I’m a 30M, and whenever I chat with my buddies or similar age groups on books, they always gawk at fiction. Say they have no time to read it, or “why would I read something fake?”. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy non-fiction work too but I tend to gear towards novels. I just don’t get the hate, especially from dudes my age.
I would also argue that I’ve learned more about what it means to be a good person and having humility just from reading Steinbeck, than any other self-help junk that’s out there.
by Dadbat69
32 Comments
What do these guys do with their free time, then? Movies and video games are no less fictional than written fiction.
Although I’m imagining an ascetic group of guys who only read nonfiction, ideally backed up by peer reviewed research. Sort of rationalist monks. I know that’s not what you mean, but interesting idea.
I’m confused. They don’t watch movies and series? They don’t play games? They are not on social media? Or do they believe reality TV is real because it say “reality” on the box?
Also, non-fiction is just as “fake” as fiction. You don’t get the reality of, say, a historical event just because you read one dudes books about it. You get their research, their interpretation of other people’s research and their opinion.
Some people genuinely lack imagination so they read it in a literal sense, like “Jack began to climb the been stalk” to them is a factual statement, they don’t experience the imagery so it’s boring to them.
That’s where the whole idea of “literature” comes in. Things behind or within the fictional story that resonate with our experience in ways that nonfiction can’t reach.
But then there’s also a lot of fiction out there that just repeats cheap thrills and dumb formulas to make some publisher richer.
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A severe lack of imagination, I would say.
Like, at the risk of sounding like a broken record when it comes to feminism and patriarchy, this is one of the bigger things I’ve taken issue with on the patriarchal attitudes towards what it is to “be a man”. Fiction isn’t about telling truths in substance. It’s about telling truths in character. The depths of the human heart aren’t something to be feared. And it’s honestly tragic so many dudebros find fiction to be a waste of time. Emotional intelligence is an incredibly powerful tool. And it helps understand not only the people around you but yourself, especially when it comes to recognizing when others are manipulating you. Like I can’t even count the number of times I’ve heard men talking about how they address things “rationally” and then delve into something clearly motivated by a multitude of emotional underpinnings and internalized bias without them even seeing the insane irony behind their own words. OP please never stop reading fiction. It’s through stories that humans form the strongest bonds and understanding of one another.
I think this line of thought stems from viewing reading as work or study, or books as something to be conquered rather than enjoyed. So the rationale is “Why work hard reading fiction when I could use that energy on reading something informative, like non-fiction?” Hence they’ll only read self-help shit. This rationale doesn’t carry over into movies, etc. because it’s not viewed as work, it’s more passive compared to the active process of reading.
I’m gonna be honest. I’ve only seen the most elitist snobs dislike fiction
Ugh, people with such utilitarian views miss out on the beauty of the world.
I’ve always found it a silly argument to say that you don’t learn anything from fiction because it’s “fake”. Sure, the world and characters can be fictional but books can still teach you a lot. I just finished a historical fiction book that taught me a *lot* about pre-WWII New York City. You can learn empathy, critical thinking, etc.
> I’m a 30M, and whenever I chat with my buddies or similar age groups on books, they always gawk at fiction. Say they have no time to read it, or “why would I read something fake?”.
This is kinda strange. What kind of circles do you hang out with that would have so much disdain for fiction?
I’ve been in that camp myself, and I’ve talked with other men who share that viewpoint. I think it has something to do with the utilitarian nature of masculinity and also the decline of literature as pop culture. Many men don’t seem to understand literature and feel that their time would be better served, if they were to read, by reading something like history or self help. You can see this by looking at the the other types of media consumed by men. For example, popular men’s podcasts are huberman, hardcore history, joe rogan, etc.
Reading and understanding literature is simply not as highly valued in our society as it once was, and it has particularly lost value as a masculine skill. Just my 2 cents.
