Do You Like Reading? (A Dumb Question?)

[KiwiINTJ]

It seems to me that the vast majority of INTJs absolutely love reading. I personally can't stand it and I am just wondering if there are any others out there that feel the same way (sometimes I can tolerate it if I am reading something critically important to me - such as this forum - but it's a necessary evil as far as I am concerned)?

Don't get me wrong I really enjoy knowing lots of stuff and generally being a walking encyclopaedia (at least about the areas that interest me), but I just find reading extremely tedious and a horribly inefficient form of learning (I get bored really easily when I read). I would much rather watch a documentary, get involved in an intellectual conversation/lecture, or generally do something more mentally interactive (not to be confused with socially interactive!).

What are your experiences with reading??

[Homini Lupus]

I prefer books full of ideas to develop by myself rather than tomes of raw data; or fiction. I find reading fantastic as long as it keeps a challenge and a stimulus, also in fiction (that's the main reason I prefer sci-fi), an active thing. Otherwise I prefer passing to another book or another activity.

[Nexus]

I have so many books on my shelf that they're almost ready to fall off. In fact, I just bought 3 new books yesterday. They are Idoru, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, all by William Gibson. I tend to stay away from romantic novels even when they're classic literature simply because I find some people's notions of "love" disgusting and too unbelievable. I have books in history, psychology, mythology and religion. I also read a lot of fiction including classic literature, cyberpunk, military, horror, comedy, and science fiction.

I tend to gravitate more towards books that pose a meaningful idea rather than an entertaining story. That isn't to say the story itself isn't important, but if it doesn't mean anything then I don't see the point in reading it. To me literature is a medium through which the author can propose an idea in a way in which non-fiction or blunt explanation cannot. There are very few novels I can think of that I would care to read that didn't have an overall idea trying to be conveyed.

Despite my enjoyment of reading I tend to collect books faster than I can get through them. Even now I have over a dozen books collecting dust on my overcrowded shelf.

[Homini Lupus]

Despite my enjoyment of reading I tend to collect books faster than I can get through them. Even now I have over a dozen books collecting dust on my overcrowded shelf.

Buying books gives the impression of giving the time to read them and time is the only thing wich will always be limited for everybody, so buying books looks like making a step towards immortality.

[KiwiINTJ]

So is reading done more so for entertainment than for intellectual development (in the traditional sense)?

Any reading that I do do is pretty much only for intellectual development (although one could argue that this could be considered entertainment given that I enjoy growing my mind – but I don’t want to split hairs). I have read a few novels in my life, but generally I don’t enjoy “entertainment reading” as much as watching a movie, or playing computer games - I find these activities more mentally stimulating.

I also prefer a movie over the corresponding book, even though the book will have more details. This suits me though because I am generally more interested in the bigger picture such as that conveyed in the movie, rather than the details.

I have an INTJ father, and an INTP brother who find the same thing, although I suspect we might be in a minority for people of our type. I wonder if there is a relationship between these sorts of preferences and personality type?

[Max]

I'm not a huge fan of reading. I would rather watch or listen. There are very fews books that I actually look forward to finishing, and if I don't look forward to reading the next chapter then I probably won't pick it up again. I usually find myself enjoying the mystery-type novels where you have to pick up clues from the pages and try to figure out the answer before it's explained at the end (The Da Vinci Code was one of my favorites as well as Death Note: Another Note). I also like a lot of dialogue and one time I even skipped a page because there wasn't any XP

[Rohsiph]

I'm embarrassed to admit I'm not a very active reader, yet happen to be an aspiring writer.

When I find the time to read, I am voracious and can almost always find a way to be compelled by imaginative texts.

However, when I have a choice as to what to do with my free time, I tend to spend it elsewhere. I expect the motivation to change my habits will hit a few months after I finish my bachelor's degree in English and Philosophy.

[ssrprotege]

Unfortunately I have to say I am not an avid reader - but hoping to be transformed into an active reader. Not that I don't like books, but most books seem boring to me. For this reason, I am very selective in terms of books. When I like it, I am very much into it; if not, I find it very boring. Mostly I prefer non-fiction books with theoretical streaks. Novels I am even more selective. Unlike most people who posted here, I am not a big fan of mystery novels, as I prefer to watch crime/detective drama on TV.





ssrprotege added to this post, 2 minutes and 1 seconds later...

