Actually it’s a case of being in a big damned hurry and making stupid mistakes. Normally I would use “moo” a la Joey Tribiani, just cause I’m that kind of dork. 
But I don’t get why it’s automatically bragging? Sure, some people brag, and some people are just genuinely proud of it. I have been guilty of both in my life, I’ll admit. Mostly, though, I’m proud and grateful that I have the opportunity to read so much…people who are not snooty about it and genuinely don’t have any interest in reading I actually kind of feel bad for. I get SO much out of reading, I’d like very much for people I know to get something out of it, too.
As for the TV thread, that’s another thing. Why is it bragging to merely state you’ve been without cable for years? Some of the people in that thread were bragging, sure. Some were merely commenting. I can tell you I didn’t mean to brag, if that’s how it came out. I don’t have cable because if I do have it, I don’t have the willpower not to watch. So I don’t have it.
It seems that merely to state something as fact is being considered bragging in this thread!
that’s either a big ass purse or very tiny books.
Honestly, that’s what I thought, too. 
I have no books in my purse, they couldn’t fit.
Damnit, wookinpanub, how is this supposed to help me?
Mixed metaphor alert! I claim a set of stainless steel salad forks - I’m going to stick them in the head of my neighbour, who, on seeing my bulging shelves, said scathingly, “Oh, you’re a bookworm.” The woman is a primary school teacher, has a young daughter, and regards reading as an irritating occasional necessity for school or work, rather suspect if undertaken of one’s own will.
What percentage of people do you consider “intelligent and passionate”? IME, a sizeable percentage of people who are passionate about art, science, and gaming like reading about those interests. In fact, it is hard for me to imagine any interest that could not be complemented/enhanced through reading.
Heck, I enjoy naps. So I’m certainly not going to say folks have to be processing input every possible moment. And kudos to those who use waiting or commuting time as time they intentionally “tune out” and decompress. But will you admit that at least some of the folks who are just sitting there simply don’t have much going on upstairs?
No, I’m not going to say folks who read are “better” than those who don’t. I will suggest, however, that I believe on average readers tend to be more intelligent, more informed, and have higher language skills than non-readers. Certainly, there will be exceptions among both groups.
“Merely stating” is a hard thing to discern in a written conversation. As far as my op and the particular thread I referenced, without going through each reply, I’m just saying that it strikes me that people (some, not all) seem to take quite a lot of pride in *how much * they read. It reads like a one-upmanship contest. The thread title aside, I saw many more self references to *how much * the respondant reads than to the actual topic, and I’m saying this seems to be a recurring thing. You’ve explained why you do it, and I appreciate that. After all, underneath my feeble rant really was a question of sorts. My point, however poorly made is not that everyone who mentions reading EVER is a snob, but that this is a subject that elicits an observable (on my part)and slightly unpleasant (in my opinion) reaction.
I see a few others have noticed the same thing, or at least can sort of get where I’m coming from, so even if *you * don’t hold that view, I didn’t just pull it out of my bonnet.
Let us not get started on “the T.V. thing” (Not your comments. The "tv watcher = imbecile argument)
I prefer the medal, because what with all the books around my place, there isn’t any available shelf space for a trophy. 
All my students are intelligent and passionate until proven othrewise. And I don’t worry about anyone else. Many activities can be enhanced by reading, but it’s not the only way. You can play chess or paint or dance or make music or meditate on all those things and be reveling in the complexities there without often picking up a book. All these things can be complimented by reading, yes, but it’s not the only way to enjoy them. And it seems that to some people reading is as slow and as torturous a path to understanding as visual media are to me, so it’s no wonder they find other paths.
Sure, but since I don’t know which are which, I am not going to sit there and mentally shake my head at them. In that waiting room, they might be tuned out or they might be looking at the world with a visual artist’s eye and seeing so much that I would miss, or they may be people watching and enjoys the depth of the complexity of the human spirit as shown by the interaction of that woman over thier and her three sick kids. I don’t know.
