How to answer people asking you 'Why do you love to read?"

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   wanzulfikriposted 13 years ago

   My friend just asked me and I felt weird thinking about the answers. For me, books are forms of entertainment and knowledge. What do you guys think?

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      dtrunceposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      When you watch a movie or TV show you are seeing what everyone else sees - there's nothing special about it.  But when you read your imagination creates the details of the story.  It becomes personal to you - you use the author's details to create an image in your mind.  That's why seeing the movie after reading a book can be disappointing.  It rarely comes across on screen the way you envisioned it.

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         wixorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Also, a movie is clearly more commercial, catering to a shorter attention span. As you say, with a book, your imagination is creating the detail, but you also have more time for that to develop. Now and then you might see a movie which makes you think, even after the movie has finished, rare though that might be!
         
         Personally, I think writing, rather than reading gives you even more enjoyment. I think too many books are written with movie rights in mind!

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      cobrienposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My sister and I raised our seven children in the same house. When I read, I don't have to worry about missing a an important part of the story. That's what I tell people.

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      V Qisyaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Just let your friend know that reading is part of you and it makes you a little wiser ;D

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   wixorposted 13 years ago

   One response to your friend might be: Why do you love to do the things you do?
   
   That sounds a little defensive, I know. But there are simple, or complex answers to such deep questions!
   
   Why do some people love sports? If you consider that sports are simply a modern day way to resolve tribal conflict it does make sense.
   
   Why does reading/writing exist at all? Human beings need to communicate effectively, to gain knowledge and be entertained; just as you say in your post.
   
   But, why do people love some things, and not others? That would be a question far removed from my simple understanding of life!

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   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   I answer their question with asking a question- why does it concern you?

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   moiragallagaposted 13 years ago

   It's kind of hard to explain but I love to read because of the satisfaction or this wonderful feeling I get when I set aside time for myself to relax and read a book. I guess it operates on two levels. One is the entertainment and interest generated by the story of a good book and the other is the emotional satisfaction of the whole exercise of reading - time for yourself, relaxation, setting aside for a while all your worldly worries, etc.

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   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   Nobody's ever asked me that one.  Everyone I know just takes for granted that everyone else reads.    (I hope your friend was just taking a survey or writing a school report or something, because that's a kind of bizarre question.    )
   
   I suppose my answer would be, "Because there's something I want to learn more about, and reading is the only way to do that."  I'd probably add that I do enjoy reading because it's interesting.

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   EmpressFelicityposted 13 years ago

   IMO "Why do you love to read?" isn't nearly such a strange question as "Why are you reading?" (as mentioned in a Bill Hicks comedy routine once).

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      kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Damn it, you got there first!

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         EmpressFelicityposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Great minds think alike
         
         I dunno why, but that particular comedy routine has always stuck in my mind for some reason. One thing's for sure, I'd hate to live in a world where people thought it was perfectly resonable to ask that particular question. I'd know that the idiots had truly taken over.

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            kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            With the rise of e-readers I do wonder if someday reading a proper book will be considered weird? I also wonder if all my books will become collectors items?

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   kirstenblogposted 13 years ago

   This reminds me of Bill Hicks
   
   He did this bit in his comedy stand up where he tells the story of visiting a cafe in the south. The waitress comes up to him and asks "what ya readin for?" to which he replies, "so I don't end up a waitress on minimum wage!". What got him was the 'for' bit, totally expected to be asked what he was reading, not what he was reading for

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   mel22posted 13 years ago

   i think your description stated it all... basically if it's fiction than the answer would be for entertainment and if it was non-fiction then the answer would be for 'knowledge'... so just as you said 'for entertainment and knowledge'

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   mel22posted 13 years ago

   I personally don't like fiction so my personal answer would  be only the
   'for knowledge' part

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    LisaKoskiposted 13 years ago

    I always like asking people who ask me why I read why they don't read. That's something that I just don't understand. Usually they say something like "reading is too boring." Pretty sure a life without any reading would be very unfulfilled and under-informed.

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    ikechiawazieposted 13 years ago

    I have been asked by my friends and even my mom, "why do you like to read" and my answer has always been that I just can't help it; I love to read. Nothing is weird about that. What's weird is when people try to make you look weird to what they think is weird.

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    muhamet zuberposted 5 years ago

    i have no enough money to travel world
      so by reading i can saw whole world

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