To think being a reader doesn't make you better or smarter?

[OnceaReaderNeveraReader]

Never been a reader. I have tried many times in my life and have enjoyed the odd book here and there but have never managed to actually become a regular reader and don't miss books ever. I was talking about this with some colleagues the other day and one of them made me feel a bit bad about this as if reading is a sign of better intellectual ability and superiority.
I am uni educated and enjoy a variety of other cultural hobbies such as art, theatre and dance but I just cannot understand what is so special about books!
How does one become a reader later in life and is it really that bad if I don't enjoy it?

at least with a book if you drop it on a train its not likey to be stolen vs a phone

one of my genres is espionage and yes trust is a luxury

Yes it does.

It definitely makes you smarter. Although that depends on what you mean by smarter. I don’t think I’ve ever read any book without learning something I didn’t know. Pre-kids I’d read a book a day. Now I listen to audiobooks a lot so I learn a lot less but stay entertained. The actual reading definitely does more for my intellect that listening does.

You're only looking at academic intelligence. Academically I'm much more intelligent than my husband, but when it comes to problem solving, critical thinking etc, while I'm pretty good, he is ridiculously smart.

When you look at intelligence as a whole, we're pretty evenly matched.

Also, I work with the legal team quite often and have met several lawyers who, while they can put together a sound legal arguement, have absolutely no common sense or awareness of the world around them. Being in the legal profession does not make them more intelligent.

If you are reading a non fiction about a certain subject you will be smarter in the sense that you are learning about something, adding to your knowledge.

If you are reading fiction it can make you more empathetic, there have been studies about that. You can use some of the scenarios etc in your own life so that would make you smarter.

Reading stuff like Katie Price’s 20th autobiography or suchlike will not make you smarter.

I love reading, always have done. Going to a library when I was little and absorbed in books got me through a difficult childhood. It showed me that the life I was in was just one way of living, but that there were endless possibilities out there for getting myself a better life. So in that sense, that made me smarter.

I have spent the last few years reading a lot of books (last year it was 60, mainly non fiction) but lightly because screens have robbed my attention span. I am slowly resetting myself and spending quality time with books (and trying to read more fiction) rather than screens.

I don’t feel superior to non readers. Horses for courses.

Reading is exercise for the brain, its not the only way to exercise your brain of course, but its one of the most enjoyable and accessible ways, and it is effective (as we know from the difference between children that read and children that don't)

My husband is very intelligent. In every way.

Just looking at what's popular in the 'women's fiction' section on Goodreads and there are books about child illness and loss, sexism in the workplace, sexual assault, racism, disability, mother-daughter relationships, adultery; set all over the world and in different time periods. They might not be the best written books in the world all the time but collectively they are a kind of social commentary that can clearly expand your mind. And ultimate are no more formulaic and poorly written than many other more more credible genres, such as 'detective with an ex wife and drink problem'.

100% this. Read for enjoyment first and foremost.

I think this is true. Reading a good book gives you another view of the world and introduces ideas and concepts not necessarily part of your daily life. Stories about sailing teach you about sailing and terminology, no doubt books about robots or ponies or space travel do likewise.
I've just finishes a novel set around the Inner Temple (law) in 1901. I learned all sorts of things. Before that I read The Help-different world.

I read for pleasure , I've always read from a young age , 2/4 a month . I read physical books , am in a book group , in book forums online and read digital books as well .
When you are reading some fiction it can educate you if it's set in an area / country you know little about as the author gives background factual information / history of the place .
You can be educated about factual periods in time such as history , the people that influenced in that time etc .
Perhaps your colleague was trying to say that but was failing to explain herself correctly.

I think it increases your vocabulary, particularly when you’re young. I’m sometimes surprised at people saying they’ve “never heard” of a word and I realise how much you absorb from books!
It also exposes you to more points of view, teaching you empathy! Plus the general knowledge pp have mentioned. And cultural references - if you’ve read the Bible, Shakespeare, and classics such as Dickens or Austen, you’ll “get” far more references that pop up in movies etc. Which arguably makes you smarter than someone who has no idea about them.

I wasn't dissing your husband, you don't need to be defensive for him. I was pointing out that you're probably more intelligent than you are giving yourself credit for.

Your husband probably is very intelligent. As you probably are. It's just in different ways and ALL intelligences are valuable. And I genuinely do know some highly academically intelligent people who have very low emotional intelligence, problem solving skills or common sense.

Love your local library everyone! The staff and volunteers at mine are fab at recommending authors & genres I'd no idea existed & now is the perfect time to join!

Ok sure

It’s a weird one. I’m an American Lit lecturer but I work closely with film lecturers and many of them don’t read. One of them got through her entire PhD barely reading, just watched a shit tonne of films. I wouldn’t say they’re any less smart than me, they’re just knowledgable in a different area.

Also wouldn’t say someone who reads pop fiction (which I do sometimes too- no judgement) is any smarter than someone who doesn’t. It can improve your vocabulary and outlook on the world though so I always recommend people try it. I accept it isn’t for everyone but those people often get on better with audiobooks. I love audible myself and I’m currently listening to Slags.

Ok, sorry, you're clearly less intelligent than the man you live with, is that what you'd prefer to hear?

What? Why are you being weird. I just agreed with you. 😂

The bible helps and a bit of Shakespeare but reading Shakey P isn’t as good as watching. Go see the plays in person, especially over summer in the park when tickets are dirt cheap or at The Globe even.

I don’t recommend Austen or Dickens to anyone who doesn’t like reading. I hate both and my entire career is based on literature.

"Ok sure" is usually used in a similar way to "whatever". You sound very determined that your husband is very intelligent and not accepting of the fact that you likely are in a different way.

Gonna leave you to argue with yourself. Have a good one

Not saying your husband isn't smart, but people often confuse smartness with success - I've met a LOT of daft people in very senior positions. Wome in particular seem to shoot themselves down as less clever if their careers haven't been as successful as their husbands'.

There's often more than one type of intelligence too - a top engineer can be emotionally unintelligent etc.

Actually in terms of making someone smarter... I only realised that a word I didn't know how to pronounce through reading was actually a fairly common word - I only realised after seeing it in subtitles on a TV programme and I felt very, very stupid that I had never in over 40 years made such a simple connection😅

I think reading does make you smarter. You're using your brain, learning new words, emphasising with characters and seeing things from their point of view whereas you may not meet similar people in real life or want to engage with them ie. If they have different political viewpoints. I think reading makes you more emotionally intelligent over watching TV, for example. Also reading is more challenging than watching TV, it makes me feel like I've achieved something when I've read a book.

Edited to say I'm currently reading the Hilary Mantel book on the French Revolution and whilst we covered this at school and college I've learnt so much more detail. A decent sized book 700pg+ gives you so much detail and enjoyment and a film can't replicate that the same. You'd have to watch something for hours. And there's norhing better than a good Stephen King. The way he uses description makes me want to reread again and again, it's truly scary much more so than a film.