They refuse to live whimsically
I read likely around 80% nonfiction and 20% fiction personally, but it’s super weird to think nonfiction is somehow better. I honestly just like nonfiction because I find reading to feel like a bit of a chore either way and I like to learn something from what I’m reading and that gives me pleasure while some just get pleasure from fiction reading itself. Different strokes for different folks and anyone who tries to say one is better than the other really needs to look at what makes them feel the need to gatekeep the act of reading. Let people read whatever TF they want!
44M, 90% of what I read is fiction and poetry. If I do read nonfiction, it tends to be about very specific areas of interest- say, eels, or urban planning, or biographies/memoirs. People who reject fiction do themselves a disservice.
Why would I read more of real life stuffs when i am already living it? See it works both ways. At least fiction has the possibility of some magic in it
People seriously ask “why would I read something fake”?
Do these people not watch movies or TV either? What?
I find that even fiction readers cultivate this general attitude. I have friends that are always like “I’m so bad! I love fantasy etc. but I should really read more non-fiction.”
It’s cool to read different types of books from different genres, but why force yourself to do something you don’t want to do? We shouldn’t put an artificial value on something like that, especially we all read for different reasons.
I majored in history, so lots of non-fiction reading, which I enjoy obviously. But I’ve always felt that good fiction “sticks to the ribs” in my brain more than non-fiction.
A lot of people who probably don’t actually enjoy reading, lately read books on personal finances, personal growth etc. Nothing wrong with that, but yeah, I too can’t really understand not wanting to read a good “made up” story, at least once in a while.
Everyone I’ve ever known like this reads only hustle culture gurus and other adjacent shit like Malcolm Gladwell or Gary V.
I worked with a guy that saw me reading on lunch and wanted to talk books. Turns out all he read was self help and the bible. It was a very short conversation.
The only time I’ve met actual dislike for fiction was in my edit; evangelical Pentacostal, (not Protestant, sorry) days. The idea was that making up untrue stories was an affront to God. I should note that this probably wasn’t the majority, but on the other hand a lot of friends told me their parents burnt their D&D books.
Preferring non-fiction, or not really enjoying fiction is one thing. But thinking that fiction is worthless is obscenely ignorant.
Lots of stigma around reading just for fun. And I know this attitude is more prevalent in certain cultures than others.
I also know a few non-fiction reader who will happily watch fiction movies and shows.
But I do wonder if some of these are the people who cannot “see” a book. If they have aphantasia.
You know when a word “apple” is written, some people will only see the word (aphantasia), while others will visualise it it’s basic shape or in great detail (hyperphantasia) or something in between.
Many with aphantasia apparently do not like reading fiction because they cannot visualise it. There are exceptions to the rule of course. Some are still able to enjoy the story without the visualisation.
So next time someone says they don’t like reading fiction, ask them if they can visualise the story when they read.
Idiots just like to feel superior. You should find new friends.
I read somewhere that non-fiction tells you the facts and fiction tells you the truth.
I’ll never take people who crap on fiction seriously. No one needs to judge what gives you joy while reading.
I think your buddies are stupid.
Grind culture. Reading books is considered a chore, like going to the gym or going for a run or fixing up the house.
Imagine if you went for a 2 hour run and found out that you didn’t burn a single calorie? That’s the same reaction that people tend to have with reading fiction. Because
a) They consider it a difficult tedious thing to do which takes time and effort
b) They imagine that the only reason to spend time and effort on a tedious task is to get a result. And if that task is fiction, they fail to see the reward.
But that’s alright, just find the bottom of a well to be with your thoughts. Don’t let grind culture get in the way.
Why would I want to read about something real? I live in real; I don’t want to also read about it.
If you meet a male who holds views like this, you may have encountered the wild Self-Improvement Bro. This creature’s diet consists entirely of business/entrepreneurship/self-help books, with a hearty helping of alpha male podcasts. The Self-Improvement Bro can be easily baited and captured by throwing a slab of red meat on top of a pile of copies of *Rich Dad, Poor Dad*. The creature is impossible to domesticate, but can perform amusing tricks such as defending Elon Musk or insisting that *The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* is better than Jane Austen.