Because reading is healthy... Or is it?

Just a couple of days ago, I had a sort of an intellectual banter with my brother. It was a simple conversation actually, just that somehow, most conversations with him somehow always ends up mentally stimulating/challenging. Geez.

Anyways.

It started out with a really harmless topic on my purchase of books from Amazon.com, and somehow, we got to the part where we started "arguing" if reading is really THAT healthy after all. I have ALWAYS felt that reading is a good habit.

I mean, well, all these years of education, we have been told that it is a good habit to read and read widely, it helps improve your command of the language (whatever language your reading material is in), increases your knowledge, yadah... yadah...

I LOVE to read. I can read almost anything. I can almost claim my love for reading as a disease, and I am TOTALLY addicted to it. But my brother told me NOT to read too much. Why? Because reading is not good.

I was about to explode when I heard that.

I mean, how can anybody claim that reading is not good?? For all my fucking 23 years of life, this is this FIRST time I ever heard anyone say that reading is not good. Duhzz.

My bro: "Reading is not good"

Me: "Why? Not good as in not good for the health? eyesight? or what??"

My bro: "Heh. Not good because reading "poisons" the brain. Puts in thoughts or stuff that half the time isn't neccessarily true. Reading sometimes takes you away from reality, and too much of it is not good."

Me: " Duhzz... That's very subjective. Depends on how you see it. A piece of article read by 10 different people will turn up 10 different meanings and or interpretations."

My bro: "I tell you, reading is not good. if you read a book on philosophy, you'll probably learn something, which may not neccessarily be good. But if you read Garfield comics for example, you don't learn anything. And that's the difference."

Much as I would hate to admit it, my brother has got a point there. Being an avid reader myself, I often find that half the time, I get so engrossed in reading that I get so affected by the story after that. I start to speak like the way the author writes, I become just as jaded as the character in the story, and then I sink into depression. -_-

Ok, I was exggerating a little. But anyways.

Seems like books can be as powerful as the media as well, silent, and seem harmless, but it has the power to morphs and change perceptions without you knowing it consciously.

But then again, I don't think everyone who reads is as extreme as me right?

Anyways.

I am not totally bought over by the idea that reading is not good. I still think that its subjective. Maybe is does affect me more than an average reader would be, but so far, nothing really bad has resulted from it other than a mild headache occasionally.

A little digression.

When I was younger, I didn't dare tell many people that I actually love to read. I mean, as kids, since when do kids love to read rite?

I remember many finding it a chore to have to go through that once a week silent reading session in the morning, and how my peers actually seem to be reading the same page over and over. And then I realise that they were just sitting through it, cos they will complain over and over again after that for being made to read. I secretly enjoyed it. The reading of course.

Not suprisingly, when I got older, my peers do not like to read too. Some says it gives them the headache (well, it gives me too, but nothing can stop me haha!).

I am like the "geek" among my peers and people think I'm crazy when I say I love to read. I mean, they just can't understand why I do, and so I thought that reading is an acquired habit or even lifestyle.

Until I opened my eyes and took a good look around. Do you realise (when you take public transport, MRT and buses) that many people are reading away. In fact, its as common as people listening to music while they are travelling!!

Heh. Is it me or what? Pardon me, just that I haven't exactly seen that many people enjoying reading (or just reading for the sake of reading) in a long while. Or maybe I was sleeping. Haha!

Ok, so much for the digression.

Back to whether reading good or not. So what do you think??