I’ve met a number of intelligent people of my own age, and I notice a lot of them are well read in literature. It can be intimidating for me occasionally, especially when I don’t read fictional literature very often at all.
This is not to say I don’t read. What is meant is that I read predominately non-fiction, such as articles in Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, EDGE magazine, etc (on top of the various resources I read on the internet concerning math and philosophy). I’ve always taken an avid interest in non-fiction works of this sort. However, it’s almost deemed necessary for intelligent individuals to read fictional books such as “Brave New Worldâ€?, “Slaughterhouse 5â€? etc. To say I haven’t read these books (and more so to admit my lack of interest in doing so in the future) seems to put at risk my standing as an intelligent individual to others.In a nutshell, I find most fictional literature to be overly subjective, and drawn too much into the personal thought processes of the narrator as opposed to what's happening in actuality around them. Occasionally when I’m reading, I feel as though I’m simply recounting someone’s rambling, drunken thoughts. Not to say this is a bad thing of course, as the writer can reach a very clever, relevant point eventually. I find non-fiction as interesting as I do because I believe its one of the few things I can piece together in my head much better than other ideas.I suppose what my problem is, is that I’m concerned more with understanding the world around me as opposed to the mind. I have enough rambling thoughts of mine as it is to begin consume those of others. On the other side, many find the mind, language and the emotional intelligence of others much more interesting as opposed to the world of science and math.I don’t know, really. I can only assume.
Being Well Read in Fictional Literature
Posted by RabbidMickeyMouse on Oct. 27, 2007, 11:05 a.m.
Comments
It really doesn't matter what type of literature you read. What is important is that you are able to stimulate your mind and become intelligent. There are very many different ways people improve there IQ and is has nothing to do with what types of books they read. The best thing is to listen to what they have to say and learn from them, even if you don't understand it immediately.
Well, reading and study + Stimulation of the mind and the ability to ask questions leads to the higher topics of math and science, but some are just too lazy to do so now, because we have just about everything we want for a good life. It's good to have a sort of intelligence like that on the internet, because when it comes to MMO's, oh lord. They degrade themselves so much just to fit in, it can drive one nuts.
For me though, I like to read fiction though, I like to read what other minds think of and what they bring into matter from their brain. It also, somehow, helps me understand how many others feel just from actions, appearances, and even their stance can tell me what their current emotion and situation is. Fiction just seems to teach me that sort of thing.I happen to have a very strong interest in fictional literature, but I know what you're talking about. Sometimes the overly-subjective nature of fiction (and more often, people's interpretations of it) gets to me. I don't really like literature classes, because they tend to be a bunch of people who think they're all smart and deep saying trite and/or baseless and tenuously inferred things. I think literature should be read more and discussed less. And there are also definite merits to nonfiction. My mother is sort of like you, where she only ever reads nonfiction. She's certainly well informed, and her being my mother and all, I don't hold it against her. I think a lot of people who read literature are very arrogant about that fact, and it's bad. I myself am split somewhere down the middle between wanting to understand the mind and wanting to understand the universe (I prefer math and science classes to literature classes, but I prefer reading fiction to reading non-fiction). And often, I find, the questions go hand in hand.
I love literature!
But I don't read alot. I have a short attention span, when it comes to books, (love playing videogames too much!) but I do love a good poem, (my class is currently studying Tony Harisson. That man is a poetic genious, both technically and visually).But remember, articulation does not always equal intellignece. There are some people who are geniouses in their field but can't even socialise, (I remember watching a documentary about a blind, disabled, child who was amazing at piano music).Just because someone reads a lot of literature, does not mean that they can write a good book as it issometimes nature, not nurture that can determine intelligneceBut fiction makes the world go round .__.
Meh, read:
Wind in the willows (Friendship much?)To kill a Mockingbird (Boo Radley much?)Flatland (Dimensions rly?)You can probably find free e-books of them on Project Gutenburg (probably not spelled right, at the very least Flatland is on it, and probably WitW).If you simply say that 3rd paragraph, people will know you are intelligent.
I dont read much. So…
yeahYou may want to look into reading one of the many novels by Neal Stephenson. He's notorious for drawing in the reader with the world and not the characters. His style is incredibly different from most fiction out there. Give it a try.
I suggest Snow Crash and Quicksilver, but if you like what you're reading, take a stab at Cryptonomicon.I believe intelligence is based solely off reason, and everything else simply branches off that. The thing about fiction is that it is fun to read and can also been deep and mind provoking. No one other than me, you, and a select other few reads or would want to read science journals all the time lol