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/lit/ - Literature

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3577160 No.3577160[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/9878/20120514/book-reading-experience-taking-psychology-character-fiction.htm

>Psychologists have discovered that while reading a book or story, people are prone to subconsciously adopt their behavior, thoughts, beliefs and internal responses to that of fictional characters as if they were their own.

>Experts have dubbed this subconscious phenomenon ‘experience-taking,’ where people actually change their own behaviors and thoughts to match those of a fictional character that they can identify with.

What have you been reading lately?

>> No.3577164
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3577164

>>3577160

Tito. Awesome biography by Jasper Ridley. AM I supposed to feel like storming the Balkans with my troops?

>> No.3577166

So all the Bernhard I've been reading lately is why I've been feeling so depressed and neurotic?

>> No.3577169

Whenever an author describes facial expressions I usually do them as I'm reading.

I only read Tolstoy, btw.

>> No.3577177

>tfw read nothing but Hemingway

>> No.3577189

This doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it's nice to see there's research done on it.

I've been reading a lot of Murakami. My girlfriend left, I've been really lonely, and I've started becoming obsessed with wells. Coincidence?

>> No.3577191

>>3577164
yes

>> No.3577193

Reading the Iliad now and I really hope I don't get some urge to throw a spear on some random guy's belly and rip his bladder off.

>> No.3577194

dubious study

>> No.3577209

Apparently no one believed John Dewey the first time back in the 60s...He wrote an entire fucking book on this.

>> No.3577210

HOLY SHIT
I've wondered if anyone else has this for years. A couple years ago, I got really ill with the flu and ended up lying in bed watching Curb Your Enthusiasm non stop- for about a month afterwards I was really argumentative and got into loads of situtations like those in the show. Same thing happens with a lot of things too.

>> No.3577224

I'm reading The Stranger again.

I'm yet to kill any Arabs, though I have said some stupid shit to my girlfriend, and I do feel pretty detached. But I don't know, that's pretty standard fair really.

>> No.3577229

>>3577210
I think you might just be an abrasive person, and you only noticed it after watching some TV show.

>> No.3577269

If I like the book and the protagonist, yeah, definitely. When I was reading The Sun Also Rises I had a massive urge to start drinking again although I hadn't felt like drinking for about a year prior to that. The urge kind of faded after I finished the book. A week ago when I was reading Norwegian Wood I got the desire to drink again. This time it was unbearable though because >tfw no qt gf

>> No.3577267

>>3577229
Nope, usually very quiet to be honest. I never get into arguments.

>> No.3577271

>>3577269
I'm reading the Sun Also Rises now, like, two chapters in.

>> No.3577270

>meditations
neat

>> No.3577277

>Experts have dubbed this subconscious phenomenon ‘experience-taking,’ where people actually change their own behaviors and thoughts to match those of a fictional character that they can identify with.
Or?
Characters are inserting their own thoughts and behaviors into the mind of the reader.

>> No.3577301

Currently reading Infinite Jest

Unfortunately almost every character in the book is fucking insane.

>> No.3577304

>>3577271
Enjoy!

>> No.3577307

>>3577301
J-just like me, hehe.

>> No.3577348

>>3577160
Naked Lunch right now, not sure if its changin me in any way.
Finished On The Road, I felt like I was trying to become Dean Moriarty the whole way.

>> No.3577373

Plato lately.

but after reading Cormac McCarthy's all the pretty horses, i roll my own cigarretes. And i drink coffe without sugar like some Buendia on One hundred years of solitude.

>> No.3577480

>>3577160
Reading American Psycho didn't make me want to murder others, but it did make me want to have an egg shell white business card.

>> No.3577483

>>3577177

Hemingway could have felt that feel in three words, son. Read a little more!

>> No.3577512

>>3577348
>I felt like I was trying to become Dean Moriarty the whole way.
Same thing happened to me, but I'm still a boring person :(

>> No.3577523

>>3577348
I started hitchhiking after I finished it. Then I took the bus home.

