*depressed sigh*
Jan. 2nd, 2005 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
I really feel bad. And this is embarassing, because I'm going to sound arrogant.
How on earth can people feel proud of only reading a book a week, or less, even? I can read a book just going to class, and another coming home. It's a sad week when I don't manage to read even one book. High school, I would take out six books from the library at once, return all six within two days. That's not counting the books they gave me, and the ones I read while in the library during lunch. Is it normal to read so little? Is it that people read slowly, or that they have other things to do? I don't get it.
I feel weird now. Like the freak here.
Well, I did tell you not to click. Don't blame me.
How on earth can people feel proud of only reading a book a week, or less, even? I can read a book just going to class, and another coming home. It's a sad week when I don't manage to read even one book. High school, I would take out six books from the library at once, return all six within two days. That's not counting the books they gave me, and the ones I read while in the library during lunch. Is it normal to read so little? Is it that people read slowly, or that they have other things to do? I don't get it.
I feel weird now. Like the freak here.
Well, I did tell you not to click. Don't blame me.
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Re: You know, something about the crack "normal people" puts my back up....
Date: 2005-01-03 05:15 pm (UTC)Ditto for saying that reading is relaxing. It might be for *you.* That doesn't mean it is for someone else.
What I hate in this thread is the intellectual elitism I'm seeing. Just because someone reads tons doesn't make them one iota better than someone who doesn't. Different people have different skills, for different purposes. Reading is just one of many.
Re: You know, something about the crack "normal people" puts my back up....
Date: 2005-01-03 05:27 pm (UTC)Actually, most are "I can't do that" or "I used to be able to do that, but can't anymore".
Ditto for saying that reading is relaxing. It might be for *you.* That doesn't mean it is for someone else.
If it's not relaxing for you, don't read. End of problem. That's something I don't understand - why try to read more than usual if you don't enjoy reading?
What I hate in this thread is the intellectual elitism I'm seeing. Just because someone reads tons doesn't make them one iota better than someone who doesn't.
Nobody said "I'm better than you". I did express my confusion over being proud of not reading (to me) much, but I didn't say that makes me better than you. I just said I don't understand it. To me, one book a week is nothing. To me, being proud of reading is like being proud of... I don't know, of playing a certain sport. Unless you're very good at it, it's just something you do, nothing to be proud or ashamed of.
Re: You know, something about the crack "normal people" puts my back up....
Date: 2005-01-04 06:16 am (UTC)Because there is a hegemony that people *should* read, and read well, and reads lots. Which leads to shame if you feel like you're not reading 'enough'
Re: You know, something about the crack "normal people" puts my back up....
Date: 2005-01-03 05:37 pm (UTC)Elitism? I hear that all the time--every single time that I expect someone to try before giving up, as a matter of fact. Every time I express my belief that many people would find themselves capable of much, much more, if they would only put actual effort into learning or practicing a new skill.
I'm not talking specifically about you, or about reading, but the above has been played out with people I knew personally. People that I did know well enough to say "I know you're capable of this!"
I'm not being insulting. Patting these people on the head and saying "That's all right, honey, don't worry your pretty little head about it, I'll do it for you" would be insulting.
So you don't read fast. And reading doesn't relax you. I still opine that practice is the key to any skill.
And oh yes, define "normal".
Re: You know, something about the crack "normal people" puts my back up....
Date: 2005-01-04 06:24 am (UTC)And I opine that you should go out and join a couple of amateur theatre groups - starting learning scripts, be at tech runs to the small hours of the morning, do 14 hours physical days, work evenings and weekends on top of your paying job and come home bruised and sore, get up on stage and perform night after night as if this is the best performance you'll ever give. Doesn't sound easy to you? Not fun? Relaxing? Because to me, it's not so hard, it's definitely fun, and it's relaxing in its own way.
Doesn't mean it has to be for you.