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by paulryanrogers 14 days ago
The article doesn't distinguish reading books from reading anything else. Though it's pretty short and light on details. The article it cites strongly implies the reading is only books.

All that said, [I find] reading books is overrated. They're often outdated, low effort slop, and even more so in this AI era.
2 comments
world2vec 14 days ago
How could fiction books become outdated? That is an absolutely alien opinion for me!

-edit- I said "non-fiction" when I meant "fiction". Of course non-fiction books become obsolete quite fast sometimes.

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dvdkon 14 days ago
Pretty easily - I don't think reading a medical text from the 19th century will give you up-to-date information. I'd agree that the concept doesn't apply to fiction, though.
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paulryanrogers 14 days ago
I was mostly speaking of nonfiction. Though I find most fiction doesn't age well in any medium. Appreciating it often requires social context I don't really have time to learn. And many fictional works from the past are chock full of racism, sexism, irrational social phobias, etc.

For those who put in the work, there isn't even a cultural bond to enjoy since most of the people who originally consumed those works are themselves dead and buried. (Modern niches and widely studied "classics" notwithstanding.)

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esseph 14 days ago
> Though I find most fiction doesn't age well in any medium.

What a crazy take!

> Appreciating it often requires social context I don't really have time to learn.

????

> And many fictional works from the past are chock full of racism, sexism, irrational social phobias, etc

I have some news for you. That stuff has lasted for as long as humans have existed, and will continue to exist as long as humans do. It is intrinsic to humans, unfortunately.

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bcjdjsndon 14 days ago
> Though I find most fiction doesn't age well in any medium

Shakespeare is so old it's now undecipherable to any English speaker without a cliffnotes explaining it all.... for instance

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sophacles 14 days ago
Nah, if you spend a few minutes understanding one, the rest are easy.
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paulryanrogers 14 days ago
> That stuff has lasted for as long as humans have existed, and will continue to exist as long as humans do.

No doubt. Doesn't mean I want to consume more of it via fiction.

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ddoolin 14 days ago
"Reading books is overrated" -- what an HN take. You've gotta be kidding me.
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paulryanrogers 14 days ago
Perhaps you can make some counter points and change my mind?
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