Why do you like reading?

[tanner87cbs]

I like to read because it keeps me sharp and puts more depth into my vocabulary. When I was younger, I hated reading. That was true up until I met my wife who is an avid reader. We started going to thrift stores to find books, and when I found the right ones, I got hooked.

[Ariely 20]

I read because reading gives me pleasure.
Reading increases knowledge and broadens ones frontiers.

[Ivona R]

Because I always learn something new or I get valuable insights into different topics. It improves your vocabulary and widens your horizons.

[H2ngo]

Among the popular answers of books being an escape from reality, a vessel of learning, and a means of evoking emotions, I also love reading because it forges a connection between people. Books are a manifestation of the thoughts and ideas that run through other people's minds, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to read a book that reflects the same thoughts that I have.

[Samwisekoop]

I love reading because, as George R.R. Martin says, "A reader lives a thousand lives...the man who never reads lives only one." Reading to me is like having a thousand different lives and seeing a thousand different things. Where else do you get to be a wizard, wolf-boy, or immortal hero? Only in a book can you turn yourself into these things. That is why I LOVE books that utterly captivate me and transport me into a totally different world and being. I love the details to be so vivid that I can feel the roughness of the saddle beneath my legs, or see the destruction of a city, and feel the pain of losing a loved one. "Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn't want to live there." -Owl City (aka Adam Young)

[HusainNecklace52]

Why do I read?

Well, almost for all of the reasons mentioned by everyone else above.

I read because it provides an escape from the normal and boring ways of life into something extraordinary and adventurous.

I read because every book or story has some moral or lessor tucked within its pages waiting for its readers to grasp at.

I read because I simply enjoy the feeling of it!

[Vivienne2000]

It helps me get into my own world of fantasy and also the world in the book. I get to escape the harsh reality of life, even if for a little while.

[BreathofFreshAriel]

I read because I love to learn! I'm curious about everything and books are much more thorough than an internet synopsis or article. Even fiction usually teaches me something that has to do with the theme or message the author wanted to convey.

[AnnObiageri]

I love reading. One of the reasons I read, is the adventure. I could be anywhere in the world just by pouring through the pages of a book.

My second reason is the emotions. I could be happy or sad, in love or heartbroken, filled with rage or perfectly calm just by reading.

Thirdly is the escape! reading helps me escape into another world not minding whatever might be going on around me.

[Glenda0445]

I love to read to escape. I have always like to read, I rather pick up a book rather than getting an app. The the experience you get of getting a new book and telling someone about it, and just forget about the phone the internet and all the other things going on in the world.

[Melina the reader]

But I think the most fundamental reason is because, like all art, I like seeing what the human race is capable of when they aren't off killing people or arguing over trivial matters such as politics.

Yeah, I'm a pessimist.

I agree! And I don't think its pessimistic to think that. You can still see and acknowledge that there is a lot of good and beauty in the world in the world but as you say much of it is a mess.
I think John Lennon said it really well: "Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it."

Today I think that is more true than ever but to see it is vital for bringing more good to the world so I think you're quite rightfully saying that.

Anyway, to bring it back to reading: I think books can wake you up and much like a mirror they reflect and adress (sometimes even predict) many of the struggles we face now. If we are conscious enough to see that they are of great value to humans! But apart from that I also think they are very enriching as a way of escaping to a different world and letting your imagination fly

[Olukemi16]

Reading, the art of journeying through someone else's story.
I get to travel to places/worlds/dimensions I've never been, imagine people I might have never considered, I get to be a background character (observer) in their tale! I love reading because of the mental surreality books give.

[Sumansona1344]

I love reading since I was a child. I never had a normal childhood like others and whenever I saw everyone around me, I felt that I was being heldback. That is when I started reading as an escape. I used to read to escape myself from reality but now I read to expand my imagination. Reading helps me see things which I have never seen before. It also helps me feel all kinds of emotions when I feel that I have lost myself. Reading opens up a new world for me.

[alicia_fountain]

I like reading because it can take me out of the regular world, if even for a moment. I've enjoyed reading to write reviews, also. It helps me keep up with my critical thinking skills, and has me writing every few days whenever I finish a book. I probably wouldn't write at all except for short things like this reply!

[Balena]

I read to broaden my vocabulary and reading comprehension skills. I also do this to get inspiration to write some of my own works.

However, the main reason that I read is to escape into many different worlds and reduce my stress. I love that you could read anywhere you like and that there is such a wide variety of books, so it is almost perpetual, in a sense.