Why are we reading?

I read out of fascination, out of the desire to soothe myself ,out of the impulse or undercurrents I have got or emulatively as I have seen elders doing this and this got instilled in me

Personally, I love reading because it not only entertains me but educates me at the same time. I don't think anyone can deny that a small portion of the reason of why we read is egotistical because we crave the satisfaction that comes with reading a renown tome or novel. I am content if I never travel to an exotic land because I've visited countless wonderful or barren worlds in books. To true lovers of the written word, reading is as natural as breathing or just existing.

I read for entertainment.

I read for entertainment also.

Why I read? Simple: I like reading, and I get severe withdrawal symptoms if I don't.

/Claes

So people will think I'm smart. :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Lumiere

So people will think I'm smart. :thumbsup:

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Heh. At least, you didn't say so people will think you're cool.

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

I read to entertain or enlighten myself. You can ask why you are you eating or breathing. Reading is likened to that and we cannot do away with that. Today man cannot be man enough or reading has been an addiction and no days go without reading today

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I completely agree; I can't imagine a life spent without reading a single work of literature.

Reading becomes a part of my life through internalizing what I read.

Most people read :
1. To get information (That is to stay alive in modern jungle, everybody does that.)
2. To have an aesthetic experience

The second thing consists everything that's already mentioned above. For me it means mostly enjoying the well-written text. I love the symbols, metaphors, references... how the simple things become miracles, if expressed so.

Reading also broadens the imagination, because you have to "see" the story with your own inner resources. That is why the movies made after books are so bad: it's not like you "saw" it :D

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Originally Posted by Adderhead

I don't think anyone can deny that a small portion of the reason of why we read is egotistical because we crave the satisfaction that comes with reading a renown tome or novel.

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The satisfaction I crave when turning to a renowned book is the opposite of egotistical! In reading I want to get away from my egotistical self, and renowned books are usually the most efficient mechanism for enabling this. When you are "in the flow" of reading then you simply aren't there. Egotistical cravings for money, renown, status, etc, etc, are gone.

Man in this century is not man enough, and an illiterate man is half-man, for many wonders, or amazing things that a technically literate man can be versed with will be not available to an illiterate man

It was that or exercise.

It's like watching a film except I actually find it easier to read a book than watch a film, I just don't have the attention span to watch something alot of the time - yet I have the attention span to read, if it's interesting enough. Most people seem to be the other way round and it seems to be the fashion to say reading is boring.
By trying to fit in and not reading I have discovered I seem to have become less intelligent, I used to pride myself on being wellread, vocabulary and all that, then I just let myself go. Now i am regaining my interest in it.

Good storytelling can connect people who live centuries apart. A good book is too powerful for me to ignore.