Do you feel guilty if you don't read any/many books?
- Thread starter Blobbenstein
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Yes, for some reason, I feel that I should be reading in my spare time. However, atm I don't have any spare time.
I do read quite a lot now but I went through a few years when I was on heavy medication where I hardly read any books at all. I probably missed a lot of news and current events during that time too.
Up until recently I did used to feel guilty about finishing books as I would start them and then not finish them, but now I just delete them from my kindle and forget about them. Life is too short to worry about wasting a few £££ on a book if I'm not enjoying it.
Up until recently I did used to feel guilty about finishing books as I would start them and then not finish them, but now I just delete them from my kindle and forget about them. Life is too short to worry about wasting a few £££ on a book if I'm not enjoying it.
I don't feel guilty but sometimes I feel less adequate, like people who read books are naturally better/smarter than those of us who don't read much. I guess it's the whole judging thing that seems to go on with a lot of things...stay at home moms vs working moms, wanting to having children vs not having children, thin vs being overweight. Like we can't just let people be who they are.
Did I read too much into the question? Lol lol lol [emoji4]
Did I read too much into the question? Lol lol lol [emoji4]
Do you think that it is the reading that makes people smarter or is it just that smart people read ? I have known people that read a lot and they're not particularly intelligent.
I think it's the perception that smart people read. Could be my own insecurity, though.
I have a good friend who I consider to be very smart. She is college educated, taught for a few years, is well travelled. We are quite mismatched, really, yet get along so well. I often refer to us as the museum queen and the mall rat, lol.
Our love of music brought us together. We used to get together weekly to play guitar and sing with two other friends but we haven't done it for a few months now. We're on a break. [emoji4]
I have a good friend who I consider to be very smart. She is college educated, taught for a few years, is well travelled. We are quite mismatched, really, yet get along so well. I often refer to us as the museum queen and the mall rat, lol.
Our love of music brought us together. We used to get together weekly to play guitar and sing with two other friends but we haven't done it for a few months now. We're on a break. [emoji4]
OP
OP
I feel like I should be reading more books, fiction books, and non fiction...
I also feel like I should read more newspapers....as I am critical of the media, and how real news isn't reported, but I feel like I haven't got as much right to criticise the media if I don't read....a lot of the news in the papers is quite repetitive and uninteresting after a while, but maybe it wouldn't be if more of the things that weren't reported, actually were..
I also feel like I should read more newspapers....as I am critical of the media, and how real news isn't reported, but I feel like I haven't got as much right to criticise the media if I don't read....a lot of the news in the papers is quite repetitive and uninteresting after a while, but maybe it wouldn't be if more of the things that weren't reported, actually were..
Yes, but sometimes other common interests draw people together.
Do you belong to a library, Blobb ?
OP
OP
oh, I probably still do, but I haven't been there in 15 years.
I don't want to read a book a week.
I read one book last year (the shame!)...I nice gruesome crime novel by Val Mcdermid.....I wonder sometimes if true crime books would be interesting, or depressing. Val Mcdermid has a non fiction crime book about forensics, which I might get.....I don't know.
Nope. It's hard for me to pay attention to books. I guess I used to, but you don't have to do anything. You choose to. I don't like doing things out of guilt.
I don't like doing things out of guilt.
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ledboots
Peace
My eyes get tired now from reading too much. I'm one of those freaky people who read very fast, so that plus my severe nearsightedness is probably why. I used to read 5-7 books a week before the internet. My grandmother had the speed reading thing too, and she read a book a day until she lost her eyesight in her 80s.
Capstan
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I'm 65-yrs old, and I estimate I've read fewer than 50 books in my lifetime. I've read some of Twain, Melville, Irving, Poe, Grant, Sherman, Lincoln, Verne, Wells, Shakespeare, Shaw, Tolkien, Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov, and Durant, among others. When I was young, my family had a set of World Book Encyclopedias that I read in frequently. I believe far more of my education came from the World Book, than I received in 12-years of public school. With the advent of the internet, I read much more than I used to, but it's not in book form- mainly articles about history and current events. I feel no guilt at all about being "poorly read," primarily because I've stayed too busy to read that much. Instead of reading about life, I've tried to live it, and have a few scars to show for it. The last book I read was a biography of astronaut Neil Armstrong.
"Actions speak louder than. Action now. Observe all." -Anthony Burgess
"Actions speak louder than. Action now. Observe all." -Anthony Burgess
I feel a bit embarassed that I don't read the newspapers often these days or pay much attention to current events. I used to, but lately I'm just off in my own little world. I read tons of sci-fi and fantasy books.
Calliegirl
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Not guilty, but more wistful. I used always have a book in hand. I would read at least 2-3 a week, but then life happened and now I don't have time. It's been many, many years since I've been able to sit down and read a book.
SuicideBlonde
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Sometimes. I am just so busy. I finally finished a book that I have been rereading for 3 months. I used to read so much more. Like a huge book every week.
I read a LOT when I was younger. Reading a book makes me sleepy now. I have however noticed that reading from a screen, such as an e-reader or smartphone doesn't have the same effect, so I have actually been thinking recently that I should maybe switch to e-books and start reading books in that format.
As per the question? I don't really feel guilty for not reading, but the feelings I do have for not reading come from the attitudes of certain "book worms" on Facebook. As if life was not worth living if you don't have your nose buried in a book at all times, and EVERY single post from them is about books books books!
As per the question? I don't really feel guilty for not reading, but the feelings I do have for not reading come from the attitudes of certain "book worms" on Facebook. As if life was not worth living if you don't have your nose buried in a book at all times, and EVERY single post from them is about books books books!
I feel guilty about not doing any exercise, but that is because I know I should be doing some for my health. I wouldn't feel guilty about not reading, it's a hobby to me, so it should be optional.
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I definitely feel guilty because I used to read all the time as a kid, and when I became an adult I turned to other types of entertainment and basically stopped reading. It took the Harry Potter books to get me reading again, but the momentum has slowed. I've got books I'm supposedly reading in the bathroom, at bedside, on my iPhone. I might read a couple pages a week. I feel guilty if I don't make an effort.
I love books - but I don't always read them. I've got an Audible account, and I download books all the time. I listen when I take my exercise walks, when I paint and when I'm going to be in the car for more than just a few minutes. I actually seem to retain the stories better when I hear them than when I read them. I probably listen to 12 - 15 books a year and read 6 - 10 in addition.
I have found I do not like to read on my phone or Kindle. If I download a book to read, the likelihood that I will forget to go back is huge. For some reason, I almost have to see the book to want to go back to it. So I've started buying books again, which seems like a waste, but I drop them off at the Little Library down the street when I'm finished.
I don't think reading necessarily means someone is smart - but perhaps a person's choice of books says more about that….?
I have found I do not like to read on my phone or Kindle. If I download a book to read, the likelihood that I will forget to go back is huge. For some reason, I almost have to see the book to want to go back to it. So I've started buying books again, which seems like a waste, but I drop them off at the Little Library down the street when I'm finished.
I don't think reading necessarily means someone is smart - but perhaps a person's choice of books says more about that….?
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