Listening is the new reading

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I am the exact same way.



I agree with this also. It's legitimate as is reading an ebook or using speed reading software or perhaps reading books in braille. It's just personally not for me, for the above reasons.

I feel if you don't have any handicaps however, it's a bit lazy. Like being read to as a child. I personally don't retain that much information aurally so I have trouble relating to those who apparently can.



That's a very good point and one I had not considered. I will have to give it some thought.



Really, you didn't learn how to read until you graduated primary school? I learned how to read before I entered it. If you are referring to "decoding" as reading, I agree, it's not high effort at all. That's why I referred to listening to words as low effort. See the logic?

I'm sorry you were apparently offended by my honestly but that is your right an your choice. It wasn't directed at you personally.

No, I am not seeing your logic.
And although I am not the poster that commented about primary school, I would guess she was referring to your snide comment about listening to books is lazy. (Better known as your attitude and maybe you will outgrow it. )

Unless you want to be called out on it don't ever call someone else's behavior lazy.
Just a little tip there.


Actually for me it would take way more effort to listen than to look at a book.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I think I can admit to this. I would tend to look down on someone listening to a book rather than reading it. It seems lazy and low effort to me.

Oh and you might want to look up because I would bet money someone looks down on something you do.

[barryem]

Personally I think listening to audiobooks is just fine and not the least bit lazy. I do a bit of it although I read most of the time. Lately I've been thinking of getting back into listening more although so far I haven't. I have bought a couple of audiobooks in the past few weeks.

For someone to think that listening is lazy is, in my rarely humble opinion, a perfectly valid idea. I don't agree with it but I understand it and I don't object to someone thinking that.

If we're going to have an intelligent discussion about this stuff I think we have to be open to ideas we don't agree with. I don't think "lazy" is quite name calling.

By the way, I've been retired for a couple of decades and I think "lazy" has a nice ring to it. I love being lazy. I love those weeks when there's simply nothing to do. Remember that "work" is a four letter word. Sort of like other evil words: for example "okra". I better stop now before I get sick.

Barry

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by barryem

Personally I think listening to audiobooks is just fine and not the least bit lazy. I do a bit of it although I read most of the time. Lately I've been thinking of getting back into listening more although so far I haven't. I have bought a couple of audiobooks in the past few weeks.

For someone to think that listening is lazy is, in my rarely humble opinion, a perfectly valid idea. I don't agree with it but I understand it and I don't object to someone thinking that.

If we're going to have an intelligent discussion about this stuff I think we have to be open to ideas we don't agree with. I don't think "lazy" is quite name calling.

By the way, I've been retired for a couple of decades and I think "lazy" has a nice ring to it. I love being lazy. I love those weeks when there's simply nothing to do. Remember that "work" is a four letter word. Sort of like other evil words: for example "okra". I better stop now before I get sick.

Barry

I might disagree with you.
Let me give you two sentences and I want your opinion.
Barry has lazy days now that he is retired.
Cindy is lazy because she listens to books.

One is fine and we only have 4 more years.
The other is insulting and judgy.
That would be like me saying Barry is dirty because he is an old man.
For all I know you might have been a dirty young man or you are a clean old man.
I was just stereotyping.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I might disagree with you.
Let me give you two sentences and I want your opinion.
Barry has lazy days now that he is retired.
Cindy is lazy because she listens to books.

One is fine and we only have 4 more years.
The other is insulting and judgy.
That would be like me saying Barry is dirty because he is an old man.
For all I know you might have been a dirty young man or you are a clean old man.
I was just stereotyping.

First, I don't have lazy days, per se. I'm as lazy as I can find ways to be. Lazy is my goal and has been for some time. I worked hard (harder than most) for decades so I earned the right to be lazy.

Now, if listening to a book is lazy the same thing applies. The person who is being lazy did learn to read, no small task. They've also earned the right to be lazy.

Judging someone for being lazy is also fine. I get teased about it a lot. The fact is that when someone in my retirement home needs help carrying out the garbage or carrying in their groceries, I'm the one they call. My guess is that if they needed someone to listen to their audiobook they'd also call me.

As for being a dirty old man, nope. I'm 77. Any dirty old man attributes I have now are only in my mind. And what a mind I have!

Of course in the past I was the world's greatest lover.

Barry

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by barryem

First, I don't have lazy days, per se. I'm as lazy as I can find ways to be. Lazy is my goal and has been for some time. I worked hard (harder than most) for decades so I earned the right to be lazy.

Now, if listening to a book is lazy the same thing applies. The person who is being lazy did learn to read, no small task. They've also earned the right to be lazy.

Judging someone for being lazy is also fine. I get teased about it a lot. The fact is that when someone in my retirement home needs help carrying out the garbage or carrying in their groceries, I'm the one they call. My guess is that if they needed someone to listen to their audiobook they'd also call me.

As for being a dirty old man, nope. I'm 77. Any dirty old man attributes I have now are only in my mind. And what a mind I have!

Of course in the past I was the world's greatest lover.

Barry

Hey darling,
You want to try another line. I ain't buying the only in mind one. I have met some feisty old men in my time.
I guess lazy is all in the attitude. Said with affection is one thing, said with loathing is another.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by barryem

First, I don't have lazy days, per se. I'm as lazy as I can find ways to be. Lazy is my goal and has been for some time. I worked hard (harder than most) for decades so I earned the right to be lazy.

Now, if listening to a book is lazy the same thing applies. The person who is being lazy did learn to read, no small task. They've also earned the right to be lazy.

