Do romantic and sometimes erotic novels corrupt our minds?

[osho]

I often wonder how erotically romantic stories are likely to corrupt out minds. I have gone thorough all of D.H. Lawrence and some cheap rated novels too. I am reading now two novels at the same time. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert and the Great Gatsby. These are romantically mild novels and there are no vulgarity in them, yet there is boldness of the expression and the writers laid bare some of the innermost human sentiments that remain buried almost at the subconscious. There is a guard at the conscious level who fend off the legions of emotions, sentimental and sensual desires and dreams and fantasies. Some times the writers become indifferent, nonjudgmental and sometimes they moralize their stories.
Madame Bovary remains insatiably with Charles and the bond of marriage or the social and economic fulfillments and security she glean from the marriage is what insists her to be virtuous. But deep down she wants a romantic love, a sensual or sexual fulfillment which is possible only outside her matrimonial tie. She wants an emotional security and her husband is too plain, homely and who can never touch on her emotional part, the innermost, sensual self that needs to be intensely touched on. A number of boys had crushes on her and one man fulfilled her sensuous desire feigning true love but deserting her at the end of the game.

What I want to put forth by citing this example is people are at times in relationships or with their spouses they are not in love with. Social, financial or ethical reasons compel them to stick to their legitimate partners and in fact secretly they are enticed by something outside their marriages.

Sometimes the reader may go astray in their relationship when the character in the novel strays for their self fulfillment.

That means a novel is likely to help people to justify their illicit desire to fall for someone to fulfill their instincts. In this case is not a novel like this corrupting a vulnerable youth?

[cacian]

Interesting question.
The fact the you thought about it might suggest that you felt it might.
Ignorance is bless in this case.
However to answer your question I personally find this kind of literature tediously boring so I do not read them.
The less I know of them the better my mind for it.

[OrphanPip]

No, the question is silly.

[Varenne Rodin]

Books don't inspire urges in us that were not already there. I'm a very passionate person. When I read something sexy, that could be inspirational, sure. I wouldn't feel persuaded to cheat on someone, however. I also wouldn't read a crime novel in which a character has fun on a killing spree and then go kill people myself. Know what I mean? Same goes for movies.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

No, the question is silly.

Agreed.

[KCurtis]

No. Literature does not corrupt youth.

[Delta40]

I think self-help books are more likely to lead people astray

[radiantsar]

I'd say my mind has been expanded (http://debianista.6te.net/)... jk. I am an American Indian (http://mysticthought.bugs3.com/2012/04/american-indians-in-destabilised-usa/).

[osho]

No, the question is silly.

The same question interests another and you find it silly. This is ridiculous. Anyway it is an attitude only. I am unhurt.

I just feel whether asking a question is silly. hat is more this question is not uncommon. There are erotic novels and of which we are not unaware, and some novels and movies are recommended only to adults since they are somewhat sexually arousing.

Literature influences our thoughts and at times our ways of life. That is why some books are banned but I am not advocating the banning of any books.
My question is objective and I am not writing their moral implication.

When we look at a porno we know it will change our moods and it is human nature that is why parents keep pornos from children.

Literature has often social and ethical roles and that has driven Leo Tolstoy to write his later novellas or stories to transform the society he lived in.

My question is whether or not a writer must take the accountability when his books influences people or indoctrinate them into fanatic acts.

[osho]

Books don't inspire urges in us that were not already there. I'm a very passionate person. When I read something sexy, that could be inspirational, sure. I wouldn't feel persuaded to cheat on someone, however. I also wouldn't read a crime novel in which a character has fun on a killing spree and then go kill people myself. Know what I mean? Same goes for movies.

There are pornographic movies, xxx rated and to say such movies do not impress is something unconvincing.

[Helga]

I think self-help books are more likely to lead people astray

I agree.

Novels may bring up feelings that were already there but like Varenne said, I'm not gonna go kill someone just because I read about. and I'm not gonna go and confess my love for someone just because it worked for a character in a book.

also Flaubert, isn't he kinda graphic with descriptions in this book, more so than Fitzgerald in his...

[OrphanPip]

The same question interests another and you find it silly. This is ridiculous. Anyway it is an attitude only. I am unhurt.

I just feel whether asking a question is silly. hat is more this question is not uncommon. There are erotic novels and of which we are not unaware, and some novels and movies are recommended only to adults since they are somewhat sexually arousing.

Literature influences our thoughts and at times our ways of life. That is why some books are banned but I am not advocating the banning of any books.
My question is objective and I am not writing their moral implication.

When we look at a porno we know it will change our moods and it is human nature that is why parents keep pornos from children.

Literature has often social and ethical roles and that has driven Leo Tolstoy to write his later novellas or stories to transform the society he lived in.

My question is whether or not a writer must take the accountability when his books influences people or indoctrinate them into fanatic acts.

No, the question is silly because it's prudish and condescending. The notion that someone will read Lawrence or Fitzgerald (who are about as erotic as a woolly Christmas sweater) and be immediately compelled to cheat on their spouses is nonsense.

Moreover, and the entire notion of someone being "corrupted" depends on agreeing with your opinions of what is moral. If someone were encouraged to leave an unhappy, loveless marriage by reading Flaubert, then that would be a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

[MarkBastable]

No, they're right. It's silly.

Watch the movie Quills, which puts the question in a way that isn't silly.

[qimissung]

Well, I think reality TV has corrupted all of us here in the west, yet we somehow manage to muddle through. There is the idea of "The Sorrows of Young Werther" that caused a rash of imitative suicides, but on the whole, Osho, I think people are more resilient than you are perhaps giving them credit for.

[Helga]

Well, I think reality TV has corrupted all of us here in the west, yet we somehow manage to muddle through. There is the idea of "The Sorrows of Young Werther" that caused a rash of imitative suicides, but on the whole, Osho, I think people are more resilient than you are perhaps giving them credit for.

Apparently there was a suicide hot line for young people when the band Take That broke up so music has made people do stupid things.

[cacian]

No. Literature does not corrupt youth.

I have to disagree literature does more then corrupt if it is the wrong type.

[MarkBastable]

I have to disagree literature does more then corrupt if it is the wrong type.

What's the right type?

[Darcy88]

What's the right type?

The Bible. Pornography and obscenity both make Jesus cry.

[metal134]

Sure, they can corrupt your mind. If you're weak minded.

[Delta40]

The Bible.

Ha! That book is just as likely to be misread and misused as any other. Literature doesn't corrupt, it is entirely dependent on the person who is reading it. Cacian's statement: I have to disagree literature does more then corrupt if it is the wrong type implies that we would wrap the world in cotton wool or apply extreme censorship. Fear is a powerful tool and leads to the removal of freedoms, which I cannot endorse.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Sure, they can corrupt your mind. If you're weak minded.

Metal134! Welcome back!

[metal134]

Good to see you! I have a tendency to drift in and out of this place.

[drago]

Books don't inspire urges in us that were not already there.

One hundred times agreed.

On another note, I believe that literature that challenges and questions your personal beliefs is the best kind of literature. I, apparently, am alone in this.

[prendrelemick]

^ I agree, corrupting could be called widening. There are times when I like a nice comfortable read, but the novels I remember and are the unsettleing ones.

I haven't dipped into many erotic novels though, Mrs P says they make me too frisky.

[YesNo]

Whatever I read I hope it corrupts me in a good, widening sort of way or why am I wasting my time reading it?

I don't read too many romance novels. In fact I can't remember reading any at the moment except for part of one my sister was reading long ago. I couldn't get past the endless descriptions of what people were wearing. Of course maybe we're talking about a whole different genre of literature here.