What's the deal with book readers?

[Sir_Alex85]

I really apologize for this, but it would've ruined my day if I hadn't done it.

 

 

 

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[Schwarzenegger]

 

 

 

I could type for hours about the virtues of books and reading, but given the topic of this thread

 

I doubt you'd bother to read it.

 

 

 

Ironic that it is you who appears to have not read the thread in which I clarified that this was not meant to be a discussion about whether books are good or not, nor was I calling book readers dumb. Instead you take the first post personally, perhaps because you are one yourself? And then come here and try to justify yourself.

 

It is generally good forum behavior to not post right away in a thread that you see has already hit several pages. Instead it is better to read the whole thread first and see where the discussion has gone.

 

=;

 

 

 

To all the people who are replying to this thread taking it personally, if you are not one of those book readers with a superiority complex; you are just making yourself seem like one by taking a defensive stance. If you are one of them, well, then you are just confirming my point. :-k

[Jaziek]

I really apologize for this, but it would've ruined my day if I hadn't done it.

 

 

 

[hide][/hide]

 

 

 

yep. it had to be done

[Schwarzenegger]

 

 

Maybe you have just come across some arrogant air-heads? But then the question is, wouldn't they still be arrogant air-heads if they did not read?

 

 

 

So is reading the problem? Or is it personality?

 

 

 

Im inclined to belive that the latter is the truth here :|

 

 

 

WHich is the whole point of this thread. Nowhere did I say everyone who reads a book automatically develops some kind of supremacist attitude.

 

 

 

I find it hihgly amusing that the people who claim that reading books increases your comprehension are the ones who seem to be missing the point of this thread entirely.

 

 

 

I really apologize for this, but it would've ruined my day if I hadn't done it.

 

 

 

[hide][/hide]

 

 

 

yep. it had to be done

 

 

 

I'm unaware ... :?

[Bubsa]

I really apologize for this, but it would've ruined my day if I hadn't done it.

 

 

 

[hide][/hide]

 

 

 

Hahaha, mate I'm so glad you went there :P

[xSxqPowerx]

Well, to be honest, I think it's rather sad how many people these days don't read.

 

 

 

I don't claim to be more intelligent from reading. I just enjoy reading, and shockingly, I have better reading skills because of it.

[SuziAngel]

I absolutely love reading, but that doesn't stop me being as thick as ten bears though.

 

 

 

Are we going to pick apart every social group known to man? I'm seeing a fair amount of seemingly undeserved hate directed towards for example emo's, nerds, goths...etc, and now people who read? *Confused* What's going on? Are people that insecure that they have to criticize others to give themselves a boost of self-esteem? Get over it. Live and let live.

 

 

 

(Not purely directed towards the OP)

[How2PK]

Yea, what's up with those book readers.

 

 

 

Hillarious topic title.

 

 

 

But yea, I'm kind of wondering why they feel so high and mighty too. it's a shame, that the movies are so underrated compared to writing and painting. Ah, well. The movies are relatively new, so it'll come after some time. Give it another 100 years or so, and we'll give those dirty, stinking little readers the finger. With their phoney attitude.

[meb]

erkid"]I used to love to read when I was younger. But when I started to get book reports that were due in X amount of time I got sick of them. I was turned off of books. Now I don't read unless I have to.

 

The funny thing about book reports is that you don't even have to read the books for that. Just skim it and then say it's good/ bad because xxx.

 

 

 

I know no one who has a superiority complex because he/ she reads books. But then again, I don't know many people who read books. There are a lot more people who laugh at people who read books because it's 'nerdy'.

[Rebdragon]

Yea, what's up with those book readers.

 

 

 

Hillarious topic title.

 

 

 

But yea, I'm kind of wondering why they feel so high and mighty too. it's a shame, that the movies are so underrated compared to writing and painting. Ah, well. The movies are relatively new, so it'll come after some time. Give it another 100 years or so, and we'll give those dirty, stinking little readers the finger. With their phoney attitude.

 

That movement will have about as much luck as trying to prove to manga readers that the animes are better.

 

 

 

Elitist sob's.

[Medellin]

What's the deal with stupid people

 

 

 

It's like they never read books. Hello?

[Aneron]

Reading books > not reading books :?

[unorclan]

Are we going to generalize (spelling?) all book readers into maybe 2 or 3 know-it-alls you have met that read books themselves?

