The 'Spark' of Knowledge

[Anonymous No.7069320]

What happened to reading?

At my universities library I walked through today and found ONE person actually reading a book (of about 100 or so), then two others reading a textbook. everybody else was on their laptops.
Walking back into the buses/living quarter area, everybody was walking with friends or on their smartphones
Come to think of it, I never see anybody reading. Not in the cafeteria either, everybody is sitting and socializing.
If people do read for pleasure, they don't do it in public. When they go on the internet they aren't looking for news. They are on reddit or facebook or other social media like 4chan. Outside of their classes everybody is completely detached from the world or intelligent thought (and even classes don't require enough of that - I mean come on, its just having the wherewithal to study for your exams and quizzes).
Nobody seems really interested in actually sharpening their critical or creative abilities outside of class at university - otherwise there'd be more people browsing through the books that are there, right? There must be people who do look up the academic journals that are online but judging by the friends I've made in my various classes they definitely aren't. All they care about is posturing and they can do this their entire careers. Really, it is completely possible. Just studying to the exam, kissing up to the right people.

So I guess what I'm getting at is where is that spark for knowledge? Questioning what is going on around you, why you are even going to university other than money later in life, just seems like people don't ask these questions. I know books aren't the only way to do this, but I mean I have a lot of trouble imagining that people are secretly pursuing knowledge and understanding and trying to become the best
even though they *say* they want to be the best, they really aren't working for it.

OK so I did read 80% of fahrenheit 451 today, but I think it really did open my eyes to how we function.

[Anonymous No.7069327]

>>7069320
You are such a special snowflake, op.

[Anonymous No.7069331]

>>7069327
thanks!
remember to get your lol on at /r/lewronggeneration

[Anonymous No.7069340]

>>7069320
I really don't like people like you who think they're superior because they don't stare at their mobile phone screen 24/7

The reason you aren't staring at your screen like everyone else is because you have no friends. Not because of some conscious protest. If you received a message and didn't check it, only then are you better than those people.

[Anonymous No.7069352]

>>7069320
A lot of resources are online and people write papers on their computers. I really only use books in the library when I have to for a research paper because I can get the answers to most questions either from the professor, another student, or online.

>why are you going to university other than money later in life
That's not a terrible reason to go, tbh. It's how we get the most determined physicians and attorneys. Most slots at universities are for educating workers, not academics. Believe it or not, there are still more people getting PhDs than there are jobs that require them, and even more people who apply to PhD programs and don't get in, so I wouldn't say we're running short on autistic "learning enthusiasts."

[Anonymous No.7069386]

>>7069340
Having no friends makes you better than those people though, you pathetic normie.

[Anonymous No.7069397]

>>7069340
you're right, but I've been trying to re-evaluate what I'm doing and thinking
I think I'm actually justified in feeling superior to them, like that's a valid conclusion in my mind based on what I've read from the past and the way that people order their lives
that most of it is hedonism and I want to live my life to higher standards

I know I'm blogposting but I don't really have anyone else to discuss this with. when I do interact with others though it's in professional settings or I definitely don't look down on them.. I'm trying to say I'm not a smug, self-superior faggot
or maybe I'm trying to convince myself of that.

[Anonymous No.7069420]

>>7069397
Using hedonism as an insult is a form of hedonism