Feeling lazy, I will add the posts with which I can identify myself.

I prefer books full of ideas to develop by myself rather than tomes of raw data; or fiction. I find reading fantastic as long as it keeps a challenge and a stimulus. Otherwise I prefer passing to another book or another activity.


Any reading that I do do is pretty much only for intellectual development (although one could argue that this could be considered entertainment given that I enjoy growing my mind – but I don’t want to split hairs). I have read a few novels in my life, but generally I don’t enjoy “entertainment reading” as much as watching a movie, or playing computer games - I find these activities more mentally stimulating.

[Pirate1650]

I hate reading more than a couple pages on one subject. If I read it is online or in a magazine. The only two books I ever liked and reccomend are Under the Black Flag, about pirates, and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Both change subjects and characters fast and kept my interest, mostly fact after fact, no useless fluff or dialog.

I rather learn by experience.

[KiwiINTJ]

Very interesting. Perhaps there isn't any relationship after all.

[Synamon]

Love, love, love reading. When I was younger I used to go spend my weekend days in the library just so I could be surrounded by all those books. You'd find me curled up in a chair reading in the corner.

Now I spend summers at a cabin with no TV and you will find me curled up on a chair reading in the shade during the day, or curled up on a chair next to the fireplace reading on a rainy day.

I shudder to think how empty my life would have been without books. These days there is the internet so that has opened up a whole new world of reading, I surf around reading whatever catches my fancy online as much as reading books these days.

Reading is like breathing for me.

[AutisticCuckoo]

Reading is like breathing for me.

Same here. I sometimes have to force myself to put the book down and get something done. I enjoy fiction and non-fiction alike. When it comes to fiction I read anything from whodunnits to classics, although it must be of an adequate linguistic quality.

Most of my favourite authors are British or American and I prefer to read them in English. I really hate the poor Swedish translations you get for anything but the most popular books. Sometimes I think they've just run the whole thing through Babelfish or Google Translate.

My #1 favourite is Terry Pratchett. I was devastated when I learned that he's got early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

[Vivid]

I think getting used to reading takes some effort. Once you get over the first bump, it becomes a healthy addiction.
I love reading.

[TheReal]

I don't have interests in story books. I prefer movies. I tried reading Lord of the Rings but I didn't get past the first book. I only read the novels we studied in Language Arts. If I try reading a story book, my mind will just wonder away while reading, and I will day dream while still reading the text. Then I'll finish a page and realize I didn't pay attention to what I was reading at all. hehe. Plus the details and descriptions in story books just annoy the hell out of me.

When looking for reference pictures for art class, I would read a few pages out of encyclopedias and national geographic's.

I was basically reading because I had to, for school. Then I turned 18 and read about 10 business and investing books in less than 3 months. So If something gets my interest, I can get pretty involved in reading. I read lots of stuff on the internet about everything.

[Monte314]

We have over 4,000 books in our home. My wife has catalogued all of them in a database, and they are arranged according to Dewey Decimal.

I don't read all that much fiction. I like historical novels (the Shara books on the Civil War, for example).

Most of my reading is related to my technical work, more journal papers than books, actually.

[KiwiINTJ]

I don't have interests in story books. I prefer movies. I tried reading Lord of the Rings but I didn't get past the first book. I only read the novels we studied in Language Arts. If I try reading a story book, my mind will just wonder away while reading, and I will day dream while still reading the text. Then I'll finish a page and realize I didn't pay attention to what I was reading at all. hehe. Plus the details and descriptions in story books just annoy the hell out of me.

When looking for reference pictures for art class, I would read a few pages out of encyclopedias and national geographic's.

I was basically reading because I had to, for school. Then I turned 18 and read about 10 business and investing books in less than 3 months. So If something gets my interest, I can get pretty involved in reading. I read lots of stuff on the internet about everything.


I can relate to this.

[Claptonian]

I loved reading until I got a job as a book reviewer. When I had to read certain books, I found it nearly impossible and it made all reading, even when the books were of my own choosing, feel tedious. I left that job months ago, but I'm still not able to read habitually. Hopefully that will change.