 

 

 

I agree some people feel inside that because they dedicate time to read that they are smarter than other people and that they have a right to be-mr/mrs-smarty.

 

 

 

But lets not stick them all together and say their all a bunch of know it all idiots.

 

 

 

I for one have loved and still love reading and I know I always will. But I read books for enjoyment not to get smarter. I enjoy the story and heck maybe it makes me feel good to learn something from the book but thats not why I read overall.

[Dystopia]

 

Anyone else feel the same or am I the only one who hates scum that try to validate their intelligence or lack thereof?

 

 

 

It appears that you sir have definitely validated your level of intelligence, or more precisely lack thereof.

 

 

 

I read because I enjoy it. As I watch movies or play video games. A book scratches places other media can't reach. There are books out there that bring things to life that by no other means could ever exist. Words can create worlds that seem so much more believable then what one views on a screen. Characters become so believable because it is not up to acting, but ones mind to excite the presented language into acceptable circumstances.

 

 

 

I pity the fool that reads for an image, and more so one that omits reading for the same reason.

 

 

 

Validating intelligence. Pwah!

[Schwarzenegger]

 

Anyone else feel the same or am I the only one who hates scum that try to validate their intelligence or lack thereof?

 

 

 

It appears that you sir have definitely validated your level of intelligence, or more precisely lack thereof.

 

 

 

I read because I enjoy it. As I watch movies or play video games. A book scratches places other media can't reach. There are books out there that bring things to life that by no other means could ever exist. Words can create worlds that seem so much more believable then what one views on a screen. Characters become so believable because it is not up to acting, but ones mind to excite the presented language into acceptable circumstances.

 

 

 

I pity the fool that reads for an image, and more so one that omits reading for the same reason.

 

 

 

Validating intelligence. Pwah!

 

I can't tell if you are being sarcastic in your whole post or if you truly are as snobby as your post makes you out to be.

[Skeptical]

I've never met anyone who was above-median intelligence and didn't read books.

[Earth_Poet]

What's the story with people who read books (usually fiction type books- for entertainment) who think that they are some kind of supreme intelligent being and that people who do not read books are, well to put it bluntly, idiots.

 

Anybody who reads books purely for the sake of feeding some superiority complex is living a very hollow life, possibly even self-esteem issues. I've probably met a few people along these lines, but I haven't met anyone yet that takes it to the extreme you've mentioned. It may be equivalent to people who join Mensa and pay money so they can have a badge to remind them how smart they are.

 

Is it some kind of revolutionary concept that different people have different likes and dislikes? Is a person mentally lacking because they prefer watching a movie over reading a book? Do these pseudo-intellectuals not realize that some people in this world have extremely busy schedules and can't be cabbaged to devote a large amount of time to read a book?

 

There is truth in the saying, "The book was so much better than the movie." It's usually because there's so much more story and details in a typical novel that it's very hard to try to fit it all in a 2 hour movie. Things inevitably get left out. Movies are more like a short story, meant for one sitting. It doesn't mean that movies are terrible though. Is a person mentally lacking because they prefer movies? No. Movies are generally not as mentally stimulating though. I'm an avid fan of both.

 

As far as busy schedules, if you have time in your day to watch television, play video games, write on discussion forums, etc., then you have time to read. We all prioritize how we choose to spend our free time, no matter how much of it we have.

 

I like reading books from time to time, but I am not one of these would be philosophers who try to read as many fiction stories as possible. Sure, your vocabulary and writing skills may improve if you constnatly have your nose in a book. But what does that really do other than make you appear to be more intelligent? Anyone can come out with a sentence full of complex words and whether they truly know the words or not does not make a difference in how smart the person truly is at the end of the day.

 

I think we often confuse educated with intelligence, because the two are often considered synonymous in our culture. I do believe there is a connection to how much one chooses to read and the quality of the education. No, general reading probably doesn't improve your intelligence.

 

I also believe you managed to answer your own questions here. Reading helps to improve your communication skills. Effective communication aids in presenting clear ideas. You will be able to formulate your opinions in a concise way for others to better understand you. It's not only about gaining a complex vocabulary, but also helping to improve your ability to understand complex ideas. Sure, you could thumb through a dictionary or thesaurus for a fancier word, but discovering new words in a book will give it context. It reminds me of when my little cousin was tasked with a weekly school project of finding new words in a dictionary and using them in a sentence. This inevitably led him to walking into a room one day and saying, "Boy, something smells queer in this room." Once the laughter died down, we had to explain that though he used the word correctly in a sentence, there was still something he needed to know.