>> No.3577524

Ask the Dust. And I suppose I have indeed been acting a bit like Arturo Bandini as of late.

>> No.3577527

When I read Hunter S Thompson books I begin thinking in rambling. it's relevant to me

>> No.3577528

>>3577160
Isnt this called self-inserting...

>> No.3577533

>>3577512
Yeah he's been a big inspiration for me as well.

>> No.3577535

I did this with after I finished Tao Lin's Richard Yates, even with my own girlfriend. I generally felt detached and petty, and took on the "you don't really care about me, but sometimes it's okay because I'm better than you and sometimes its not okay because I'm inconsistent."

It was really unhealthy. I also started eating health foods more haha.

>> No.3577539

A study like this was done a short while ago, but instead of books they used TV shows, wherein groups of people were shown good and shit TV Jersey shore and history documentaries etc. and were then asked general knowledge questions.
Apparently after watching JC etc. people responded worse to the questions than when they watched something informative.

>> No.3577544

Beginning of All the Pretty Horses depressed the shit out of me, Bukowski makes me feel better about myself, and Naked Lunch makes me feel like a disgusting maggot swimming in a pool of heroin. I can buy it.

>> No.3577565

ITT: social science claptrap

>> No.3577568

>>3577348
>>3577533
>>3577512
Seriously? When I read On the Road I just thought Dean seemed like a total cunt.

>> No.3577570

Raskolnikov.

>> No.3577572

I've noticed this a lot after watching a film. I always feel like a badass after watching westerns and stuff.

>> No.3577582

>>3577160
Why is this bad?

>> No.3577631

I wonder if 4chan does this too? Lately I've been browsing for a couple hours a day and been a lot more argumentative, rude, and cynical.

>tfw 4chan is why we have no gf

>> No.3577638

>>3577160
I do this in such a blatant way that I'm aware enough to steer my behaviour in a certain directed by reading a few pages of an old favourite.

>> No.3577646
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3577646

The Knack of My Sharona; and the Rituals of the Old and New Testament:

You always had the knack of inserting yourself into any story. It didn't matter whether it was as the antagonist, the protagonist or some sort of minor character.

Never going to give it up: You were and are, all of them when you do and continue to adopt their mannerisms, the method of their actions and reactions of temperament and other things.

That's why, when your padre brings up the most popular prophet - you pretend he's worshiping himself and in turn, he's worshiping you and his 'spirit.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ded4MZVVAhE

>> No.3577654

>>3577568
Same. I realized I acted like him and made an effort to correct that.

>> No.3577665

When I read Dr. Faustus, I had a bunch of strange urges to go on hedonistic binges and to sell my soul lol

>> No.3577676
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3577676

Is this not the same for films?

>mfw I am Travis Bickle

>> No.3577684

>that one guy who started reading Nietzsche and who constantly reminded you that he was an ubermensch

Now I understand

>> No.3577718

>>3577160
Last Exit To Brooklyn. Strangely enough I've taken on a new york accent and started shooting heroin. I guess they're right.

>> No.3577730
File: 21 KB, 250x333, travis-bickle-taxi-driver-250x333.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3577730

>>3577676
no. *I'm* Travis Bickle.

>> No.3577770

>>3577676
we all are friend, we all are.

>> No.3577788

Kafka and Camus

>> No.3577816

Well, if you really wanna hear about it, all I've been reading the last few days is JD Salinger and I think the psychologists that wrote that are a bunch of goddamn pho--

OH GOD

>> No.3577903
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3577903

After reading I did feel for a short time, braver and more willing to get shit done

>> No.3577961
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3577961

Is this why I mimic facial expressions whenever the text mentions them?

>> No.3577969

uh-duhhhh

>> No.3578101

just finished The Sound and the Fury
now reading Heart of Darkness

the sad thing is that i've become snappier and more depressive recently. Guess it's the leftovers from Jason commingling with Marlow's darkness imagery.

