>guys don't read books
Why are books seen as girly? Or unmanly? Are they in fact girly and unmanly in the modern age?
>>8131929
>wasting thought on what normaltrash thinks
I don't know if I think the book brand is unmanly, but the passivity and introspection involved in consuming a book are definitely not traditionally westernly culturally masculine
>>8131929
Its just an inferiority complex protection spouted by lower class wagecucks because they have neither the time nor the ability to get anything out of reading
Girls read more than boys in their teens because that's when they discover masturbation.
>>8131929
American culture imperialism.
Not even joking.
>>8132056
I agree with you, but would you elaborate?
>>8132058
Chad doesnt read books and is not very smart yet he gets all the pussy.
>>8132070
Being smart doesn't get pussy you faggot. For someone that's smart you sure are a retard.
>>8131929
What? Where is this a thing?
Girls read more, but less of them are serious and commited readers.
>>8132078
I know.
Where did i say being smart gets you Pussy?
Being smart may even get you away from pussy because you're such a nerd lmao.
>>8131936
>passivity and introspection involved in consuming a book are definitely not traditionally westernly culturally masculine
bullshit. Lack of introspection is what is described as typically feminine. Aside from the surge of popular novels in the 18th century, literature has always been a male domain. Introspection, calmness, thoroughness and so on are even described as the traditional german qualities.
Most girls cook, cooking for men is a niche interest. But most master chefs are also men, most Michelin starred world class establishments are run by men.
Women buy and read books more frequently, this has been true for quite some time. Writers trying to make a quick buck would write serials to please the nice ladies at home sitting in chairs all day. It's a graceful, sometimes even refined (depending on the book), form of pleasure that they've all the right to enjoy. But, just like cooking, the institution is predominately male.
"Readin's for women" might also stem from other factors. Most male cooks aren't ultra-aggressive Gordon Ramsay types nor are most male writers going to spend their Friday swimming the English channel. The usual male archetype is stoic-warrior. Having a sophisticated palate or having the intensity of perception requisite for powerful writing takes some measure of sensitivity. All the rats in that movie Ratatouille just mindlessly shovel garbage into their mouths because their senses aren't tuned into it, they're wired to persist -literally like rats. The main character suffers a blessing/curse in that eating garbage is like eating absolute shit but his rat comrades will never experience orgasms quite as intense as the main character's when he eats gourmet food. Same way most men are wired to persist and ignore pain but may never fathom the pleasure another might get finishing an excellent novel (or album, or film, etc.). To create a great novel, at least a truly original one or one that can't be reduced as a statement of one's training or a fluke, requires that intensity of perception. Which consequently leads to less stoicism (manliness) which is mistaken sometimes as feminine.
1. Schools are staffed by women, making many academic pursuits difficult to relate to males.
2. Most popular fiction is YA, marketed towards girls. GOT is popular but no one would say it targets females. Men are more likely to prefer genre as their lowbrow choice for reading. Genre isn't popular unless it gets a movie/tv adaptation.
>>8132307
>Schools are staffed by women, making many academic pursuits difficult to relate to males.
This hurts so much.
>>8132307
I beg to differ. GOT is nothing but feminist propaganda. Strong females at every turn overthrowing and killing men. Every storyline is female driven.
>>8132353
Maybe the show.
>>8131936
>the passivity and introspection
So you want to say that western philosophy, literature and art generally was created mostly by women ?
>>8132132
>Most girls cook, cooking for men is a niche interest.
Exact opposite where I live. Nice generalisation.
>>8132397
his generalization is pretty common in most parts of the world and im sure you know that shitposter
>>8131939
>>8132307
These. Proles are used to being defeated by books in schools run by female teachers, and then seeing their own women reading soft porn novels.
>>8132070
More attractive-looking people actually are on average more intelligent than ugly people.
>>8132333
Where did we go wrong? Why are all the teachers women?
>>8132477
>Where did we go wrong? Why are all the teachers women?
I'll give you a clue. The problem issomething that rhymes with clues
>friendless virgin
>Maybe joining book club would help
>check member list its all girls and guys laugh at the whole thing
oh well they read literal John Green so I'm not missing much.
modsI'm a 18 yo senior
![1465232404951[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/uoefUJM.jpg "1465232404951[1].jpg")
>>8132513
hehe women are simply inferior. They are nothing but insects to me, mere pawns in my game.
>>8131929
guys don't read books? where the fuck are you from, america?
>>8132527
pretty sure anon was implying that he would join a club to make friends and he is too autistic to have female friends
>>8132541
In Canada and the us it seems to be a common mindset. I am originally from Russia though and it's fine there. Supposedly my mom had to read Gogol and Dostoyevsky when she was in school amongst other lit
>>8131936
>the passivity and introspection involved in consuming a book are definitely not traditionally westernly culturally masculine
Do you have a single fact to back that up?