[SongofSeptember]

I love reading to death. I love every book I finish, and I finish every book I can get past the first two chapters of. If the book is really good, I go through this obsession period during which I go online and look up every scrap of info about the book and its author. I pretty much read everything; both fiction and non-fiction. The latter I have only developed an interest in recently, due to the fact that I was forced to read some non-fiction books in my childhood that were so dry you could practically wipe spills with it. I also frequent fictionpress.com and fanfiction.net. I must admit, 80% of what's on there is crap, but the remaining 20% contains some pretty good stuff.

Unlike some of you, I despise watching movies--especially movies based on books. TV shows are fine, but I hardly do what you'd call watching. I analyze the acting of every single person, sometimes out loud, which is why it's not a surprise nobody, save my mom, has ever suggested watching a movie with me after the initial experience.

I loved reading until I got a job as a book reviewer. When I had to read certain books, I found it nearly impossible and it made all reading, even when the books were of my own choosing, feel tedious. I left that job months ago, but I'm still not able to read habitually. Hopefully that will change.

I can relate to this, actually. I hate it when I am made to read certain books for a certain period of time. For instance, last summer my mom made me read at least one hour of a certain book every single day. At first I thought it was okay, and then it became unbearable and I found myself watching the clock 50% of the time. It was, as you described, tedious. However I was able to return to reading fairly quickly, as long as the material was of my own choosing.

[jswarthout]

love to as long as i can visualize the content:

physics, math, art history, those dan brown novels

[mkay]

I'm an ENTP reader. I love to read, usually have several books going at once, a mix of nonfiction and fiction. Sometimes it takes me awhile to get to certain books I've bought because I have to be in the right mood for the subject or the genre. I read fiction when I feel like reading but am too lazy or tired to learn.

I haven't watched TV in years, though I used to like public TV, C-SPAN, History Channel-type stuff. I retain better when I've read learning material or when I've heard it from a live human. I like being able to listen to a lecture, ask questions and hear other people's questions and perspectives, for instance.

[Tuesday]

Yep, you bet I love reading. I work in a library so it goes with the territory. I mainly read non-fiction books. However, I do have to keep up on new literature so I read fiction too, just not as much.

[phantasma]

Of course I love reading. However, I don't have an interest in any recent fiction that I know of. I don't exactly fall for stuff like Eragon and the Twilight series. I usually keep to classic literature and nonfiction, with a bit of manga and comedy on the side.

Also, like Nexus, I am a lot more drawn to the ideas being illustrated in a book rather than the story, unless the character/s are well developed and I can relate to them.

[Eric86]

I've probably read well over 1,000 books by now. I started in 4th grade by reading all of the books in the library related to science, technology, ancient history, and weapons/warfare in the elementary library, and then in the high school library when I got there (as well as much of them in the local public library). I also have a few hundred books, mostly military novels, Lord of the Rings (and other related ones), and Star Wars books. Lately I've pretty much just been reading manga, though.

[Seppuku Savant]

I read anything and everything of interest to me. You can bet that I'm reading something at any given time. Maybe even a couple different books in the same time period.

[augustus]

I love to read biographies or something non fiction. I used to read fiction with Agatha Christie but I got through it - "And then there were none".

I prefer movies to reading fiction.

I am trying to get back into more reading. I usually hang out at Barnes and Nobles and read as much as I can. I like to get out of the house.

[bricklayer]

I like reading if it's something I picked out for myself. Otherwise I usually despise it.

[foroneonly]

I love reading, but recently I've found that very few books can keep my attention. I'm currently reading a book on psychology, a biography, a scientific journal magazine, and one fictional book. I jump between all of them because I will get bored with the subject. I've found I get more out of a book because reading it in parts allows me to mull over the section of material I've read and I'll find new connections and layers to the subject.

[Flamethrower]

I am completely obsessed with reading. I love it. A few years ago I made a goal to read at least 1'000 books before I die. I am about a third of the way there. There is a book out there somewhere called "1'000 books you must read before you die". I want to write to these guys and say "do you realise how LONG it takes to read 1'000 books??!!!!!". Maybe for me it is because I am always absolutely determined to read every book from cover to cover.

