Why isn't reading "cool"?

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by GoSharks

Though with a few well placed mis-reads his works can take on a whole new meaning....sometimes highschool was fun!!!!

So true. One of my high school English teachers assigned the memorization of very long passages of Shakespeare. I especially recall the "To be or not to be..." assignment, because we all had problems with it so the majority of the class ended up ad libbing at some point in the recitation. Some of the results were extremely amusing.

As for reading not being cool, I just don't see it. I'm cool, and I read a lot. Always have. So using very basic (and somewhat false) logic, I can only conclude that reading isn't the problem.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

What is cool? Cool is all about external attraction, external apperances.

Reading is about internal attraction, the internal mindscape.

They are opposed...

Thanks. I've started three posts trying to express this idea and getting muddled each time. You've stated it simply and succinctly.

[GoSharks]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

So true. One of my high school English teachers assigned the memorization of very long passages of Shakespeare. I especially recall the "To be or not to be..." assignment, because we all had problems with it so the majority of the class ended up ad libbing at some point in the recitation. Some of the results were extremely amusing.

As for reading not being cool, I just don't see it. I'm cool, and I read a lot. Always have. So using very basic (and somewhat false) logic, I can only conclude that reading isn't the problem.

LB --- Not that you would know anything about typos..... (I know, I know, what happens in the IAYGA club, stays In the IAYGA club )

By the way, no false logic there... if a=b and b=c, then a=c. This is an established mathematical tenet!!!!

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by GoSharks

LB --- Not that you would know anything about typos..... (I know, I know, what happens in the IAYGA club, stays In the IAYGA club )

By the way, no false logic there... if a=b and b=c, then a=c. This is an established mathematical tenet!!!!

Oooh, the typo that wouldn't die!!

The logic can be considered false because A (my coolness) can be argued by some to be nonexistent. They would therefore argue that the premise is flawed. Then there's the fact that it conflicts with cat logic. (Cats are cool but they don't read. Although this is flawed in the opposite direction - the coolness of cats is well established but we're not 100% certain that they don't read. It's possible that they read by osmosis, which is why they tend to plant themselves on top of books and ereaders. We just don't know and they are too cool to lower themselves to explaining it to mere humans.)

I prefer puppy logic: Those who feed me are cool.

One way we could settle it would be to conduct a poll regarding my coolness, but the very act of posting a poll regarding my own coolness would be decidedly uncool...

WAIT!! I've got it!! Okay, y'all remember that article some time back about people lying about what they've read and how much they read? There was a thread about it here. Well, that must mean that reading is cool. After all, it falls into "It was on the Interwebz so it must be true!" and we KNOW that's solid.

So (A+B-Cats)*(Puppies/Interwebz)+(logic-common sense)/my Karma =
Reading is cool and Math is fun!!

[Hellmark]

I really don't get why this is such a discussion. People in general now (and really, if you want, at any point in time) aren't overly intellectual, and tend to choose the path of least resistance. Now, it used to be for entertainment, there were fewer options and reading was often the easiest option. As technology has improved, easier forms of personal entertainment have come forth. Average person would rather watch TV than read.

[sufue]

Originally Posted by teh603

Changed your boldface to show where another problem is. Its not necessarily that they're forced to read it, but they're also being forced to vivisect their reading in the most graphic way possible, in ways the author probably never intended their work to be taken.

Your comment reminds me of a sci-fi short story I read (voluntarily!) many many many years ago where some famous author (Shakespeare?) is brought to modern times, and takes a class in his own works, and fails...

I'm sure someone else will remember the story better...

[sufue]

Originally Posted by tamborine

I was "forced" to read The Hobbit in 9th grade, and I loved it while I was reading it! After I read it, I immediately went on and read the Trilogy for fun. And I liked A Tale of Two Cities and The Scarlet Letter when we had to read them. I kind of appreciated being assigned books I probably never would've chosen on my own.

You're a lot better person than I...more power to you!

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by sufue

Your comment reminds me of a sci-fi short story I read (voluntarily!) many many many years ago where some famous author (Shakespeare?) is brought to modern times, and takes a class in his own works, and fails...

I'm sure someone else will remember the story better...

I forget the title (Author, Author?) but it was by Isaac Asimov.

[sufue]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

I forget the title (Author, Author?) but it was by Isaac Asimov.

I knew someone would remember it !!!!

Now I'll have to go find it and read it again, assuming it's not $19.99 in e-book

[rogue_librarian]

The story is The Immortal Bard.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by sufue

I knew someone would remember it !!!!

Now I'll have to go find it and read it again, assuming it's not $19.99 in e-book

The Immortal Bard by Isaac Asimov

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by teh603

Changed your boldface to show where another problem is. Its not necessarily that they're forced to read it, but they're also being forced to vivisect their reading in the most graphic way possible, in ways the author probably never intended their work to be taken.

Its also why I haven't picked up a book of poetry since the end of high school, and actively avoid poetry elsewhere. Once you've been conditioned to vivisecting poems to "properly appreciate them," you don't want to see another poem again.

I agree with this. It can sometimes get to the stage where one feels that if he isn't 'appreciating' the prose like he was taught to in school, he isn't doing the activity of reading right, and so there's no point to it. Reading can be fun, and it can provoke analytical thought. But when teachers claim reading is fun, but then go on to emphasize the analytical aspect so much as to completely overpower the fun aspect, it has the opposite effect to what was originally intended.

[ebusinesstutor]

Originally Posted by sufue

Your comment reminds me of a sci-fi short story I read (voluntarily!) many many many years ago where some famous author (Shakespeare?) is brought to modern times, and takes a class in his own works, and fails...

I'm sure someone else will remember the story better...

I remember it as well. It was a funny story. And it might happen if Shakespeare was brought to the future. He wrote his plays to entertain and to make money and the overwhelming effort that is put into analysing every line looking for hidden meanings would probably not make a lot of sense to him.

After all, for that much effort, people could be writing their own stories.

[speakingtohe]

Many people of my acquaintance do not read fiction because "it is not real".

Most can and do read newspapers, web pages, TVguides, Tabloids, Entertainment magazines, Penthouse or Cosmopolitan magazines. (I know much of this is fiction of a type but they can see pictures and relate in this way)

They watch TV which is not for the most part real, but one can see the characters so therefore it is real.

I also know people who will read an autobiography or historical work which may seem dry as dust to me, but are completely bored by fiction.

I have also been approached by people who ask me how can you read that and they actually want to know. In at least two instances I was able to overcome the fight or flight reaction and help them find something that they thought they might want to try.

The perceived lack of 'coolness' might come from the fact that reading a book is generally a solitary activity from which others are excluded.

This is often reinforced by the readers themselves. Just try asking a stranger what they are reading

Helen

[cHex]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

The logic can be considered false because A (my coolness) can be argued by some to be nonexistent. They would therefore argue that the premise is flawed.

I think you are confusing logic (which analyzes the relationships between claims) with critical thinking. Consider: "I like to read books. A computer mouse is a book. Therefore, I like to read computer mice." Thinking critically, we can identify a flaw in the second claim (computer mice are not, in fact, books); however, the logic per se is flawless.