 

Reading also stimulates the mind in a literal sense. There are studies that show it can improve cognitive thought and memory retention. There are some experts who believe routinely reading may even help to prevent dementia. Think of it as exercising your brain. If you don't lose it, you will lose it.

 

I remember on another forum someone posted a statistic saying X percent of american families do not own/read X amount of books, and people were discussing how sad that was.

 

It is a sad statistic. Children whose parents regularly read to them at an early age statistically perform much better in school than those who do not. Their reading comprehension skills develop far earlier.

 

 

Anyone else feel the same or am I the only one who hates scum that try to validate their intelligence or lack thereof?

 

I don't feel the same way. I don't think this statement makes you look any better than the people you are describing either.

[Dupin]

OP has a point, but it's drowned out by the complete idiocy in the rest of his post.

 

Reading books makes you smarter. Reading books is enjoyable. Therefore, one should read books. I agree, people who try to be intellectual, or anyone who does anything for the sake of an image, are bloody annoying. But seriously, you sound like you think everyone who looks at a book is trying to look intellectual.

 

 

Protip: Don't make an anti-reading thread on a forum designed for the elite of an online game. Supernerds read, and this is palce about as supernerdy as a place can be.

[Skeptical]

OP has a point, but it's drowned out by the complete idiocy in the rest of his post.

 

Reading books makes you smarter. Reading books is enjoyable. Therefore, one should read books. I agree, people who try to be intellectual, or anyone who does anything for the sake of an image, are bloody annoying. But seriously, you sound like you think everyone who looks at a book is trying to look intellectual.

 

 

Protip: Don't make an anti-reading thread on a forum designed for the elite of an online game. Supernerds read, and this is palce about as supernerdy as a place can be.

 

I agree with all of that except for TIF (I'm assuming that's what you're referring to?) being supernerdy.

 

I'm not exactly the most nerdy individual in existence (yes, I may play D&D, played RS for several years, and don't attend school, but I also play multiple sports and have a bit of a life) but really, this isn't that nerdy.

[Giordano]

I personally hardly ever read but I wouldn't call myself stupid nor ignorant. In fact I never ever read much at any time in my life, which is why I have a hard time reading higher ended books (like with philosophy and such) and why I write my essays like a debatable conversation.

 

People still think I'm the super-smart book worm. I never was nor will I ever be. :shame:

[Nadril]

There is truth in the saying, "The book was so much better than the movie." It's usually because there's so much more story and details in a typical novel that it's very hard to try to fit it all in a 2 hour movie. Things inevitably get left out. Movies are more like a short story, meant for one sitting. It doesn't mean that movies are terrible though. Is a person mentally lacking because they prefer movies? No. Movies are generally not as mentally stimulating though. I'm an avid fan of both.

 

As far as busy schedules, if you have time in your day to watch television, play video games, write on discussion forums, etc., then you have time to read. We all prioritize how we choose to spend our free time, no matter how much of it we have.

 

I still think that you can get just as much out of any medium as you would out of a book. Yeah, various mediums have their various ways of telling a story but I still stick by that all of them, if done right, can prove to be "mentally stimulating". I think books, video and video games all can be very stimulating if created correctly.

 

The thing I don't get are people reading the standard formula romance novels or the like and thinking they are smarter for doing so. It's no difference than watching some action flick with no real story or playing a video game without any substance. It's the small minority of these medium's that really can be stimulating I think.

 

Just a small example but look at the game's Braid and Flower. I think both of these have a very interesting message that, sure, might not rank up to the "classics" of literature but are still very interesting in their own right and certainly shouldn't be viewed as inferior or just "games". Same thing could be said for film as well but not being a big movie person I really can't cite and decent examples.

 

I do think that it'll just take time though. It's taken long enough for books to be accepted as "artistic" and I think in time other mediums will follow suit.

 

 

 

More on the topic I do agree, even though it's obviously an old post. I don't actually read fiction hardly at all myself but even then I do actually end up reading a lot just simply due to reading news articles and keeping up to date on things.