I read mostly non-fiction books on psychology, most sciences, technical stuff, business and the music industry but also have read a substantial amount of fiction since I quite like getting lost in a story.

I think my record for reading non-stop without stopping is 4 hours and for some reason I seem to remember that it was on a boat so the company must have been REALLY boring!

When I was younger I used to go spend my weekend days in the library just so I could be surrounded by all those books.

I was a bit of a library nut as a kid too.

I tried reading Lord of the Rings but I didn't get past the first book.

Oh, I initially thought I was going to be one of those people when I first started reading it because it looked like a big tedious read. But I ended up reading all of the books including the Silmarilian and I even invented my own rune based language inspired by it. And then later when LOTR came out as the movies I got addicted to those as well (and especially all the documentaries about how it was all made). And that inspired me about reading the book again. And now I am also reading them AGAIN in German. So I think I sort of went a bit overboard with LOTR! :p

We have over 4,000 books in our home.

Oh, maybe then you can give me some advice on how to finish reading all thoses books on my list before I die then!

[Deadgod]

I would like to have a more steady reading schedule. When it comes to reading, Marylin Vos Savant put it best when she said in her book, I've forgotten everything I've Learned In School, that reading literature is the best way to gain common and uncommon knowledge. And as far as I know it, anything that enhances me is worthy of doing.

[SmartOne]

Reading is one of the best pleasures in life (my opinion). Did have a slight problem with it though, once a book was picked up I could not put it down again. In fact my reading got to such a stage that a lot of other areas in my life began to suffer (reading until three in the morning then up for work at six knocked the stuffing out of me!). Even now I have to limit my "reading time" (fiction that is, not text books) to no more than ten hours a week. Know what I will be doing if I ever get to retire.

[AndreaGail]

I'd say bc history (architecture, culture, etc) is my favorite genre

[PreyingMantis]

I used to love reading all day if i had the opportunity - usually classic literature (fiction). But back then i was at uni and i didn't do any actual study. Now, i have to read all day at work often, and i just fall into it sometimes without meaning to when i don't need to, although i can't stand it some days. Haven't been able to read a book in my spare time for quite a while, but who knows. I don't seem to enjoy fiction any more. I read heaps on the Internet. Maybe the problem with reading is the physical position and if i got the right chair, i'd become obsessed with it ...

[Antares]

I hate reading. Period. I love non-fiction books (especially science and philosophy). I hate fiction. But I like to read non-fiction books on the car, you see, because I haven't got time for them unless I have nothing better to do. Cars have a talent of putting me to sleep; I'd be dozing off within 5 minutes. Unless I'm out with a bunch of boring, loud relatives, I can't read. And when I actually can read, it's only for a short period of time because the dinners with annoying relatives only last about 2 hours at most; at their house I can access wifi on my iPhone. Heck. Who reads when you have the internet? But after stopping the book, I'd have to work to find where I've left off, and usually I'd read the words but not take in anything unless I start from the beginning else it feels out of context. But of course, that's just repetitive. I've finished entire books before. Of course. I like pulp fiction too. Not too much literature, more action. I can go crazy in a bookstore. A good one would be Hong Kong's PageOne, which has the best selection of English books I've seen anywhere. I go to Hong Kong sometimes solely for this bookstore. I would pick out book after book and scan them hungrily. Of course, I only end up buying a several because of the price (and of course, I overestimate how interesting they are and put them down after discovering that it's just another old man or woman droning about their favorite subject in hundreds of pages). The longest my parents would let me stay in a bookstore was 2 hours; but I could probably stay a whole day if the situation allows. By then I'd probably have a trolley-full of books that I carefully picked out.

[Jgib5328]

I love reading, but I usually don't let myself read for pleasure, because theres always something useful out there to be learned. If I do read for pleasure though, it'll either be philosophy, a biography, or classical literature.

[Deepdelver]

I like reading. Non-fiction is my favorite.

[comfortofeyes]

I love reading. I feel suffocated if I didn't read for more than a day.

[Allie]

I am an avid reader. I love reading!

But, not as obsessed as poor Henry Bemis here (although I can understand completely what he went thru were I in his shoes):

TZ - Time Enough At Last (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.)

