/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.6693787]

Can we at least agree that reading serves no purpose in this world?
Sure, it's fine to be well-read. Maybe you get 'richer', but honestly you don't.
Say you loved studying languages, you'd actually get somewhere in life. You would meet more people. You would get opportunities.

But reading novels or books on philosophy and history.. It really only tingles one person's mind and stays there tingling: yours.
It doesn't help you at all.
I wasted my years being impassionate about this, spending a huge chunk of my time and money on this. I was happy. But in the end I can't even mention nything I've learned up in conversation. It's a bonus point worth nothing.

[Anonymous No.6693808]

>>6693787
>Trying to impress people in conversation.
Pretentious バカ!

[Anonymous No.6693815]

>Can we at least agree that reading serves no purpose in this world?
no, anon

>spending a huge chunk of my time and money on this.
you can read without spending money, anon

>in the end I can't even mention nything I've learned up in conversation
then you haven't learned anything, anon

>It really only tingles one person's mind
>and stays there tingling
>tingle

[Anonymous No.6693834]

>>6693815

What was I supposed to learn, elder patrician?
Where are all these folks interested in talking about Catcher in the Rye, or Hegelian dialectics?
Seriously, fuck off.
You, at best, mention such things this in passing when talking about mundane shit with most of your friends.

I'm not saying it is useless, or that people "are so dumb and I'm so smart and a nice guy, why won't anyone be my friend waaahh", but be honest with your fucking self and admit that all of this is leisure and adds nothing to life.

[Anonymous No.6693849]

reading fiction is pretty worthless unless you're planning on becoming a writer.

>>6693815
>you can read without spending money, anon
opportunity cost

[Anonymous No.6693869]

>>6693849
Get out Tai Lopez

[Anonymous No.6693910]

>>6693834
k

[Anonymous No.6693929]

>>6693849

What if I read it because I enjoy it?

[Anonymous No.6693933]

>>6693787
>buy a book to read
>read first chapter
>can't be arsed and go read a Wikipedia summary
>never actually read the book
meh

[Anonymous No.6693939]

>>6693787

The knowledge that people acquire through reading often times becomes paramount to their success in life, in a wide variety of ways. Historians accrue pertinent historical data through reading; people in politics too. This is just an example, but the point is clear anon: knowledge is power.

[Anonymous No.6693946]

>>6693787
And how is everything else supposed to help people? And more specifically, help them to do what, exactly? Purpose is defined subjectively; some people just want to read, discuss, maybe write, and read some more. Other people want to bag groceries, conduct trains, perform military intelligence. The purpose is self-sustaining. Do what you need to do so you can do what you want to do. Reading isn't intrinsically more or less constructive than anything else. Maybe I'm wrong, though you can only tell me after reading this.

[Anonymous No.6693949]

>>6693939

There's the tree of life.
And there's the tree of knowledge.

[Anonymous No.6693952]

>>6693834
>What was I supposed to learn, elder patrician?
at the very least, whatever you read, anon

>Where are all these folks interested in talking about Catcher in the Rye, or Hegelian dialectics?
on this board, anon

>You, at best, mention such things this in passing when talking about mundane shit with most of your friends.
are you basing the value of reading off not having anyone to discuss it with, anon?

>I'm not saying it is useless
are you sure that's not what you're saying, anon?

>be honest with your fucking self and admit that all of this is leisure and adds nothing to life.
are you suggesting leisure adds nothing to life, wage-slave?

[Anonymous No.6693953]

>>6693787
Reading is like anything, it's a hobby for most people and a good way to pass the time. I read because I have ambitions as a writer and stem these interests with the enjoyment I have of reading and what I would like to in the future. Books with meaning, like philosophy and history, are different but not so in the sense of the reason of reading fiction; it does what it is supposed to and informs you and it just so happens that people enjoy it as would somebody would enjoy fiction without the same qualities of fiction obviously. If you are enjoying something in your life then you are not wasting your life; you're simply filling it with what we're supposed to do with it.

[Anonymous No.6693960]

>>6693787
You could even further people's thoughts and ideas and become an artist of sorts?

[Anonymous No.6693974]

The smartest, most successful people I know, all read constantly. That's enough for me

[Anonymous No.6693977]

>>6693787
>when OP is so cucked by capitalism that he actually makes the argument that something is enjoyable but that is not enough because it is not profitable.

[Anonymous No.6693980]

Reading is to learn the art of being interesting bub, you don't think that's useful?

[Anonymous No.6693981]

>>6693974
yes!

[Anonymous No.6694010]

>>6693977

Oh shut up with your Marxism.
This isn't about profit. It's about actual life.
Tell me how much you benefited reading philosophy?
A repose, that's what that was.

>>6693974

Yes. They also tend to eat their broccoli too?
Stop deluding yourself.
Reading is fun, that's why I do it, but the fullness of life isn't available with it or through it.

[Anonymous No.6694026]

>>6694010
let's head back to the beach, chad! these boring book guys are cramping our style!

[Anonymous No.6694029]

>>6693787
>But in the end I can't even mention nything I've learned up in conversation

It sounds like you hang out with morons.

[The cats No.6694032]

>>6694010
>but the fullness of life isn't available with it or through it.

This is true of anything. It's your fault you are an anti-social autist, not books'.

[Anonymous No.6694038]

>>6693787

Personally, reading definitely has helped me become slightly more articulate as well as having greater patience and general problem solving skills. Those have certainly helped me in my professional life. You should probably stop projecting your own failures and shortcomings on everything else but yourself.

[Anonymous No.6694039]

>>6693787
>>6693834
>>6694010
For.
You.

[Anonymous No.6694040]

>>6694029

This is always /lit/'s first and last: "I have tons of smart firends."
Please, let me meet those great minds you happen to meet daily.
I'm always the most informed of the gang and I'm not even the brightest bulb around. I just know bits and pieces.

[Anonymous No.6694048]

>>6694032

>autism

Meme-ing ebinly tonight.

[Anonymous No.6694049]

>>6694010
How much i benefited from reading philosophy?

I own life itself to philosophy. Before i had read philosophy i spent some kind of time in a grey meaningless existence that was certainly not life at all.

You don't have to be a marxist to not be cucked by capitalism.
not sure what you actually spent your time reading.

[Anonymous No.6694059]

>>6694040
You just have to naturally gravitate towards them. If you're actually able to hold a conversation about more high level things, smarter people will want to talk to you. That being said, don't be afraid to mention a thing or two from time to time, just don't overdo it, and follow social cues.

[Anonymous No.6694095]

>>6693949
And then there's the tree of platitudinous bullshit.

[Anonymous No.6694156]

>>6693787
>Enjoyment is worthless

Back to 1950's Russia you CYKA

[Anonymous No.6694988]

>Maslow's hierarchy of needs stops after the first tier