I read to escape. I worry too much and reading relieves me of that worry, for a while. Being a chronic insomniac doesn't help. Delving into another universe just carries me away.
Great discussion. I believe JSWolf is trying to a find a way in MobileRead for a serious, or at the least, non-silly discussion and this is a perfect example of how to do it.
Set the scene, set the tone, pose the question.
WDE.