>> No.3578112

This is why I warn people of what they're watching on tv.
Subtle mental influences.
Its like low level brainwashing/mental persuasion, but it only works on the weak minded, which is like 90 percent of the damn country.

>> No.3578132

I have experienced this while reading Transmetropolitan I found myself affecting the demeanor of Spider Jerusalem and it kinda freaked me out as well as having negative impact on my relationships with people.

>> No.3578141

Is this really fucking news?

>> No.3578149

Reading Dune.

Made coffee with a bit of almond milk and cinnomon and then added 10mg of benzos. Talk back to my mother.

>> No.3578153

I once read half of Atlas Shrugged and though I was better than everyone else

>> No.3578154

I find I do this a lot.

Tend to start mimicking the language of whatever book I've read or show I've watched. Similarly, start to walk or think like the characters quite a bit.

>> No.3578161

>>3578154
When I first read Shakespeare in high school I had an intense urge to speak as his characters did.

>> No.3578250

Interesting to see some research into this. I definitely find myself emulating speech patterns of people on podcasts I listen to. I think the part about it only working with people you can identify with being the most important bit, though. I don't think that this is necessarily personality forming, more reinforcing or slightly altering.

I think this is actually pretty good news, and for the next few months I'm going to attempt to only read/listen to positive/upbeat things, will see if it makes a difference. I have a lot of spare time so will be able to properly get into it.

>> No.3578343

Currently half way through Lolita
Whelp

>> No.3578354

The Road
Well shit, no wonder I'm down.

>> No.3578501

>>3578343
Hah me too. Guess we will start describing nymphets using beautiful prose with some French sayings thrown in there for good measure.

>> No.3578509

Stoner.

Well no fucking wonder I've been a depressed mess

>> No.3578512

If this is true, why are neckbeards neckbeards?

>> No.3578513

>>3578250
>Emulating speech patterns of people on podcasts I listen to

Holy shit I thought I was the only one

I listen to Podtoid and I've picked up doing a tounge-click and saying "um" every three words.

>> No.3578525
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3578525

We're always searching for something that relates to ourselves.

I was reading book of the New Sun earlier, the part where Severian and Thecla are acquainted. My gut started getting all tense from what was happened and all that happens after, the idea of going senseless for something (say a woman) and abandoning principles has always frightened me, out of fear of the potential consequences. And that aided in my introspection.

>tfw fiction

>> No.3578522

>human behavior is culturally adaptive

No shit, sherlock.

>> No.3578521
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3578521

i just checked out inherent vice again and 2 newreleases/gf reading IDON'TNEEDYOUANYMORE by arthur miller
›mfw i'm a bfaperformance who loves thornton wilder
told her yesterdat:babe! he banged marilyn monroe awhiles
mmhmmm? mmm. oooouuuuuhhh. yeuh....I remember that!

>> No.3578587

>>3578525
Fiction contains human truths. It lets us temporarily step back from normal being and opens a temporary and often incomplete, but nevertheless meaningful look into our souls.

>> No.3578590

>>3578587
*window instead of look

>> No.3578592

Could this also be why I feel like my mind is scrambled when I go back and forth between articles and op-eds from different authors?

>> No.3578602

>>3577483
Reading Hemingway lately.

>> No.3579378

bump

>> No.3579398

Rereading Siddhartha and can definitely say I feel more sage and contemplative while reading it. Although I can't tell if it's because I'm taking on the character of Siddhartha, or the attitudes of the book as a whole (although they're pretty much the same)

>> No.3579402

The Idiot

Oh god

>> No.3580895

>>3578154 I walked around like Silvio from The Sopranos for a week

>> No.3580913
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3580913

>>3577160
Seriously? I've recently watched Taxi Driver every day for something like a couple months straight. Somehow, though, my friends have been saying I've been more social, outgoing and confident than before.

Though I have bought and dry fired a gun at myself in a mirror since then, so there is that.