[Earth_Poet]

There is truth in the saying, "The book was so much better than the movie." It's usually because there's so much more story and details in a typical novel that it's very hard to try to fit it all in a 2 hour movie. Things inevitably get left out. Movies are more like a short story, meant for one sitting. It doesn't mean that movies are terrible though. Is a person mentally lacking because they prefer movies? No. Movies are generally not as mentally stimulating though. I'm an avid fan of both.

 

As far as busy schedules, if you have time in your day to watch television, play video games, write on discussion forums, etc., then you have time to read. We all prioritize how we choose to spend our free time, no matter how much of it we have.

 

I still think that you can get just as much out of any medium as you would out of a book. Yeah, various mediums have their various ways of telling a story but I still stick by that all of them, if done right, can prove to be "mentally stimulating". I think books, video and video games all can be very stimulating if created correctly.

 

The thing I don't get are people reading the standard formula romance novels or the like and thinking they are smarter for doing so. It's no difference than watching some action flick with no real story or playing a video game without any substance. It's the small minority of these medium's that really can be stimulating I think.

 

Just a small example but look at the game's Braid and Flower. I think both of these have a very interesting message that, sure, might not rank up to the "classics" of literature but are still very interesting in their own right and certainly shouldn't be viewed as inferior or just "games". Same thing could be said for film as well but not being a big movie person I really can't cite and decent examples.

 

Okay, I think we are talking about different things. People are not "mentally lacking" when they watch a movie, as the OP snidely asked. However, books are more stimulating. Literally.

 

What you are debating is a matter of taste. I'm not debating the quality of the story here. When you read a book, your brain is more engaged. For example, you are given details that may describe something instead of just showing you a picture. Through the course of reading, your brain will constantly trigger memories and senses as a reference to help you understand the descriptions. In a literal sense, this is how you are using your imagination. The more that you use these areas of the brain, the stronger the pathways will become, like exercise.

 

Movies do not stimulate the brain in the same way. When watching a movie, your brain become sort of a reactionary tool. Your brain is bombarded with images (and audio), and is busily trying to filter it so it can make sense of it all. Most of this gets dumped in short-term memory and forgotten almost as soon as you see it. Your brain filters most of it out so you can access the most important information immediately. This is why, even if every little detail could be present in a movie as described in a book, the only thing that will be of significance is whatever the filmmaker is focused on in the shot.

 

The underlying point is that you do not get the same stimulation with these different mediums.

 

Back on topic: Does it automatically make you "smarter" than the person next to you? No, not necessarily, and that's not the point. I would equally find it ridiculous for anybody to snobbishly claim this to be true. Reading can improve your own mentality, and strengthen your own education.

 

I do think that it'll just take time though. It's taken long enough for books to be accepted as "artistic" and I think in time other mediums will follow suit.

 

That's news to me. When were books not accepted as artistic?

[Giordano]

You underestimate the power of an image. "A picture is worth a thousand words." Seeing death and imagining death are two different things. Seeing someone die in a movie is much more metally and emotionally impacting compared to reading sad feelings and anger. Action is much better for pictures, where as words (like thoughts and complex emotions) would be better in words.

 

But the big problem you guys have with movies is that it's still profit-driven because they're expensive, whereas writing just costs paper and a pencil. However, there is skill in making a movie that can express ideas and facts like a book. Among all the movies ever made they are few, but it is very possible.

[tripsis]

You underestimate the power of an image. "A picture is worth a thousand words." Seeing death and imagining death are two different things. Seeing someone die in a movie is much more metally and emotionally impacting compared to reading sad feelings and anger. Action is much better for pictures, where as words (like thoughts and complex emotions) would be better in words.

Books actually trigger my emotions loads more than movies do. I mean I get emotional over both but a good book will have me giggling literally like every 30 seconds... not because the book is funny but because something exciting is happening and I just get so overwhelmed that it makes ME excited and thus I just can't help but giggle :XD: And death/sad scenes in books REALLY get me. They get me in movies too but even more so in books I think. Of course everyone is different and I think generally speaking, your point is still valid :P

[K4ylan]

Personally, for information, books are just outdated. Yes, picking up a book now and then for knowledge is generally beneficial, but not as necessary in our modern era.

 

For entertainment, I don't care much for books. Probably cause I grew up watching T.V., reading comic books and anime(<--- I don't count these as books), reading story doesn't really entertain or fascinate me as some people feel they do. I will always prefer the movie over a book, there are just some things pictures can say that words can't.