"I don't read books because fiction is stupid"

This is kind of the opinion I see more and more of nowadays. Scarily enough, it's not on the Internet - it's in real life. Be it from a student of mine or out of the mouths of some people from some job recruitment workshops, this is basically what I hear:

"I don't read many books, unless it's non-fiction. Why would I waste my time to read something someone made-up, when I can read about something that really happened?"

I just.

It drives me nuts, hearing something like that. I mean, if you're too lazy too read books just say it, instead of hiding behind that excuse so that you look smart and efficient and not lazy! Heck, I'm sure you don't care if the stories are made up when you watch smurfing Grey's Anatomy :eep:

I think fiction really is worthwhile. No matter if the story happened or was real, it's still a story that carries something and molds our characters, our ways of thinking in specific ways. I don't think any book is a waste of time. Heck, even bad books can be worthwhile so that at least you know how not to write a book :p

So what do you guys think of the issue? Have you ever encountered someone like that? Writing this, I expected a lot of people here read books, so if I offended someone who thinks the same as those people - I apologize. I would, however, gladly listen to what you have to say on the matter as I am absolutely clueless why someone would deny themselves the joys of fiction.

I've never heard this. In fact, I've heard the opposite. "Why would I read a book if it isn't fiction? Historical? I'll learn that in class." But I didn't hear stuff like that often.

The worst I heard was a guy who didn't read (for a few reasons) but he still wanted to get a bookshelf and fill it with books because it would "make him look smarter."

you are stupid for even thinking about that sentence for more than 5 minutes hth

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Originally Posted by Parker

you are stupid for even thinking about that sentence for more than 5 minutes hth

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Hey, everything's worth analyzing!

I analyze everything! And I mean EVERYTHING.

If an increasing group of people says something like this, it's an interesting sociological trent I would like to understand.

TL;DR I'm not stupid. Your face is stupid.

Fiction can help us explore things in a way we can't otherwise explore. It's stupid to think that fiction is worthless, but there are an astounding number of people that just do not read.

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Originally Posted by The White Wizard of Fynn

This is kind of the opinion I see more and more of nowadays. Scarily enough, it's not on the Internet - it's in real life. Be it from a student of mine or out of the mouths of some people from some job recruitment workshops, this is basically what I hear:

"I don't read many books, unless it's non-fiction. Why would I waste my time to read something someone made-up, when I can read about something that really happened?"

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Coming from people who don't know how the world works.

This may sound strange coming from me, but part of me can see where people like this are coming from. Honestly if these people are still reading even if it is only non-fiction, then I don't have that much of a problem despite disagreeing with their views. If they would be willing to branch out from non-fiction, they would find stuff they like I'm sure, but it's not that different from someone saying they ONLY like fantasy or ONLY like mysteries.

I'd say part of the problems are schools. A lot of teachers seem to try to beat into students the notion that fiction is of super importance without really explaining how the characters in Of Mice and Men (or anything they read) are relevant to their lives. They find themselves having to analyze and tear apart these books, and this ends up taking the fun out of reading them for someone just gaining an interest in reading. I know a few people that don't read fiction because of this. They watch television and movies, but those haven't had the fun taken out of them yet.

I enjoy both equally for different reasons :)

Fiction gives you a good story and gets that imagination working. Non-fiction can be inspiring and emotional. (not that either can't be the otheres!)

Scotty_ffgamer said what I was thinking as I read this. He even mentioned tv which is something I would bring up in a conversation with a person saying they only read non-fiction.

I've never heard anyone use this as an excuse anywhere, and it makes no sense anyway. Extremely many spend time on fiction through other media.

Personally, I rarely read because I'm scatter minded and impatient. Movies and TV series compress the contents and also let's me use my best developed to directly process it.

I like non-fiction okay. Honestly 'non-fiction' vs. 'fiction' is such a broad range. It's like saying 'rock music'...which can include classic rock, hair bands, alternative rock, etc. Most of the non-fiction I read these days are memoirs.

But yeah, everything Scotty said. I don't really care if someone only prefers to read non-fiction. It's just a preference. As long as they aren't elitist about and don't care what others read, more power to them.

People's time is their own, and far be it from me to dictate whether they spent their dwindling time exercising, reading french poetry, trying new recipes or fixing cars. Just try not to be mean to one another, dammit.

