Nonfiction readers. Do you feel guilty reading fiction? (lemm.ee)

submitted 2 months ago by penquin@lemm.ee to c/books@lemmy.world

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Do you feel guilty when you read fiction some times? Do you feel like it's a frivolous pursuit? Sometimes, I do, because I'd think to myself "might as well watch a TV show", and I hardly ever watch TV shows because, to me, they're a waste of time. But damn it, some of these novels are so good and I can't stop once I started reading them.

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[-] Marafon@sh.itjust.works 19 points 2 months ago

Enjoying one's self is never a waste of time, friend. Read what you enjoy reading.

[-] penquin@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago

Very true, but I still think over doing it would be a waste of time. Maybe that is just me, you know?

[-] Infynis@midwest.social 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I think you have a lot of unconscious biases you're accepting as fact. Were Van Gogh's paintings not worthwhile because they weren't photorealistic? Were the Beatles overrated because they didn't actually live in a Yellow Submarine? There's nothing wrong with fiction, and there's nothing wrong with television either. The quality of an artwork is not determined by its medium.

[-] pmk 5 points 2 months ago

Waste of time for what goal? Don't you ever do things just because you enjoy them? Is it a waste of time to pet a dog or watch a sunset if you enjoy it?

[-] penquin@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago

Believe it or not, yes, I do, but not that much. So, you're right. That would be (I don't know the right word) hypocrite of me to discriminate against reading only.