Sunday
Rationalization
There's been a conversation going on about the idea of demonstrative/expressive reading. Essentially, this conversation is made up of people talking about how part of the reason they read in public is so that other people will see them reading in public. Most of the people involved in this conversation talk about this being part of their past, which they have gotten over now that they're mature. Well, I still do it, and don't think there's anything wrong with this practice at all. I can see where there is a problem with changing what you're going to read based on how people will see you when you're reading in public, but I'm not at that level. Instead, I'm pointedly reading both classics and pop in public, since the image I'm cultivativing is that of an eclectic reader (or I happen to actually be an eclectic reader). So the fact that I want to be noticed reading whatever I happen to be reading and have someone comment on it does not change my actual choices of what to read, because there is nothing I wouldn't want to be seen reading. For instance, if I decided to read the Left Behind series, I would have no trouble being seen reading that. I may in fact decide to read it at some point in the future, since it would be interesting to see what was so popular.
|
