Do not read books, and die happy

This year, the main Polish literary award, Nike, got the novel "The dark, almost overnight," Joanna Bator (Joanna Bator). At first glance - a reason for joy, if not for the fact that no one is interested. There is something grotesque in the awarding of literary prizes in the country, which do not read books. What is this award, even if it does not affect the circulation of the book-winner?
Solemnly dressed representatives of the literary world, gathered Sunday afternoon in the library of Warsaw University, spoke without embellishment on the crisis and the collapse of literature literary awards. Sipping the white, the red wine under the carpaccio of salmon, humanities painted gloomy scenarios for the future without books and the coming era of new illiterates.
The pessimistic mood prevails not only in the literary sidelines. Annual statistics are not left on the readers of dry skin. According to the most recent data, 40% of Poles in the past year had not taken up a book (including albums, directories, or dictionaries). Regularly reading only 11% of the population, while the "regular" means seven books a year.
No effects do not bring promotions readings are not even veiled threats, as that was the leitmotif of a campaign: "Do not you read? I sleep with you I will not. " Poles grip on the reluctance to read, and are fighting for the freedom of choice of the literary ignorance. And, in general, they are right. Indeed, in our time reading it makes no sense. Here are five reasons why this is so:
1. Reading is not useful
The truth is that a person can perfectly live without books. You can be loved, popular, and succeed to pass for an intelligent man, absolutely no contact with the literature. So what? And nothing! This is reason enough to recognize that reading is not a necessary attribute of life. Much more useful books may be even facebook.
There are so many more important areas: work, family, clothing, shopping, friends, food, partying, sex and sports. And each, in contrast to books, provides some advantages. Reading antisocial, thanks to him, you feel better yourself (rather the other way around), with its help it is impossible to make an impression. Why spend time on an activity that does not give us anything, once in your life you can do so many other more meaningful things?
2. Reading is time consuming
Film: one and a half hours. Series series: 30-55 minutes. Party / hike in beer: six hours plus possible hangover the next morning. Newspaper: hour. Music: may sound background and do not take the time. And the book? To read the novel, you need to allocate at least a couple dozen hours! Who in our time there so long ?! It's just physically impossible to man the whole day sitting at work, tired as a dog returns home, goes shopping, then you need something else to cook, take a partner, children, pets ... Close to midnight, he was almost turned off and on its last legs succeeds Only take out of the fridge a bottle of beer and a half-hour jump on TV the other hand flipping through facebook. If a miracle happened and the children went to the grandmother (how often it happens - three or four times a month?), He will not sit down for a book and, of course, will meet with friends, to the cinema, maybe the match, play computer game or sit in facebook. Anything less time-consuming than reading. The calculation is simple.
3. Reading tires
Ever since elementary school knows that reading - a meal. Middle and high school only confirm this sad truth, breathe easy only after the final exam. Getting rid of a list of books, surveys on knowledge of the characters, essays, works with the interpretation of poems and literary reference about the era. What sane person would want to come back to this nightmare?
After all, reading - is a tedious task. It not only takes a lot of time (see para. 2), but also requires a focus on one activity, peace, tranquility, solitude and rejection of all distracting items such as the Internet and mobile phones. But so many things need to have time!
Therefore, the Internet wins: catchy status, a long article in one paragraph, and of course, pictures. And movies. Best in multiple windows at once, plus an open chat and music player. You can feel that you live life to the fullest! With this style of existence multitask reading a book seems some penance, mortification. More from school everything seems nicer this paper sackcloth.
4. Reading unprofitable
It's not about making us pay for books read. Just other activities, at least indirectly, may increase our capital. At parties, we meet new people, it has a chance to turn into a partnership; social networks we form the image, and this can have far-reaching consequences for all life: we see, assess, network reputation requires work.
Even in the movie has a meaning: it is possible to see with friends, share experiences, and at least lighten the mood. The music is the same, especially with the dance or with well-known hits: dance, sing karaoke, someone like (usually himself).
How brag book? It is highly unlikely that someone you know has heard it on the last book you read, and even more so, read it. Quite another matter last series "Breaking Bad": its something everyone looked, it was something, and ?!
5. Do you read? You - a loser
Reading non-sexual and smacks luzerstva. Readers often belong to one of the following groups:
 - Botany. They sit in the front row, do all the homework and rarely allowed to write off. They have problems with the friendly and sexual promiscuity. They are afraid of cigarettes, alcohol and panic, getting four plus. They hate everyone in the class, but botanists do not care, they make it a delight teachers and scores of Olympiad.
 - Lanky. Those who always have an exemption from physical education because of asthma or any spinal curvature. Unlike the nerds do not allow themselves to beat, having an amazing ability to evaporate, when it begins to smell of fried, and forgetting about asthma when you need to take a hand in the legs. In the women's version: crybaby, coward and capricious.
 - Aliens. With them, no sign, no one has ever heard their voices, did not know their names. In terms of their buddies come only other aliens, who also knows nobody. They supposedly amazing interest and extraordinary ability (particularly in one area such as computer science or mathematics) deter potential curious.
 - Bookworm. People against whom form the library. Distinguishing sign: always have with them at least five kilos of books. These apartments are not for life, and for storage of book collections, so the tragedy of the most important to them - is moving. They manic seek to increase its library and is obsessed with buying all the paper, which is not yet on their shelves. Scornfully laugh at people who asked the question "And you all read it?»
Language student - any item of the above plus the frustration that no matter how hard you try, the second Gombrowicz (a Polish classics of XX century - approx. Trans.) Not going.
In summary of the above: in a world where everything must have its purpose, every action should benefit, time equals money, and the man is just as much of this money has managed to accumulate, reading becomes meaningless.
So I had a suggestion: let the people who believe the book useless simply will not read them. Let them dwell in the world of unnecessary objects themselves, incomprehensible principles and feelings they do not know how to describe. Let them believe what they see, and listen to those who tell them how things look in reality. Let them dutifully participate in the race imposed on them, but let them, for God's sake, do not ask any questions. But, actually, what questions they might ask? After all, they do not know any alternatives.
Because of this they will die happy in the framework of a functioning system. They have not known the pangs of independent thinking, anguish associated with reflections of themselves and the world, not the disease will gain awareness that there are different points of view and broad perspective. Let them continue to swell the ranks of slaves, sheep and gears. No it does not encroach. Quite the contrary: it is easier to manage a dull crowd.
And we, of Botany and bookworms, buy the book Joanna Bator and we wait with burning cheeks literary Nobel laureate ads.
Source Your text to link ...