# "Reading for Comprehension". Why Else Would You Read? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121 "2024-12-24T17:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/1 "2024-12-24T17:39:10Z")
I’ve often seen Dopers insulting others by saying something like, “You need to read for comprehension!” It’s a nasty and infantile insult, IMO, but whatever… folks are gonna bitch, especially in the Bitching Zone (the Pit). But every time I see that I wonder, “why _else_ would you read?” To practice left to right eye movement? To find nifty anagrams? To look busy at work? To admire fonts? Just for yucks? The insult manages to be deeply demeaning and also nonsensical at the same time. It makes the _accuser_ look like an idiot, not the person it was directed at. Waaaassssup with that? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/2 "2024-12-24T17:42:13Z")
I think it’s essentially saying, “don’t skim, don’t skip to the end, but actually _read_ what you’re about to react to.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/3 "2024-12-24T17:42:44Z")
Seems like you’ve missed out on what the phrase means. You’re taking it both too literally and with your own interpretation. [Here is a pretty good and common definition](https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/welcome-back/for-school-back/pathways-page/pathwayslist/teaching-comprehension/background-questions-tc/wales--16/what-is-reading-comprehension-and-why-is-it-important--2#:~:text=Reading%20comprehension%20is%20the%20ability,of%20the%20words%20and%20sentences): > Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it and understand its meaning. It relies on two, interconnected abilities: word reading (being able to decode the symbols on the page) and language comprehension (being able to understand the meaning of the words and sentences). Basically, no shortage of people read without really comprehending what they’re reading depending on the subject. This is especially true of Science and probably law articles. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/4 "2024-12-24T17:44:29Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Basically, no shortage of people read without really comprehending what they’re reading depending on the subject. [Hobbes concurs.](http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1987/05/04) ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/5 "2024-12-24T17:58:35Z")
I can read something like the main aviation thread here and not fully comprehend the jargon or the details of piloting jet aircraft. Yet I feel I’m “comprehending” what I’m reading just fine. I’m reading it in detail and understanding the thrust (heh) of what is posted. How can anyone read about complex subjects outside their wheelhouse and not be accused of “not reading for comprehension”? Do I need to be a physicist before I can comprehend what I read about fairly advanced physics? I think folks here usually use that insult because they are butt-hurt that someone didnt agree with their point. They are saying in effect, “you didnt agree with my point so you must not be able to read very well.” ETA: this is not a hill I’m interested in dying on. It’s just something that has always seemed odd to me. I would choose to say something like, “perhaps you didnt fully understand what i wrote. Let me explain” instead of “try reading for comprehension, you dumbass!!!” To me it comes off as roughly equivalent to “DON’T YOU KNOW HOW TO READ?!?!” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/6 "2024-12-24T18:13:16Z")
It’s pretty common for a response to clearly miss the point of a post. Not just disagree, but miss something important. That’s what the comment is meant to highlight. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/7 "2024-12-24T18:15:02Z")
> **[The science of teaching reading comprehension - Teach. Learn. Grow.](https://www.nwea.org/blog/2024/the-science-of-teaching-reading-comprehension/)** > > When teaching reading comprehension, educators must give kids opportunities to gain knowledge needed to understand texts they encounter. This might be a good start. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/8 "2024-12-24T18:29:59Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > It’s pretty common for a response to clearly miss the point of a post. Not just disagree, but miss something important. Right, and when this happens, it might be the fault of the writer for not being clear enough, or the fault of the reader for not reading carefully enough, or some combination of the two. “You need to read for comprehension” clearly implies that it’s the fault of the reader. This is why it can come across as insulting, but _sometimes_ the charge is warranted. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/9 "2024-12-24T19:50:23Z")
Its also why book reports and essay questions are such an important part of education. If you cannot give a clear explanation in your own words about what you just read or answer a question in a coherent paragraph or two then you really didnt learn anything other than spelling and grammer. That is, you didnt comprehend the subject matter. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/10 "2024-12-24T21:38:24Z")
It’s a bit ironic. I asked about this and now you all are telling me “you need to read for comprehension, and write for comprehension, too, dumbass!” Thanks. I appreciate the help. This can be closed, my question is answered. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/11 "2024-12-24T22:20:31Z")
If you wanted different responses, you might have phrased your OP differently. It seems to me what you wanted to say was “be more polite”, rather than focusing on the “reading for comprehension” phrase. You know, writing for comprehension. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/12 "2024-12-24T22:32:26Z")
I don’t mind reading without comprehending sometimes. For instance, I find Proust’s style soothing (good bedtime reading) even when I don’t know or can’t be bothered to figure out what he’s going on about. The Big Sleep is another good example. The writing is riveting, even though no one can figure out the plot. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/13 "2024-12-24T22:38:04Z")
Some people hunt for words or phrases and deliberately ignore the context in an effort to weaponize them. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2024, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/14 "2024-12-24T22:45:42Z")
Let’s not assume everyone who tells someone else to ‘read for comprehension’ necessarily wrote anything coherent or truthful or worthwhile. Sometimes people retort that just as a way of saying ‘if you disagree with me after all this, you must be an idiot’. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/15 "2024-12-25T00:05:51Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Basically, no shortage of people read without really comprehending what they’re reading depending on the subject. Which is how you wind up with a defense contractor named after a cursed artifact that bends the will of all those who use it until they become servants of the devil. > **[Palantir Technologies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palantir_Technologies)** > > Palantir Technologies Inc. is an American publicly traded company that specializes in software platforms for big data analytics. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, it was founded by Peter Thiel, Stephen Cohen, Joe Lonsdale, and Alex Karp in 2003. The company's name is derived from The Lord of the Rings where the magical palantíri were "seeing-stones," described as indestructible balls of crystal used for communication and to see events in other parts of the world. > The company has four main proje... ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/16 "2024-12-25T00:21:53Z")
I’ve enjoyed how the one thing the OP has not done is “read for comprehension” on the issue they were bent about. Hell yes it’s an insult. It’s aimed at people who don’t bother to think before typing. And who often don’t even read before typing. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/17 "2024-12-25T01:23:37Z")
Lol, the artifact was useful before it was twisted. At least, that’s how i read it. But that’s an interesting take. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2024, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/18 "2024-12-25T22:16:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Some people hunt for words or phrases and deliberately ignore the context in an effort to weaponize them. Yes, this. they don’t read for comprehension, they read for _confirmation bias_. I spent many years arguing with conspiracy theorists online, and they were past masters at this. They’d “read” something, latch on to one or two things they could misrepresent as supporting their CT, and ignore everything else in the article that contradicted them. We could debate whether they were incapable of reading for comprehension, or just unwilling to, but either way, they had no problem reading without comprehending. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2024, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reading-for-comprehension-why-else-would-you-read/1012121/19 "2024-12-26T19:46:15Z")
Old school POV from a CS person: A compiler or whatever can read a source code file, compile (or interpret) it, etc. But it doesn’t comprehend it. New School: An AI can read text, parse it, make links to it’s data base, etc. But it doesn’t comprehend it. I have actually read text in a language I really don’t know much. Poetry, esp. old Greek epic poetry or Norse sagas has a meter and such that is interesting to see. Comprehension? Nada.