For anyone who DOES like to read, get your hands on Charles Baxter's "The Importance of Being Still."
Anyway, the point at where reading became a bad thing is not one single event or timeframe, but rather the synergy of several generations of technological developments. Back in the day, one had to entertain one's self when on the road for the three day trip to market. Or in the time that it took to wind one piece of rope, work a loom, or cook your supper [which used to be a process that literally began before the sun came up]. The mind does many things during these periods of repetitive tasks, not least of all stimulate itself with a tumult of questions, singing, or self-storytelling. These things develop unpatterned responses to stimuli in the brain, reinforcing individuality and auto-didactics.
We have those things no more, as we have not the time to cram them in. Now, we MUST fill the moments of silence with the drone of the TV in the background, or update our immediate feelings on Twitter or Facebook [which is ALWAYS a bad idea...same principle as don't go to sleep angry]. We MUST do this because we CAN. We have iPods and game consoles and the internet and the TV and a five-minute car ride to get some fast food. I'm not saying those times were necessarily better, as I don't think they were. But we are missing a very important part of ourselves that is derived from such moments of boredom:
Our individuality. We are now settling for patterned responses to fill downtime voids. Put the TV on to help you go to sleep, rather than think about something until you do the same...even better, allow the commercials to infiltrate and affect your dreams. You're sad, so go tweet about it, rather than use that feeling for self-reflection. You're lonely, so go to Facebook to interact with people without the responsibility of face-to-face contact, rather than contemplate the nature of loneliness. Allow your individuality to fester, and allow it to be replaced by the left and right extremists, who tell you what your opinions should be about various subjects...but never why and always without substantial evidence. But, we also grow addicted to that ease of living, that not having to think. That is why people get so acerbic when confronted with opposing viewpoints...viewpoints opposing opinions that were never really theirs to begin with; the path of least resistance is being challenged.
And it never ends well.
Just remember that, even if you end up miserable for all time because you think too much about things, or your job makes you work to hard because you have the self-dignity to take pride in it, or because everyone else hates you; if all these things happen to you, at least it was because you contemplated it, weighed the cost to benefit ratio, and CHOSE it all the same. If suffering the plight of the intellectual for a lifetime doesn't sound appealing, then go let the marketers shove some more insane troll logic up your ass with a shit chisel, and hang on their every word.
Sorry the post is so long, but didn't think anyone would mind, seeing as the thread is about READING.
Anyway, the point at where reading became a bad thing is not one single event or timeframe, but rather the synergy of several generations of technological developments. Back in the day, one had to entertain one's self when on the road for the three day trip to market. Or in the time that it took to wind one piece of rope, work a loom, or cook your supper [which used to be a process that literally began before the sun came up]. The mind does many things during these periods of repetitive tasks, not least of all stimulate itself with a tumult of questions, singing, or self-storytelling. These things develop unpatterned responses to stimuli in the brain, reinforcing individuality and auto-didactics.
We have those things no more, as we have not the time to cram them in. Now, we MUST fill the moments of silence with the drone of the TV in the background, or update our immediate feelings on Twitter or Facebook [which is ALWAYS a bad idea...same principle as don't go to sleep angry]. We MUST do this because we CAN. We have iPods and game consoles and the internet and the TV and a five-minute car ride to get some fast food. I'm not saying those times were necessarily better, as I don't think they were. But we are missing a very important part of ourselves that is derived from such moments of boredom:
Our individuality. We are now settling for patterned responses to fill downtime voids. Put the TV on to help you go to sleep, rather than think about something until you do the same...even better, allow the commercials to infiltrate and affect your dreams. You're sad, so go tweet about it, rather than use that feeling for self-reflection. You're lonely, so go to Facebook to interact with people without the responsibility of face-to-face contact, rather than contemplate the nature of loneliness. Allow your individuality to fester, and allow it to be replaced by the left and right extremists, who tell you what your opinions should be about various subjects...but never why and always without substantial evidence. But, we also grow addicted to that ease of living, that not having to think. That is why people get so acerbic when confronted with opposing viewpoints...viewpoints opposing opinions that were never really theirs to begin with; the path of least resistance is being challenged.
This is why those students respond that way. Any time away from their distractions will not only eat away at the time available to them to go get distracted, but reading something may actually open up something in their minds...something that challenges that path of least resistance. And deep down, they know it; that's why they make such complaints as, "But I don't WANNA think right now." It's so bad nowadays that the only real individuality left to be had is through extremism within the already accepted social groupings, and how those groups are counter-culturally opposed to each other. You don't like to read because it's good for you, it's because you're a geek. Further, when you do read, the geeks will judge you based on WHAT you read, even though reading such filth as Twilight is better than tweeting about your stomach pangs. You're not a real singer, because you do/don't like country. You're not a real athlete because golf/pool/cricket/croquet isn't really a sport. It goes on and on.Necromancer1991 said:
And it never ends well.
Just remember that, even if you end up miserable for all time because you think too much about things, or your job makes you work to hard because you have the self-dignity to take pride in it, or because everyone else hates you; if all these things happen to you, at least it was because you contemplated it, weighed the cost to benefit ratio, and CHOSE it all the same. If suffering the plight of the intellectual for a lifetime doesn't sound appealing, then go let the marketers shove some more insane troll logic up your ass with a shit chisel, and hang on their every word.
Sorry the post is so long, but didn't think anyone would mind, seeing as the thread is about READING.