>>8132586
the redpill
>>8132132
I hate myself for reading this entire garbage heap of a post. I also hate myself for continuing to listen to /lit/'s opinion on female authors/readers, because most of the time it's just
>xD girls are dumb boys r smrt
I read on the job all the time (cashier) and customers will regularly stop to either compliment me on reading rather than being on my phone or to discuss/recommend literature. Probably 60% of the time it's a male customer.
>>8132679
How old do they tend to be?
>>8132686
old enough to know better
young enough to pretendthis is the last of my letters
>>8132686
40s-60s I'd say. It's a grocery store so the clientele is on the older side. I'll rarely see someone who looks younger than 30, other than children with their parents.
>>8132691
You should have the first five pages open of a dostoevsky novel in a starbucks and see how far that gets you desu senpai
So does anyone have like a cousin or younger sibling that taps into youth culture?
I predicted games would completely take over reading a few years ago, I'm positive it's true. It seems as nowadays lots of dialogue lines in a game = complex or "smart" narrative.
>>8131929
Reading is typically a sedentary, quiet, unmoving, and self-absorbed activity.
Get that? Yeah, I just described most women. If you want to make reading more masculine, visit /fit/ and build some nice forearms. Following, visit /fa/ and have them help you pick out a nice slim fit button up and a slick watch. Roll up the sleeves, put on your watch, accentuate your new forearms. Now go out into public and read. At a pub, a bar, a park, subway, cafe, coffee house -- anywhere so long as it's populated with people.
If you guys are disagreeing with me, just try it god damn you. Be a fucking proud male citizen of your city and represent who you are and what you like and flaunt it along with yourself and your body. This is what a real man does and he does it because it gives him joy.
Do I do this? For years, babe. Have I gotten laud in this manner? Tons of times. Have also made tons of friends who have similar interests to me alll because I opened up and showed people who I am with pride on my face. You've got to own it.
Otherwise, yeah: your hobby of curling up in your bed with your books and tea is pretty fucking feminine. It doesn't need to be, however.
Pic related. Is me in Shanghai chilling and reading in a busy, populated area with another lit bro. We got laid that night btw.
>>8132970
I'm a gross 6'4" skinnyfat right now but trying to get in shape. I've been cutting for about 7 weeks and once I'm rid of a good portion of excess fat I'll focus on clean bulk and build muscle in order to do just that.
Either way, don't project so hard.
>>8132970
>the main objective of reading is to show off your muscles in public and try to get laid
at last, i finally understand
>>8132970
the whole point of 21st century reading is to show off about it
At last, I see.
>>8133007
>>8133023
>>8133034
This is not the only reason for reading, this is not the only way to read, and this is not the only time for reading. It's a way to celebrate yourself and your hobby, guys. Of course I read in bed every day and often spill water on myself as a I try to drink from a prone position.
The point of the post is to learn to celebrate yourself from time to time. Let people see what You are all about.
>>8132970
Jfc you sound like a self-satisfied jackass. I do exactly what you're describing and get the same results, and it's embarrassed to share behavior with someone who sounds like you.
>>8133403
But doesn't it feel good to feel good about yourself? Should we be apologetic for being satisfied with ourselves? Is something wrong with self-expression? Should we not want to be special and be treated as such?
I love being me. I love reading books. I love sharing what I love. I love sharing even my feminine features in a masculine way. What I love most are other confident dudes who are not put off by me and will bro it up with. Basically, never put others down and just put yourself up kind of dudes.
If it suits your purposes, be respectful, but never ashamed or embarassed. It's legitimately harmful to you.
>>8133753
I find I can't get the same level of immersion when I read in public compared to reading alone. Why would I dilute my enjoyment of a book for some other guy's ideal of "self pride" ?
You're trying to change the connotations to reading by influencing the subculture to become more stereotypically masculine, which I do see as a good thing. However, a masculine man doing a feminine act does not in fact make the act more masculine. Also, the thought of working out then reading to show off, for validation, seems a little more feminine than just having reading as a hobby that only comes up in conversation after a while.
Mostly tho, I find the whole "an activity is feminine, therefore it is inherently bad" meme pretty stupid. Isn't it more masculine to be above caring about what other people think of your hobbies, if you don't shove them into other peoples faces?
>>8131929
Whoever told you this or anything similar should be unfriended immediately. no harsh feelings
>>8131929
>guys don't read FANTASY SAGAS, YOUNG ADULT FICTION OR ROMANCE NOVELS
There, fixed for you.
