'fuck me' sort of look in her eye when they spoke to each other and he was leaning over one knee nonchalantly with his hand on hers.

I smiled and nodded at him then they giggled between themselves again. I smiled back and carried on my conversation.

Fast forward to the end of the night. The last call bell rang so my friend and I stood up to leave. The dude was still sat there and he gave me the same smarmy smile, as did the bird he was with, so I said "Alright man, how's it going?" really familiarly, "Yeah not bad" he returned, still smiling. "How's Caitlin doing?" I replied. "Are you guys still a thing? I spoke to her the other day, she said you're planning to go to, Greece, is it? Well good luck with that and good luck with your evening and I'll catch up with you soon, I've got to scoot." I winked at him obviously. The girl looked at him with a cold and questioning sort of face. He turned white as a sheet. I turned and left, ordered another beer at the next pub, flirted with the barmaid there and ended up having sex with her in a field, beneath a tree, just outside the centre of town. Was a good evening.

Just have fun with the cunts.

>> No.11460716
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11460716

>>11460469
Of all the things that never happened...

>> No.11460837

>>11460055
This isn't all that far from the truth in places...

>> No.11460967

>>11459733
No, im too focused on reading

Just think of it this way. Lets say youre the kind of freak to stare at a person reading a book on the train and fixate on why this person you dont know is read this book. Will this affect the person reading the book? Not if theyre normal and well adjusted. They might notice a freak is staring at them, but thats about it.

The next time you have this vague worry or anxiety, just focus on the thought and break it down to what it is. Youre just being neurotic and worrying about nothing

Just contrast this with someone being obnoxious in a public space by being loud and vulgar by themselves. People might still be okay with this, but this isnt the same as reading a book in a public space. However maybe you have other reasons to feel anxious about reading in public. Maybe you really are just interested in creating a public image, and are afraid of that being caught

>> No.11460973

>>11460061
bugs.. easy on the carrots

>> No.11461043

>>11460716
Except it did.

Wasn't all fun and games. I snapped my frenulum that night. Blood everywhere. No nice.

>> No.11461211

>>11460469
this shit is pure autism

>> No.11461270

>>11461211
No man it was class

>> No.11462230

>>11460428
>>11459733
Is this actually the host of trivia hq?

>> No.11462301

>>11459879
>t. not chad

>> No.11462389

>>11460364
Chad

>> No.11462404

>>11461043
I shat on a sleeping dog once 2bh

>> No.11463296

>>11460173
>I have been stopped by strangers and asked "What you reading for?" multiple times.
what the fuck? where do you live?

>> No.11463384

>>11460364
I can't even imagine what kind of people would act like that. How is that even a joke? I get that reading doesn't appeal to everyone, but I feel like you'd have to be mentally challenged to behave like this.

>> No.11463390

>>11459733
No

>> No.11463406

>>11459733
No but I would probably not bring a book with me anywhere i wasn't trapped or trying to enjoy only the sonority and aromas of. If i meander long enough for a book to become viable for reading then I am probably enjoying company with friends or the visual stimulation and gestalt of the restaurant/park. Its rare that I want to lock myself into a visual-tactile struggle with the gutenberg demon when i'm out and about. Sorry.

>> No.11463425

>>11459733
i feel embarassed about reading karl ove knausgaard in public because people will assume i'm a nazi when the book's title is "my struggle"

>> No.11463437
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11463437

I have no idea how people can really read properly out in public. It's too noisy and distracting. I guess I just personally need to be comfy when reading.

>> No.11463441
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11463441

>Get embarrassed about reading in public, or letting family or friends know what book i'm reading.
>Friend asks me what i'm listening to at the gym yesterday, tell him i'm listening to Joe Rogan podcasts when i'm listening to Elton John on repeat.
>Refuse to watch TV shows or movies on TV in living room because too embarrassed to let others see what i'm watching or cringe at the movies I like.
>Can't use laptop or phone for anything other than lecture slides in lectures even if i'm incredibly bored because I hate the thought of people behind me watching what i'm looking at.

>> No.11463451
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11463451

>>11459879
This is the based redpill I needed. Thanks based anon, I feel much more confident about myself now.

>> No.11463650

>>11462404
This post deserves more attention.

>> No.11464045

>>11459879
When I think about it rationally I come to the same conclusion. Why would they care about me? However, I still can't shake the feeling that everyone is looking at me, quietly judging me. Any time I hear a group laughing near me I always assume that I am the subjuct of whatever joke they were so amused by. The absolute worst thing is walking past people on the street. Whenever I see someone coming towards me in the distance I become nervous. I start to think about crossing the street to avoid that person but then I realize they would think that was even more weird. Then when I get close enough to where I can actually see their eyes if I dared to look, what ensues is an onslaught of pure autism. My eyes start to dart around in a way that I can only describe as a patient at the dentist desperatly trying to keep his tongue away from the drill, but for some reason he had lost complete control over it, and the more he struggles the more uncomfortable he becomes. My first instinct is to position my head so that I am looking straight forward, to give the appearance that I am simply looking at where I am going instead of focusing on them, the person crossing paths with me. I may also move my head around to look at things around me, but my best method of avoiding all interaction or awkward lack thereof that I have come up with so far, is to simply turn around completely right as the person is about to make eye contact with me and pretend that I have dropped something. This is an art in itself since putting on a performance that is all too convincing may lead the person to ask me what I dropped or even stop walking completely and try to help me out. Luckily no one has actually been so "kind" to me, since me muttering under my breath, shifting my eyes around like a maniac, and putting on a psychopathic smile that I have spent countless hours in front of my bathroom mirror trying to perfect, have all probably frightened or creeped out the person enough to compel them not to stop.

If the person is ugly or old the effects are mitigated but are still not completely eliminated. Any tips on how to get rid of this? Am I just fucked?

>> No.11464139

>>11464045
lol

>> No.11464153

>>11459879
i still remember this filipino qt i saw reading on the train and i was checking her out but then i saw it was one of those feminist comedy books by someone who probably has a tv series or talkshow or something, and also this hipstery white girl reading a huuuuge ass book that i was craning my neck to see and then it was a stephen king novel, so yes i still remember cringe readers, but i also remember this badass black chick with an afro reading stokely carmichaels books with a ton of sticky notes between every other page, i wanted to talk to her about it but i have autism

>> No.11464321

>>11459733
no. ive got better things to worry about than what ignorant conclusions strangers might come to after seeing what im reading.