People can read or not read what they want. I don't even have a problem with it if people choose not to read. Personally I feel that people might be missing out on something by limiting themselves to one genre or by not reading at all, but that's just my opinion. I don't think any less of non-readers!

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Originally Posted by Pike

People can read or not read what they want. I don't even have a problem with it if people choose not to read. Personally I feel that people might be missing out on something by limiting themselves to one genre or by not reading at all, but that's just my opinion. I don't think any less of non-readers!

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I 'think less' of non-readers, but it's more just that I have a hard time relating and being friends with someone who doesn't read. It's really only because I read SO MUCH and it's such a big part of my life that if I can't discuss books with someone, it's difficult.

But nah, life is busy and a lot of people who love to read can't just because they don't have the time.

Now, I'm not taking issue with the fact that someone limits themselves to one genre, I just find the argumentation of "it's made up therefore invalid" quite offensive. Like, on a personal level. I read non-fiction sometimes and I can understand that's someone's favorite genre, but when you say everything is a waste of time because it's made up, you're looking down on people who think it worthwhile. And that's what causes these rants in me.

Of course, that's why they can't get into it. To them, because it's made up it's invalid, and so to them it's not worth reading. I'd say it's just because they haven't found the right book to connect with, but that's just me I don't know anyone who actively thinks "Hey, you read fiction. What a waste of time." Maybe you've encountered that, and I'd say someone saying something like that is pretty silly. It's hard for me to imagine that... but I was living with English majors in college and all my friends love to read everything. Outside of student teaching, I've been in a very pro-reading bubble, haha.

As someone who is always day dreaming with my head in the clouds I admire people who are strongly grounded in reality. It sounds like a rare and difficult trait to have.

If someone said this to me it would be the same as if someone told me "I dont drink or smoke pot because relaxing your brain temporarily is useless". It's an experience they dont wish to partake in and I wont hold that against them

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Originally Posted by Jinx

I 'think less' of non-readers, but it's more just that I have a hard time relating and being friends with someone who doesn't read. It's really only because I read SO MUCH and it's such a big part of my life that if I can't discuss books with someone, it's difficult.

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I actually feel this way about a lot of the forum. I feel like the books I read are wildly different from the books you and most of the other bookworms in The Lounge read. I don't mind though! :)

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Originally Posted by The White Wizard of Fynn

Now, I'm not taking issue with the fact that someone limits themselves to one genre, I just find the argumentation of "it's made up therefore invalid" quite offensive. Like, on a personal level.

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I understand where you're coming from, I guess it still doesn't bother me though.

Now if someone started saying this about my favorite video games, on the other hand... :irked:

That would be the moment Pike evolves into Skynet.

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Originally Posted by Quin

That would be the moment Pike evolves into Skynet.

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:onoes:

*looks at Pike's sig*

... Remind me not to talk about FFX with her.

I came out of a thrift store yesterday with six fiction novels. All science and magic. I figured I need more material to draw from to help flesh out my own stories, since currently "awesome point A" is connected to "epic point B" by "tedious line 1."

I don't read much fiction for very different reasons, largely because I don't want it to affect my style too much. I'd rather find my own voice than try to emulate another writer but also, I find that when I find a new show or concept that it sometimes creeps into my own writing subconsciously, and I have issues being accused of plagiarism when I really didn't mean too. So I used to limit what I read with fiction. Nowadays I've kind of gone 180 on that front cause I realize that my own writing has suffered because I don't familiarize myself enough with how other authors write and thus I second guess myself too often about what is "acceptable".

Until people actually visit the depths of the ocean, swim into the sun, warp out into deep space, send their minds into the congested infoverse of the internet, or experience physical contact with God, I'd say pretty much anything that can be written about has been written about, the end result being that the snare of plagiarism is pretty difficult to elude. There are only seven types of story, only twelve character archetypes, seven versions of the Hero... what can be done and avoided being done has been... they're called tropes and there are multiple websites devoted to them. There will always be those who cry plagiarism but just a handful of those would be legitimate claims. The only alternative would be for all record of any story ever to be deleted and have every human have amnesia.

I never heard the statement and would probably ask what they watch on TV. If the answer is anything that qualities as fiction I'd politely note the flaw in their thinking. I just think it'd be silly to denounce all fiction as stupid if you're still technically exposing yourself to fiction in a different medium. It's like when people who watch reality TV complain to me that wrestling's fake.