Judging someone for being lazy is also fine. I get teased about it a lot. The fact is that when someone in my retirement home needs help carrying out the garbage or carrying in their groceries, I'm the one they call. My guess is that if they needed someone to listen to their audiobook they'd also call me.

As for being a dirty old man, nope. I'm 77. Any dirty old man attributes I have now are only in my mind. And what a mind I have!

Of course in the past I was the world's greatest lover.

Barry

The lazy people are essential to the progress of the human race. It was a lazy person that invented the bucket because they were tired of going to the river every time they wanted a drink. The person that learned to ride a horse because he did not want to walk every where was lazy. Henry Ford was probably the laziest person in history.
Apache

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Apache

The lazy people are essential to the progress of the human race. It was a lazy person that invented the bucket because they were tired of going to the river every time they wanted a drink. The person that learned to ride a horse because he did not want to walk every where was lazy. Henry Ford was probably the laziest person in history.
Apache

Laziest person award would have to be Frank Gilbreth. He revolutioned everything from factories to the keyboard.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Laziest person award would have to be Frank Gilbreth. He revolutioned everything from factories to the keyboard.

And spent a lot of time in bed with one foot on the floor it seems .

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by sealbeater

I think I can admit to this. I would tend to look down on someone listening to a book rather than reading it. It seems lazy and low effort to me.

You've written at least twice that that you think that listening instead of reading is lazy, yet you've also written that reading a book is easier for you than listening to a book. So, who is it that is being lazy?

[Richwood]

Just not a passive listener. Almost never listen to the radio or recorded music and to me a audio book would probably put me to sleep. I have always been more visually oriented. Also compared to reading, listening is SLOW!!! I am no speed reader but do read faster than I speak or can listen intelligently. Also I can go back and re-read a section if I lost attention or was interrupted by something.

As far as listening while driving or engaging in other activity, if I am paying attention to my driving or other activity then the audio just becomes background noise. Too many tests have shown that most people who think that they can multitask well, cannot. Attempts to do so can lead to accidents and even get you killed. Like texting while driving.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by Richwood

Just not a passive listener. Almost never listen to the radio or recorded music and to me a audio book would probably put me to sleep. I have always been more visually oriented. Also compared to reading, listening is SLOW!!! I am no speed reader but do read faster than I speak or can listen intelligently. Also I can go back and re-read a section if I lost attention or was interrupted by something.

I read a lot faster than I listen even though I'm a fairly slow reader. But when reading for pleasure that's a minor thing to me.

I recently found out that I read faster with wider margins on my Kindle and that's nice. I don't feel like I'm giving anything up and I read maybe 20% faster (just a guess).

I prefer reading to listening but some books are so beautifully narrated that I doubt if I'd choose to read them now. If I re-read them it'll be listening. Some examples are "Middlesex" and "The Girl with the Pearl Earring".

As far as listening while driving or engaging in other activity, if I am paying attention to my driving or other activity then the audio just becomes background noise. Too many tests have shown that most people who think that they can multitask well, cannot. Attempts to do so can lead to accidents and even get you killed. Like texting while driving.

I wouldn't text while driving but I've spent a lot of time listening while driving, back in my driving days. I used to take weekend trips just to listen to audiobooks. I'd drive all weekend while listening and stop at a motel when I got tired. Then continue the next day. I liked the driving but mostly I enjoyed the audiobooks.

I had a perfect driving record for decades. During those decades I was probably listening while driving more often than not listening while driving. And I'm a very poor multitasker. I've never thought I could do that well. But driving becomes automatic. I'd sometimes realize I'd gone for miles without even thinking about driving. But nothing ever happened so I'm assuming either it was okay or this is heaven.

Barry

[leebase]

Originally Posted by Richwood

Attempts to do so can lead to accidents and even get you killed. Like texting while driving.

Maybe for you. But for me, I am in for more danger driving long periods of time in complete silence than listening to the radio, podcasts or audiobooks. None of those activities are even REMOTELY like texting and driving.

Even better than an audiobook - is having one of my kids (they are adults now) in the seat next to me talking about life and what's going on in college. Far better than silence.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by leebase

Maybe for you. But for me, I am in for more danger driving long periods of time in complete silence than listening to the radio, podcasts or audiobooks. None of those activities are even REMOTELY like texting and driving.

Even better than an audiobook - is having one of my kids (they are adults now) in the seat next to me talking about life and what's going on in college. Far better than silence.

I agree that listening to radio, audiobook, etc. is not in the the same class as texting while driving. I do listen to music or news on the radio if I'm driving on a long trip (though I will turn it off if I am in heavy traffic). I just don't do well with listening to one long ongoing story. If it works for you, that's great, though, and I would not call it lazy.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Richwood

Just not a passive listener. Almost never listen to the radio or recorded music and to me a audio book would probably put me to sleep. I have always been more visually oriented. Also compared to reading, listening is SLOW!!! I am no speed reader but do read faster than I speak or can listen intelligently. Also I can go back and re-read a section if I lost attention or was interrupted by something.

There's something called a rewind button--you miss something, and you can go back and relisten! Amazing innovation!

As far as listening while driving or engaging in other activity, if I am paying attention to my driving or other activity then the audio just becomes background noise. Too many tests have shown that most people who think that they can multitask well, cannot. Attempts to do so can lead to accidents and even get you killed. Like texting while driving.

Since my multitasking usually involves housecleaning while listening, I am willing to live dangerously and accept the risks.