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It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

theatlantic.com

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Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#271

Post by api »

cphoover wrote: post #7
sdevonoes wrote: post #2

For me, reading used to be a way to enjoy part of my free time. Nowadays is still that but it’s also a way to relax. Even though I don’t have accounts in the main social media networks (instagram, fb, twitter, youtube, etc) I still consume them indirectly on a weekly basis (e.g., i like to watch videoclips in YT, a friend sends me a twitter link, etc). It makes me anxious. I’ve realised that consuming in tiny bits (s…

I'm afraid I am addicted to short-form video and wish I could go back to spending more of my free-time reading books.

Short form video is disturbingly addictive.

I generally refuse to engage with it. A while back I started scrolling some YouTube shorts. Hours later my brain felt fried and… it was hours later? It was kind of shocking and frightening. It felt like I had no memory of the past three hours, like it was a true state of hypnosis.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#272

Post by Brian_K_White »

shimman wrote: post #242
bkandel wrote: post #174

> Margaret Rennix, Harvard’s assistant director for humanities and social-sciences support, told me she’d spoken with a student who was struggling to read a book written in Old English. The culprit: Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange. (The student used ChatGPT to “translate” the book into easier language.) Has the author read A Clockwork Orange? It is filled with made-up "slang" that's basically just Rus…

Yeah, this is definitely a massive slight. If it was any other book I'd buy it, but when you read terms like "horrorshow," or "platty", or "droogs" in the first few paragraphs it's not hard to see why one would look up words. Also who describes "A Clockwork Orange" as old english? There has to be a phrase for journalists that a conclusion ready in hand but their work is just finding scant/nonexistent evidence proving…

The whole point of the line is to show that it was not in fact old english. That's why they wrote the line that way.

You were supposed to read that final disclosure part as a punchline which puts the students complaint into it's proper context of being ridiculous.

Instead you took it at face value and agree with the flummoxed student that it is totally unreasonable to be expected to deduce what droog meant from context.

No one ever needed those words to be translated. I promise I am no genius. I am here wasting time with comments like this on HN instead of literally anything better.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#273

Post by saidmukhamad »

everdrive wrote: post #155

You would be surprised just how quickly you can re-learn the focus to enjoy long-form writing and novels. Much like exercise, don't let your ego get in the way. Find something you enjoy, even if it's a bit trash, and just make it a habit. Like with everything you do regularly, your brain will get better at it, the habit will become more automatic, and you'll find yourself wanting to read more, and more often. It's ve…

Also it's not late for first time learners to get the love for reading and question things, just matter of a focus, will and discipline, as it's for any field human would want to tackle

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#274

Post by Brian_K_White »

mrweasel wrote: post #202
pizzalife wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems like a pretty controversial take. Why would you not be able to learn things orally?

You absolutely can learn orally, what I'd question is if you can do so without active listening. Listing to anything while doing, well anything, is pretty pointless to me, I tends to not listen and not absorb anything. I can barely listen to a podcast while working out, I miss huge gaps where my brain just isn't listening.

Maybe working out requires attention like a sport if you're trying to eploy proper technique and be observant of pains or signs, develop, etc.

I miss nothing from listening to books while driving, doing the dishes, other houshold chores, puttering in the garage like working on a bike or car, even home repars that are somewhat technical, even electronics if only the solding/building part.

The only time I can't listen to a book (and actually get anything out of it) is when my forground activity requires the same kinds of facilities. For instance with the electronics. Listening to a book while soldering a pcb is no problem at all. The two things don't conflict, and neither hurts the other. But I can't work on the design of that same pcb whilke listening to a book. In that case the schematic gets designed fine and the book is a blank like I slept through it. pcb layout is kinda half-way. It's more visual/spacial, which is almost like doing some ordinary manual task, but it does take more problem solving attention and the book loses out somewhat sometimes.

But for all kinds of activities it's like two different things that don't impact each other at all.

Even creative things as long as it's in a different domain like drawing vs having some politics explained.

I can't listen to a book and write a song at the same time. Or code.