[Uberfuhrer]

I like reading things that are written by me, about me, useful to me, or meaningful to me.

I am impatient with everything else.

[skqt]

For me it's less about reading and more about going on an adventure. If the text can hold your attention and make you forget that you are looking at and interpreting glyphs, then that's where the joy lies.

If you say you don't like reading then you probably haven't come across writing that really holds you.

[uwdk9]

I hated reading when I was young and all through school. The only reading I did was the required readings. After college, I have found myself reading much more. It was nice to be able to have time and read what I wanted. I've found that I do get bored with some books, but the nice thing is that I don't have to finish them. I usually am able to make the decision within 50 pages. I've also realized unless it is a really interesting book/topic, books significantly over 200 pages lose my interest.

Another helpful tip is to learn how to speed read.

[thegnat]

I love reading. I wish I had more time. I have about 10 books probably on a list that I want to read. I'm quasi-in the middle of five probably. I don't even know what I'm all in the middle of. I used to finish one book at a time. It's a lot more difficult for me to do that though with school and my workload and such. And I'm terrible at bookstores. Meaning: I want to buy probably at least 10 books, and I always end up getting *something*. I've been a book worm my whole life. I love reading for pleasure (fiction, fantasy, biographies, mystery, sci-fi, historical types, off the wall science (meaning something other than chemistry that attracts my attention, like theoretical physics with respect to the universe or something like now that's about how diseases may have helped us which live just that extra day even though they'd kill us off earlier than normal)

[einnelsate]

Absolutely. Genetics, cosmology, non-fiction generally. And the occasional fiction book.

[Audball]

I'm not a huge fan of reading. I would rather watch or listen. There are very fews books that I actually look forward to finishing, and if I don't look forward to reading the next chapter then I probably won't pick it up again. I usually find myself enjoying the mystery-type novels where you have to pick up clues from the pages and try to figure out the answer before it's explained at the end (The Da Vinci Code was one of my favorites as well as Death Note: Another Note). I also like a lot of dialogue and one time I even skipped a page because there wasn't any XP

Death Note: Another Note was amazing. I read it at Barnes and Noble in approximately three hours, and consequently bought it a few months later. Quite an ending, I'd say. Did you deduce any of the conclusion beforehand?

[MerieM]

I'm not a huge fan of reading. I would rather watch or listen. There are very fews books that I actually look forward to finishing, and if I don't look forward to reading the next chapter then I probably won't pick it up again. I usually find myself enjoying the mystery-type novels where you have to pick up clues from the pages and try to figure out the answer before it's explained at the end (The Da Vinci Code was one of my favorites as well as Death Note: Another Note). I also like a lot of dialogue and one time I even skipped a page because there wasn't any XP

Are you describing me or what :p

To watch and listen is the best, I may get exited and start reading a book, but few pages or lines can make me throw it away especially if there are looooonnnggg paragraphs, I like short ones, the more short the best, they don't need to be connected to each other. What really attract me is dialogues (without descriptions about how that person looked like when he said what he said), I skip pages like you lol

And for exemple, in forums, I don't really read all what you write, I read words randomly, if I am interested in these words, I read the whole post.

[enWTFp]

I think the sequence Radio->TV->Internet slowly changes our brains, and they become impatient with reading. What I hate above all else, are obsessive fake-readers, i.e. people who always skim through books and they think they got the essence, but they got nothing. I read with different paces. Sometimes very fast, sometimes not. I tend to give time to books that I think are well written and deep. I notice I haven't read as many books as the average reader, but I really know my books profoundly. That's why I choose carefully. I think every book is a teacher. A lover. A friend. A mind that you allow to enter your own, and hopefully enrich it. They all change me, and in some insignificant Chaos Theory way, I change them too, by reading them.

[Kisai]

I love to read. Often I carry around textbooks or books to learn new skills. I occasionally read fiction, but I can't stand stories that have very little return for your investment, so I'll listen to other people's recommendations first. I also adore manga and comics, but I'd rather borrow than buy.

[Ytterbium]

I don't like reading such as books etc. Although I read awful lot of things anyways like on the net, forums and dictionaries. But that doesn't count right?