Read too much?

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I've posted about my experiences involving reading when I was growing up, i.e. my sister could read all morning, afternoon, and evening, and be perfectly happy, while I needed to do other things in addition to reading. I often caught alot of flack because of it and never understood why.

I'd like to get some opinons on the controversial question "Is it possible to read too much?" I can remember an incident from my childhood when my sister would talk about how I do a certain thing too much and one time I retaliated with "you read too much" and got a royal chewing out from my parents. It wasn't like I meant it or anything like that, it was just a come back for her putting me down for what I liked to do. For a long time after that, they'd always try subtle ways to make me feel bad because I didn't read as much as my sister did and when I did read, it wasn't the type of things she read.

It isn't that I think there's anything wrong with reading and I do think reading is a skill a person can't live without, I just think that just because a person may not have read stuff like Shakespeare, Twain, and such, doesn't make them any less smart than someone who has. There are other factors when it comes to intelligence.

Just thought I'd put up a poll to stir the pot and get people thinking.

I don't think that reading is the end-all be-all that they tell you it is when you're in grade school... but I think people should just read as much as they damn well please. What was it you did so much anyway? Its hard to understand the context without that

I agree, it isn't the end-all be-all, but like you said, people should be able to do it as much as they want to. My sister was one of those people who could read all the time, she'd read most of the morning, have lunch, read for a few hours in the afternoon, even reading through meals, and read until late at night.

I was into all sorts of things, such as building stuff with legos and blocks, drawing road systems, toy cars, I watched TV, and would have played outside if I'd been allowed to. I resented often being subjected to propaganda how I didn't read as much as my sister did, and how others were automatically better than I was just because they read alot or read alot of fiction.

When I made the comment to my sister about reading too much, it wasn't because I really felt that way, it was just to retaliate against her belittling of my activities. She didn't get into any trouble for her put downs of what I did, so I figured it would be the same if I put down something she liked to do and since pretty much all she did was read, I figured why not. I really got dumped on for that and still don't quite understand why because she didn't get dumped for her putting down what I liked to do.

What I find ironic about my dealings with my family in regard to reading is in spite of them saying I didn't read enough(enough=as much as my sister) or read the right stuff(right stuff=what my sister read), I still tested several grade levels above where I should have been in reading.

Of course, I also believe in questioning authority and that sacred cows make the tastiest hamburgers<grin>.

My answer (no) is probably unfairly biased, as reading is one of my compulsive behaviors.

I don't read too much. I only read books that give me information, and I like to learn.

how CAN you read too much?

/me is boggled...

I think real life experience is just as necessary as reading. But I think it would be really hard to read too much.

Reeding once I learnt how (I was a very late learner) was the only thing that saved me all through the primary to year 11 ish years then I stoped for a while I still read but not 10 hours a day. But I have started doing it agen obsessively latley I can think of worse habits to be addicted to.

i read every day , but i dont think i could read too much all the time. i love books.

READ TOO MUCH?! !! Heresy!

I used to read constantly when I was in elementary school, and have been able to read since I can remember (literally). I don't remember a time when I couldn't read, but the first thing I really remember reading (and loving half-to-death) were CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. I don't read as much as I used to, but I'm also a heck of a lot busier with mandatory things.

When I read, I read too much and it gets in the way of class and other things when I dont read TV does the same thing, maybe I just hate class.

I've been reading since before I can remember.
I can remember back to the age of almost 4.
I began reading before age 2.

I've been reading since before I can remember.
I can remember back to the age of almost 4.
I began reading before age 2.

You can't.
I've been an obsessive reader since 2nd grade.
I always feel weird if I don't have something to read.

When I travel, I read the advertisements on the subway going from the hotel to the attraction.
I insist on reading every little caption in the museum, in its entirety, much to the annoyance of my parents (I managed to somewhat avoid this in Mexico only because they gave me half a day in the Museum of Anthropology, then dinner a plane to catch (I would have preferred to go without dinner).

In elementary school, I would spend all lunch and recess reading (still usually spend lunch reading, unless I lack something to read).

In seventh grade, our English teacher had us take journal entries on each book we read. She made an exemption for me after it became clear that I read almost a book a day (I think that my end of the year tally was about 120, primarily because it took me a month to get through the five Susan Cooper books, and a week to get through one equally thin, don't know why exactly).

I have hundreds of books in my room and have taken whole sections out of the library at a time (and cleared bookstores of all books by one author). My parents used to joke that I single-handedly kept the local bookstores in business.

I fill my suitcase with books when I travel, and when I'm without a book that I really want to read, will ultimately get desperate enough to start almost anything (I once started a book on the German problem, for lack of better material).

I've mellowed a bit since middle school, I now read maybe a book or two a week and read a lot of funnies & webcomics, which can't really be called reading. Still. . .

Almost daily I decide to research some topic on the internet (often using Wikipedia, since it leads me in directions I've never intended), simply because I'm curious.

Nope, certainly not possible to read too much.

Some of my fondest memories are of spending weekends, evenings, class trips, and school vacations doing pretty much nothing but read.

Still don't quite compare to this one girl in my school who always navigates the packed hallways during passing period while reading. And there was another like that in elementary school.