>>8132689
nice m8
>>8132970
> visit /fit/
> no longer interested in women
> no-homo
>>8134148
it's a phrase i hear alot. my little brother even said this and said most of the guys agreed when he said this to a teacher the other day.
>>8133974
Once you've been doing it for a while you won't notice anythiny or anyone else other than you and your work. Another big reason for reading in public is simply to be a part of the community. It feels good just to be a face out there in the world doing his own weird thing.
I was exaggerating about working out your forearms just for the sake of reading a book public, but put it that way because it would be an very humorous (yet beneficial) thing to do. Also, I don't actually consider reading to be masculine or feminine. However, the conditions under which reading typically takes place can make a person lose social grace, and this will nearly almost always be interpreted as feminine. When I was an English major I initially spent so much fucking time alone in my room studying. Like over five hours a day for years, until one day my brother was like 'you're becoming awkward, out of touch, and a little bitch. You need to go outside more.' He was sincere, and actually concerned. This made me concerned, and pushed me to be honest with myself.
As far as your last comment goes, you may be right. There are many different expressions of masculinity and femininity. I'm a straight guy so naturally I've always wanted to think that I'm masculine, whatever that means. So I kind of just 'be myself' and say that it's masculine and hope nobody disagrees with me too much. And there are two spectrums of care, here. I don't worry (negative, hiding side of spectrum) that others will look poorly on me for what I'm doing or not doing. I don't care in that regard. However, I am excited (positive, expressive side of spectrum) that others will look fondly on me for what I'm doing or not doing. I want to share, express, and meet like-minded people. I want to influence people and let them see just some dude enjoying himself. I want to be an influential part of the social scenery, because damn, sometimes I feel like the public is boring and predictable as fuck.
>>8134178
Lol I stopped going there. Not only is it boring, but damn, there's more fucking psychological disorder there than there is on /lit/.
>>8134491
You should see /lgbt/. It's a fucking disaster over there.
>tfw im a repressed tranny slowly losing his mind day by day
>>8134481
Hey, I'm not the guy you replied to, but I really enjoyed reading your posts.
I'm an introverted attractive and well-dressed Asian guy who hasn't had much social success. I'm 18, 5'10", pretty skinny, but I look good. Any advice on breaking free from my depression?
>>8132078
You know, just becuase you're smart doesn't necessarily mean you have to be a complete social retard. If you're smart and can play the "game" with girls it can benefit you greatly
>>8134610
>muh """"""Depression"""""""
4chan is turning into tumblr but even more whiny somehow with their meme self diagnosed illnesses
>>8132970
smells like pasta
>>8134670
lol what the fuck is your problem? I take 50 mg of Zoloft a day faggot
>>8134691
Have you actually been prescribed this by a doctor?
If so, yeah, you get a free pass to whine, I guess. You still shouldn't though. Just because it's hip to do it doesn't mean you should
>>8134699
Yes... I live in America and was diagnosed with depression. I'm not one of those annoying teenage girls who claim to have depression. Fuck depression desu
>>8134716
yeah this basically
>>8134705
american medicine tends to be far too liberal in how it hands out meds left and right. before taking any mental meds you should try more natural solutions rather than resorting to meds which can put you in a hole that is quite hard to get out of
try physical exercise, better diet, more sunlight. not even memeing
>>8134719
I've been eating a lot less than usual. Have no idea why, must be the antidepressant. Also, I hate sunlight and anything bright. Whenever I'm at home, I turn off every light.
>>8134610
I grew up in Alhambra, CA. Next to New York, we have the most Asians in the US. So I hope this qualifies me to advise you a bit.
Anyway, depression arises from feeling ashamed of your own emotions. And with Asians, shame is a massive theme. They use it to shape and mold their cultures and behaviors. This is why in my city dudes have BMWs and Lambos and Teslas and insane other cars, but it seems to mean nothing to them outside of the shame it temporarily helps them to avoid feeling. That is until they notice that someone else has a newer model, a better model, or more customizations. It's sad and never works. The point here is that Asians often use shit sold in the marketplace that ideologically suggests that their value is high. They hope that from this people will assume that their emotional state is high and steady. They do all this because their culture typically lacks a means of social validation that exists individualistically outside of the family. So Asians often use materialism in order to fill the order of that validation. However it's wayy too temporary of a fix. So, if not fresh gear and money and cars and clothes, then what?