Cad is like pcb layout kinda 50/50 so I might still put something on but just a podcast where I don't care if I miss something.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#275

Post by abrowne »

beej71 wrote: post #177
snarfy wrote: post #130

I read non-fiction all day long. I'm sure you do too. Even as a kid I was never really interested in fiction. I'd rather read the encyclopedia.

I know there are a number of us who read encyclopedias over our breakfast cereal as kids. Ours were World Book.

Was your bookshelf stained from sliding them out? Ours was all red on the bottom edge.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#276

Post by senordevnyc »

eudamoniac wrote: post #267
chowells wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Improve at what? Pretentiousness? Book people really hate to hear it, but literary fiction follows Sturgeon's law just as much as Sturgeon's own genre. 90% of it isn't worth reading, and that includes 90% of what's fashionable at any given time. You're better off reading books you enjoy than suffering through garbage that you're told you're a bad person if you don't read. (Literary fiction isn't bad. But for the love…

Improve at the ability to read, understand, and digest higher literature. I am in complete agreement with you that 99% of books are crap. It's the 1% that you hopefully want to get around to reading, and those are typically not the easiest reads.

Eh, 99% of “literature” that I’ve read also wasn’t worth reading, and didn’t leave me with any lasting impact.

Unfortunately that last 1% has been so impactful that it’s still worth seeking it out.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#277

Post by senordevnyc »

rTX5CMRXIfFG wrote: post #269
functionmouse wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's true; I also started reading the comments before clicking the article. Show of hands?

I actually read the article first, but I find it too long, and unnecessarily so. I am a huge proponent of reading, especially for the acquisition of new knowledge and perspectives, but I consider this form of writing rather entitled, beating around the bush and demanding too much of my time and attention just to make a point or two.

I completely agree. No wonder this form of “journalism” is in decline. It feels so self-indulgent and lacking in awareness of how precious attention really is.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#278

Post by taeric »

chowells wrote: post #264
eudamoniac wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it's also important to realize that it is "doing it bad" if you are hoping to run a 4 minute mile but your only training is slowly walking around the block forever. At some point you have to seek out more substantial books. You can't just continually read pulp fiction and think you're going to improve at anything; you have to progress.

Improve at what? Pretentiousness? Book people really hate to hear it, but literary fiction follows Sturgeon's law just as much as Sturgeon's own genre. 90% of it isn't worth reading, and that includes 90% of what's fashionable at any given time. You're better off reading books you enjoy than suffering through garbage that you're told you're a bad person if you don't read. (Literary fiction isn't bad. But for the love…

To be fair, this is no different than any other thing people might want to do more of. Increasing the amount you can bench press, cycle, run, read, write, cook, whatever. Most will allow you to progress at something that most people don't care about. Nor, necessarily, should they.

By far, the best thing to learn when learning to progress at something, is learning to be satisfied with your own progression.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#279

Post by amanaplanacanal »

smcg wrote: post #255
analog8374 wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

when you spend long times focusing your attention upon that whole reading process it tends to stick. Like a drug with long-term effects. Do you want those effects?

This is very difficult with our notification-based lifestyles. Either I allow myself to be interrupted or I come back to missed messages and calls.

Man... If the call is important, they can leave a message. And text messages are designed to be async. Anybody who thinks they own my time better be paying me big $$.

I refuse to be a slave to a device in my pocket.

Re: It seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history

#280

Post by senordevnyc »

inanutshellus wrote: post #195
_doctor_love wrote: post #21

We were in an age of reading? I gave up about 10 years ago on people as readers. I have recommended so many books and articles to software people over the years and it's honestly depressing how many people have told me they don't like to read. Like...you're a programmer? And you don't like to read? I assumed that people who enjoy software would be into intellectual stimulation but I've learned that this is wrong. Mor…

if you wear yourself out mentally all day as part of your occupation, digging into a "good" book is often too much work. As anecdata: My wife has a "brainy" occupation and her brilliant sister does not. Correspondingly, my wife has no interest in "brainy" books in her free time whilst her sister is always recommending new 900 page tomes.

I relate to this. My brain is fried after a long day of work, and the last thing I have the energy for is reading something challenging. It’s either light reading, or more often (which I’m a little sad about), watching something.
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