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Related: Culture Forums, Support Forums"Reading fiction is a complete waste of time." - Discuss amongst yourselves
Do you agree? Disagree? Why?
I'm going out for our 15th anniversary dinner. But the above was said by someone who strongly believes that reading fiction is a waste of time.
I disagree, for a variety of reasons.
But am curious about what the denizens of DU think. Will read the comments later tonight. I hope many of you post your opinions.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Without the possibilities of fiction, we would still be sitting in caves, wishing we knew how to control fire.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.
― Albert Einstein
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)At the risk of offending you by criticizing someone who might be a friend of yours, the person that said that has no sense.
Wait Wut
(8,492 posts)...but, they lack imagination, creativity, probably a sense of humor...it could very well be Spock.
What a weird, black, desolate hole they must live in.
Coventina
(27,223 posts)Who actually showed quit an artistic side at times.
But, we ARE talking about a fictional character, and therefore wasting our time.....
NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)bite your tongue.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)but a world devoid of fiction ain't one of 'em.
I bet even on Vulcan they had fiction. Although it may have existed simply to illustrate a lesson that needed to be learned.
And if we accept that fiction may help teach lessons, it cannot be a complete waste of time.
I would not want to party with that person.
Wait Wut
(8,492 posts)...I didn't think of the 'fiction as a teaching tool' angle.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)I'm often told television is a waste of time too. However, I imagine many people like to pretend they have deep knowledge what is or is not a waste of time-- which in itself, seems to be a waste of time.
Coventina
(27,223 posts)Does this person watch TV? Movies?
Unless they stick with just the news and documentaries, I call bullshit on them.
They're just saying they don't like to read.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Inquiring minds want to know.
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)Parting the Red Sea, driving a herd of pigs off a cliff, etc.
Arkansas Granny
(31,538 posts)Avalux
(35,015 posts)The imagination brings it all to life. When I'm in the middle of a really, really good piece of fiction, I can't wait to get back to it; I construct that world and characters in my head as if they're real and find myself wondering about them. It's a marvelous way to escape reality for a little while.
Chan790
(20,176 posts)I write fiction.
I don't however read very much nonfiction or watch the news. I'm an escapist and reality is horrifying.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)malthaussen
(17,230 posts)We're all gonna die some time.
-- Mal
treestar
(82,383 posts)not sure how to describe it. Overly literal and lacking in imagination. Talk about pragmatism. That's practicality to a very high standard.
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CherokeeDem
(3,709 posts)A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
I prefer to enjoy a thousand lives.
NewJeffCT
(56,829 posts)great quote
Demoiselle
(6,787 posts)Without imagination, human beings are worse than useless
sendero
(28,552 posts).... fiction/storytelling is a very important catalyst of our cultural development and shared conciousness. It's beyond vital.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)But the statement that fiction is a waste of time is nonsense. Some modern fiction I find contrived and farfetched as per it's genre I guess. Gone Girl comes to mind. Very popular. Very very poorly written with glaring plot holes and a worthless ending. That was a waste of time.
But when you are steeped in reality, truth and facts that type of literature can be irritating I guess. To each their own.
Right now I am reading Poilu by Louis Barthus, a diary of a French WWI soldier. 475 pages of pure gold to me. Some might say it's not even literature. But again to each their own.
Iggo
(47,586 posts)nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)csziggy
(34,139 posts)RebelOne
(30,947 posts)Most movies are fictional.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)Now, change "reading fiction" to "watching professional sports" and I might change my tune ...
arcane1
(38,613 posts)Fiction in general is not my "thing" but I still enjoy it from time to time. Say, maybe one fiction book per year. I suppose if I read nothing but fiction it would technically be a waste of my time, since I wouldn't be reading the stuff I enjoy most.
ohnoyoudidnt
(1,858 posts)If that is his opinion, to each his own. Does this person spend time watching tv or sports games? I do like fiction, but I have preference for non- fiction. They are both worthy in many ways. Learning new ideas in both can change your life.
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)I read almost exclusively non-fiction, and when I read fiction, it is old classics from the 19th or 20th century.