I suggest you simply accept that your value is adequate enough. It's there. Take it as a given, because no else will, or can, provide it to you. Your fucking feelings deserve to be seen and heard. You have a right to feel whatever you like. You try your best. In terms of action, make a hobby of chatting with strangers. Be selfish. Be selfishly curious about them. Be selfishly wanting to talk. You're 18 (I'm 31 bruh). You won't hit home runs immediately, but over time you will calibrate. You'll learn to engage with people in a way that's all emotion with few logistics. You won't think of status or height or race or age or social value or whether you should or should not. You'll just be like "holy shit dude, sorry to interrupt(you're not really), but your car is absolutely sick. Where did you get these wheels?!" Or "Hey, I saw you as soon as I walked into this Starbucks and I immediately thought: wow, she's the hottest women I've seen all month, and I've got to share my appreciation. I'm anon, so good to see you." Shake her hand and go about your business.
The point is not to impress people, pick up chicks, or make friends. Its to get accustomed with making your own ideas and feelings more real to you through sharing them with others. It's incredibly validating, and Asians need this especially imo. All reactions will not be positive, but that's okay because you're being open and honest and you're just fucking being yourself.
Basically, learn to do shit where you MUST put your sense of 'face' at risk conatantly. You'll soon learn not to feel ashamed, and you'll soon recognize everyone else's shame. This will give you the empathy and sympathy to want to put yourself out there to help just like I'm doing in the post.
>>8134599
Damn dude. Fuck that. Don't go there. Don't label yourself and just do what you want. Leave the labeling to others.
Can we see pic of that trap ass? I'm bad, sry.
>>8131929
Because most readers are women reading romance novels.
Someone mentioned girls read more and it's true. I don't know why that is, and I couldn't care less really.
What I can say is that manly traits during the middle ages and after were related always to the figure of the knight, and these traits included being basically retarded, thoughtless, more specifically to never doubt in the face of challenge. A king or a knight that doubts doesn't exist, or is a mockery of the stereotype. And doubt is what instrospection is about.
novels have been seen as dumb girl shit since they became cheap for mass distribution
even though the Canon and top elite literary circle have mostly always been presided over by men (with women being the primary consumers and the ones doing all the grunt work, now and 200 years ago), outside of people interested in lit it's maybe not girly but not particularly masculine
>>8132087
women read more literary fiction than men and are more serious and "commited" by any metric I could imagine besides circlejerking about the same ten books on this particular board
>>8132101
literature that's taken seriously by other (male) critics and then canonized by other men, yes, actually written it's much more even and read it's never stopped being much more women than men
>>8132307
elementary school teachers=/=academics to literally any poor young boy's growing mind
>>8132477
more women (in the United States) are teachers because when education was becoming compulsory and being offered to every community women were pushed into teaching, which was previously mostly men, because they could be paid less
also other factors like "women love children"->"working with children is a vocation not a proper job"->doesn't deserve proper pay
>>8132970
>Get that? Yeah, I just described most women.
dude women never shut the fuck up and are constantly social
>>8134810
The female domination doesn't stop in elementary school. And to the mind of the child, he cannot articulate the reason he doesn't enjoy learning as being because of his teacher. The subject is boring, school is boring, learning is boring.
>>8132970
Reading is typically a sedentary, quiet, unmoving, and self-absorbed activity.
Get that? Yeah, I just described most women. If you want to make reading more masculine, visit /fit/ and build some nice forearms. Following, visit /fa/ and have them help you pick out a nice slim fit button up and a slick watch. Roll up the sleeves, put on your watch, accentuate your new forearms. Now go out into public and read. At a pub, a bar, a park, subway, cafe, coffee house -- anywhere so long as it's populated with people.
If you guys are disagreeing with me, just try it god damn you. Be a fucking proud male citizen of your city and represent who you are and what you like and flaunt it along with yourself and your body. This is what a real man does and he does it because it gives him joy.
Do I do this? For years, babe. Have I gotten laud in this manner? Tons of times. Have also made tons of friends who have similar interests to me alll because I opened up and showed people who I am with pride on my face. You've got to own it.
Otherwise, yeah: your hobby of curling up in your bed with your books and tea is pretty fucking feminine. It doesn't need to be, however.
Pic related. Is me in Shanghai chilling and reading in a busy, populated area with another lit bro. We got laid that night btw.
>>8132643
There is some truth to it though. On average, men have much more gray matter wiring their brains while women have much more white matter. Grey matter accentuates specified concentration, while white matter specialises in wholesome concentration; I.e women are jacks of all trades, men are singular masters of them
>>8132970
Man smelled like satirical pasta through and through but you really topped it off with living in Shanghai. Every western born person living in China is either a very high tier corporate worker, which your persona clearly isn't as exemplified by his usage of 4chan, or the lowest of the low
>>8134756
> making your own ideas and feelings more real to you through sharing them with others
Not him, but that's a very odd statement. Normally this sentiment signals a need for approval (not a wrong reason), but you seem to validate just by saying to another person. But you don't really care if they approve them, like narcissists would, or to hear the other person's idea, in a Socratic sense. So what about sharing the idea makes it more real? What makes this person saying it more himself than keeping it to himself? Is it the movement of the idea from being uncommitted in your brain to being committed in the physical via speech?
