When regularly within academia, book
clubs or just a casual circle of friends attuned to informed conversation, it’s
not strange to have a lot of reading going on and reasonable for any person to
get used to this as normality. Yet, with so much talk about or general
observing of illiteracy in society– whether it’s pure, functional or considered
a-literate – to the degree of joke memes and even for some as if it’s a cultural imperative (particularly in the Western
world), it’s easy to be taken aback, having forgotten the ample non-reading
groups of people that are actually out there. Of course people can do whatever
they choose, but as a side-focus to the core of this, the by-product of that
choice can be misery from lack of knowledge.
Of course, illiteracy can be so relative
to specific cultures and genres of thought that it’s never wholly measurable,
but the general idea is connectable across the board. Being that, even being
open-minded about it, because of the essentiality of reading, it’s hard these
days to see anyone not tapping into the written word with it being the basis,
in present-day reality, of how to take information in to use in life. In tribal
and ancient pasts, when the structured of written-to-oral language didn’t
broadly govern life activities as now, just the experiential could do the trick: being in an wild environment,
learning how to shape your behavior off it, being taught and building the
skillsets needed for thriving, no textbooks needed. Experience in the industrious
modern day in many cases could only be one-half of the puzzle pieces.
So this leads to the question of, in any
number of readerships, could they be considered subculture, or should that even
be something acknowledged? As if it’s the “on the side” type of thing?
Shouldn’t broad ignorance in the context of needed
knowledge of the day become the “subculture”? Not considered the majority? And note
this is referring to those who are adults that would actually be considered
indirectly anti-intellect or even directly pushing away from learning as
a-illiterate, not referring to children who are reasonably novices. Also, this
is not in the context of something technical
to a field, that’s reasonable for a person not to know if not involved in
that occupation.
This more concerns proposing a mentality
that literacy as an automatic, the true cultural imperative of our information
age. Primary knowledge that would not only allow one more enjoyment of life, ease, but less conflict from other people,
from “why” questions from children about various things, to productive ability as
a entrepreneur or ability in the workplace – if anything, definitely regarding
someone around you who’s ignorance on a subject is being proposed as truth not
opinion, but your own reading exposes the errors, so now you’re no longer susceptible
to what you’re hearing. This further pushes yourself into research of where
that “bad” info’ formed from in the first place (bad is relative of course).
It’s one thing to speak to niche and
unique interests, say even of music and artistic cultures to be considered a
subculture, but personally it’s tough to even speak that statement regarding reading
in this present day and time. Specifically, for what you need to know in life whether you’re a casual or avid reader – as in
financial literacy, certain technology studies, physical fitness, etc. Though
not to get it twisted, being a creative writer I’m fully aware of the fictional
realm as it has its place, more so for some than others, but the real-deal
info, when it’s lacking, it’s just not a good look.
Thus, in closing, while this is not knock
to people getting along in life just fine without hitting the books, I would
say for all of us who “get down” with the written word to not ever strive to be
isolated or identified as a subculture – especially in some trendy sense – but
continue to impart practical knowledge so certain genres of thought, language
and endeavors therein are not seen as some alien
activities by your fellow man or
woman, who hasn’t yet recognized the necessity of reading.
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