JVS
(61,935 posts)Because young children need to read in order to improve their reading skill, reading is often viewed as a good thing in unqualified terms. Thus a child who is obsessed with something like Goosebumps, Harry Potter, The Babysitter Club, the Hardy Boys, etc. is encouraged to go ahead and read all he or she can in comparison to a child who grows obsessed with similar subject matter but in the form of TV or movies. And I'm ok with this because young children need to practice the mechanics of reading. As these children get older though, their reading should tend to greater sophistication. And as far as adults go, we should probably be reading things that have significant literary merit. I'm not impressed by someone plowing through all of the Tom Clancy or John Grisham novels, or reading every romance novel they can find. They might as well be watching TV.
So I'd modify it to "Reading fiction can be a complete waste of time"
Flaxbee
(13,661 posts)this person would agree with you -- and when qualified like that, I can't say I disagree -- and am guilty of reading away a lovely afternoon with a mediocre book that turned out to not have been worth my time.
I don't think everything a person reads needs to be educational or mind-expanding or thought-provoking, and I certainly am not a book snob, but I do feel a bit of brain rot if I don't challenge myself with my reading material. During extremely stressful times, though, "junk" fiction saves my life - pure escapism.
raccoon
(31,130 posts)there's anything wrong with that.
But by that philosophy, we should only be listening to music that has significant merit.
JVS
(61,935 posts)And yeah, you should try to listen to good music instead of music that sucks.
raccoon
(31,130 posts)shenmue
(38,506 posts)Reading is awesome.
Taitertots
(7,745 posts)Some people have a hard time distinguishing between things that they enjoy/dislike and things with are a waste of time, wrong, unneeded, stupid....
I have no interest in reading fiction. Reading something that provides mental stimulation and entertainment is never a waste of time.
This person has fallen victim to the idea that their personal preferences define absolute truths about the world around them.
Paladin
(28,281 posts)I have a few other thoughts, but I'll withhold them, on the chance the person who expressed the anti-fiction opinion is your spouse or partner, with whom you're celebrating an anniversary.
perceptive of you.
comment mostly geared toward the mysteries I tend to enjoy ... as this person has no problem with Shakespeare, Lord Byron, etc...
Paladin
(28,281 posts)Do you participate in DU's Fiction group? I'd be interested to know what mysteries you like; I'm partial to Raymond Chandler and James Lee Burke.
Rob H.
(5,354 posts)That's straight-up crazy talk, is what that is. There a few things better than reading a good mystery to while away the hours.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)I am always reading a book, a work of fiction.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)"This world is full of so many things you don't know... when you read something somebody just made up...?"
raccoon
(31,130 posts)that helps us personally.
For instance, I've read some works where I really identify with a character, and sometimes
it's like holding up a mirror.
I wonder if the same people who are of the opinion that reading fiction is a waste of time
watch TV dramas, reality shows, sitcoms, etc. And, as another poster mentioned, you could
say the same about movies--most movies are fiction.
(Psst: Even movies which are supposedly based on truth or historical events are often highly fictionalized.)
grilled onions
(1,957 posts)It has pushed many a student into delving further into a topic. For example a story about a butterfly collector can create enough interest into a young reader to want to learn more about butterflies.
In a world where people are stressed and they need escape a book of fiction can be just what they need to unwind.
Many books of historical fiction manage to sneak in real pieces of history on subjects that the reader may not have known before.
There are many fictional characters(especially those in series) that can seem very really and their humor or talents come through. A steady reader of a certain character may, out loud, quote one of their gems. This may give the reader a bit of their favorite uncle(if they had one).
No reading is wasteful. Even if you ending up disliking the book you can still glean something out of it. In a worst case scenario they can make great door stops!
mainer
(12,037 posts)then he must also agree that it's a waste of time to:
-- listen to music
-- dance
-- watch plays, TV, movies
-- visit a museum
-- visit an amusement park
-- sit in the sun and daydream
He/she sounds like a "hunter/gatherer" kind of person who believes that only those activities that pay the rent or put food on the table are useless. He also sounds really, really boring.