>>8134756
Sup Tai Lopez
>>8131929
Who cares what those people think? They don't read.
>>8134961
For me it's think it's about abandoning any certainty regarding my own judgments about other people's future judgments. We often think we're so certain about how how other people feel. But really, we can't know until we talk to them.
I think that by putting an idea out there vs letting it just sit in your own mind you're better able to calibrate with reality. This opposes the assumption that we already know what the outcome of our thoughts or feelings will be.
>>8134930
Not pasta. Shit is true. Visited there to see if I'd want to move there for work. Air quality is unbelievably bad, so I went home a month later.
>>8134790
Imagine is the key word. You can imagine the metric if you like, but atleast in Berlins literary circle the females are try-hards who can't read whatsoever. They just eat up whatever shit gets released, and call it great to be polite.
>>8131929
They're aren't but obviously it isn't a social/outdoor activity which extroverted people tend to enjoy more.
>>8135474
this
it's more of a normie/non-normie dichotomy
>>8131929
I don't know a single girl who reads, and I'm majoring in creative writing
>>8135484
Most normies don't read
usually it's game of thrones
even then they usually just watch the series
>>8131929
i'm just not interested in reading. reading fictions make me think "this is nice but again it's not real" all the time, and i generally have a very short attention span. i spend most of my time free-thinking, daydreaming, rather than really focusing my mind on something.
>>8135513
why do you come here?
>>8135513
You sound boring as fuck. Also, define "real"
>>8135516
i feel guilty. i feel like i should be able to read, i should like reading, i should have a favourite book, i should better myself by reading, making myself better and better than everyone else, to compensate for things i hate in me, which is almost everything
>>8135517
i am. and 'real' means something that is at least possible to happen in real life. writers are just people just like us. to create such possible and senseful scenarios, takes a very special person that has seen any kinds of life on earth.
>>8135530
what have you been reading?
>>8135538
i tried several novels, sort of mystery/detective novels, but i could never make it, too bored out and i always thought about something else halfway reading. but there was this book that i finished, it was about the biography of my ex-president. kind of enjoyed it i guess. planning to get into more nonfiction, but i'm not really interested in any fields. maybe history. however, i have to be able to be more and more creative, no matter what. i have to be better than anyone around me.
>>8135530
Why don't you use your self hatred in a constructive way and reward yourself for reading and discipline yourself for not? If you aren't reading, then think of all the ways your life will suck if you don't get your shit together. Imagine flipping burgers, living with mommy and daddy, mommy and daddy dying and you being homeless, and getting turned down by hot trannies, and then, when you're good and pissed off, just read to relieve the stress you inflicted on yourself.
Anger and hatred are only useful emotions because they numb you to certain emotions which can allow you to surpass your own limits.
>>8135571
that's not how self hatred works, you clearly don't know self hatred. plus, reading won't assure someone a better life. i've seen loud attractive jerks that get rich, everytime, they win. smart people aren't very useful and interesting.
Because most people think slowly and experience time at a snail's pace
>>8135581
Read your SICP or Mandarin textbook then you cretin
>>8135617
idk, i can't discipline myself to read textbooks. i'm studying something that i don't like. i lost.
>>8132920
>It seems as nowadays lots of dialogue lines in a game = complex or "smart" narrative.
The fact that people think Bioshock Infinite has a deep plot is proof of the decline of western civilisation.
>>8135837
>Its another v tries to be edgy episode
Yes the plot was shit. Who cares? Its like transformers for intellectuals, pseud dumb fun.
>>8135581
>Better life = rich
Alright you're either 14, autistic, or both. Quit being a baby, man up and do something.
>>8132643
Show us your tits.
>>8132970
> and tea is pretty fucking feminine
F-f-fuck you.
>>8137010
Chap, I'm kidding.
>>8137010
>> and tea is pretty fucking feminine
maybe in the usa
in many countries it's simply the most popular everyday drink
if anything, it's sometimes (very strongly brewed) even used as a makeshift drug in prisons, so it's pretty masculine in a bad way
>>8132970
Saving this pasta.
>>8138050
I must be naive as fuck for not realizing why so many people have said this pasta or or pasta worthy.
>>8131936
It's the opposite, actually.