Higher language skills for sure, but language skills are only one type of skill, and not something everyone needs to prioritize. In fact, the world would be pretty boring if everyone prioritized the same skill set. I really have enjoyed my interactions with people who have different minds, and have learned a great deal, I would not have done that if I dismissed non-readers catagorically as simplistic thinkers.
When you encounter someone who truly seems to be a “simplistic thinker”, do you feel you just haven’t discovered their passion?
Because I think there are a pretty good number of “simplistic thinkers” out and about.
Of course there are. But I’d be a pretty crappy teacher if I didn’t at least give them the benefit of the doubt, and that’s a habit I try and carry over into the rest of my life.
What Otto said.
Plus: Reading is a survival skill. It is the kind of skill that must be practiced, else it will atrophy. How anyone can be disdainful of readers is beyond me.
There’s a pitchfork available in the prize package?!? Gimme! 
That sounds about as interesting as a book on tape… couldn’t you have him relay the information by means of an interpretive dance. Now that would be impressive.
Heh. The problem isn’t that people read, it’s that people are can be so smug about it. Yeah, we all know you got an “A” on your Moby Dick book report in the 2nd grade. And your daughter is reading Finnegans Wake on the kindergarten commute.
Yeah, I can see where the OP is coming from.
Eh, can’t say I have ever conciously lorded my superiority over a person because I read. I definately agree that it is likely to be human nature to feel superior to others based on likes and preferences, as a defensive mechanism if anything. I do sort of feel that reading makes a person better in many ways. I would feel the need to be defensive and rude about it if somebody deliberately shunned reading and insulted me because of it.
I don’t personally believe that being educated makes you a better person. But if push comes to shove and some backwoods hillbilly was talking down about all those college edumacated ijits, I would probably get snooty and feel superior to him. More of a reaction to a threat though. I have friends that don’t ever read a book, but I don’t feel better or smarter than them, but if they talked smack about reading, I would probably get reactive and blurt out something about how uncultured they are. Sad, true, but it isn’t any different from the reactions I get when people find out I don’t watch sports on the telly.
I don’t see the surprise on how people read a lot or derride those that don’t on this message board. You are on a message board dedicated to fighting ignorance, an all text medium, in which highly educated and intelligent people come to discuss all things geeky, obscure, and where they can interact with people similar to them and talk about things, or complain about things they cannot do in the real world. Unless you frequent MENSA meetings that is. I think if you DON’T read, you probably ought not be here. No snootyness intended whatsoever, just practicality. How do you expect to interact in GD, GQ or 1/4-1/2 of Cafe Society if you don’t read? There are hundreds if not thousands of lower-brow, FREE message boards and communities out there, and complaining about how highly intelligent and educated people like talking about how educated and intelligent they are (or what/how many books they have read or are going to read) on a message board you have to pay to contribute when you should be well aware of what the community is like here is just plain silly.
Just so you aren’t confused. This message board is very high-brow, full of extremely bright and gifted people that like to read and talk about politics, science, arts and humanities and BOOKS, things you have to know having read a book. Documentaries are nice, but they don’t cut it.
While I am not one of these extremely bright and gifted people, I pay to enjoy reading others, feeling dumb, and getting a sense of my place in this world. If you are like me, perhaps you should quit bitching or leave or something, cause it isn’t going to stop.
If you are one of those brilliant and highly educated people, sorry a lowbrow near moron like me figured this out before you, but with high education and brilliance, there is a higher occurance of arrogance and showmanship. People like to brag about their gifts, their education, and how many books they have read or what GPA they got in school, and God-forbid, their IQ.
Just human nature. I know you are just venting or what not, but… uhh, perhaps you should try and adjust and get over it?
What? No ugly ceramic dog as a prize?
Grump
Here ya go.
But it’s been, ah, broken in.
Oh, fine. Since no one else wants it, I’ll have a national holiday in my name, please.