Can you judge people on the books they read?

Mairin · Post by **Mairin** » 03 Dec 2010, 22:09

GotThatSwing wrote:
laci_baby wrote: But truly i doubt you'll ever see a genius read Gossip Girl nor an idiot actually reading Clockwork Orange. It just doesnt work. It may be wrong, i admit, but sadly you can't tell your brain to not think such things. I'm a horrible person... i know.
I think first option is more probable. I guess people read chick lits to realx? (Becuase Gossip Girl is a chick lit, right?) I wouldn't assume someone is stupid for that reason. The other way round probably yes, I would think that a person reading serious book probably is smart.

Every once in a while a mind numbing read is just what I need. I've been known to pull out a Sandra Brown book every now and then just to have a good 1 day quick read that is pure smut and entertainment!

laci_baby · Post by **laci_baby** » 03 Dec 2010, 23:57

Okay okay....
For one- Fran, i would never think anything ill towards you. It's not possible. You read so much as it is anyway that sooner or later your going to run out of the good reads.

Swing- I have no idea if GG is a chick lit.. that's a good question though. And i wasn't meaning it against chick lit's, i only meant it against the drivel GG stands for. I only meant that, even when not realizing it, my brain does tend to go against it. But as i said... you can't stop your brain from thinking such thoughts. But i'm still having problems picturing Einstein flipping through a brainless book. Ever. But that's just me, i suppose.
Mairin- We have all read our share fair of chick lit, with shame. No worries.

GotThatSwing · Post by **GotThatSwing** » 04 Dec 2010, 00:12

laci_baby wrote:Swing- I have no idea if GG is a chick lit.. that's a good question though.

I have no idea either. We should investigate it. Anyone here who read it?

StephenKingman · Post by **StephenKingman** » 04 Dec 2010, 04:56

I thought Gossip Girl was some cheesy tv show about a bunch of spoilt American teens talking rubbish?

GotThatSwing · Post by **GotThatSwing** » 04 Dec 2010, 07:22

It is. But I think it is on the basis of the book.

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 04 Dec 2010, 23:20

I try to be open-minded regarding someone's interests, choice of literature, etc. In my experience, most of the time an unusual preference will prove to be no cause for concern.

However in some cases it can be; my last girlfriend for instance. Given what I finally realized about her personality, her choice of such books as Anton LaVey's Satanic Bible shouldn't be a surprise.

As for me...with my affinity for radio-related works would probably brand me in the eyes of many as a geek. Or a mad tinkerer.

Zekes · Post by **Zekes** » 05 Dec 2010, 23:06

I think no because you can't tell the exact personalities or attitude of that person through his books that he is reading on not unless you are some kind of psychologist to do that.

C0ldf1re · Post by **C0ldf1re** » 18 Mar 2011, 19:50

When I was young, my mother obviously believed that visitors would judge us by the books they saw on our bookshelves in our drawing room.

Even if I was actually reading second-hand science-fiction paperbacks with ragged covers, casual visitors must never see them.

The books on display were selected from those with perfect covers. They must cover sensible subjects, or be "respectable" novels (i.e. authors preferably dead). The Bible always had to have pride of place.

Vogin · Post by **Vogin** » 22 Mar 2011, 06:17

When people judge me, they usually come up with an image of an anti-social moron who doesn't speak much, might be clever and is insane because of not drinking alcohol or dismissing employment as a viable way to make money.

I really try not to judge people, because I know from experience how misguided it can get.

C0ldf1re · Post by **C0ldf1re** » 22 Mar 2011, 07:06

Vogin wrote:... is insane because of not drinking alcohol...

Sounds reasonable! (JK)

Tip the Bottle · Post by **Tip the Bottle** » 22 Mar 2011, 15:26

Well let's face it if you're bookshelf contains books like "Mein Kampf" and "The Turner Diaries" it would be a pretty safe be to guess you may be a little racist just like seeing a bookshelf filled with porn would indicate your a fun person to be around.

Should you judge people by something as little as what is on a bookshelf or even a gut feeling, yes. Often times those first impressions or gut feelings prove to be true. I read somewhere that people who've been victims of violent crimes state that that their initial feeling about someone was that there was something off about that person but disregarded that feeling.

Just because you judge someone doesn't mean that you can't get to know them better and change your mind. I remember on job I worked at I was told by the manager that he wouldn't have hired me when he first saw me because I looked angry, his assistant manager hired me, but then he got to know me and turns out I was one of his best workers, an angry worker but one of his best.

Hikkomijian · Post by **Hikkomijian** » 24 Mar 2011, 15:23

Of course.
Although everyone can read light books, the people who read them are determined by them. And not necessarily it means, that someone is too foolish to read other kind of literature. No, It shows his character in the first place.
But it seems undeniable that intelligent people aim for ambitious literature. What doesn't mean that they read only this kind of books, it is enough (/ok) to read them from time to time. First of all it shows that they need a dose of something profound, of something demanding. As for me the reaching for this sort of books distinguishes the reader interested in knowledge from the one who lives only some cheap novels.
In my opinion the vital factor is if the reader is discriminating. The less he is, the worse is a quality of reading books by him- hence I deem he is limited. On the other hand high demands reflects on his high taste- that, he is not pleased by some novel, where one fact confuses with another. No this reader searches for some epic story, which will be remembered for a long time.
To summarize. Yes, it's possible to estimate a person from the books he reads. And as a reading literature determines his character (e.g. if he likes laughing, dreaming etc.), so does requirements in relation to the book reflects on his intelligence.

Davinci · Post by **Davinci** » 30 Aug 2011, 16:21

tastes are deeply personal, what interests me might not interest you.

It does not mean we're bad people.

People should be judged by their actions but the again it's ok to make mistakes ... as long as you don't repeat the same mistakes all the time

Fran · Post by **Fran** » 30 Aug 2011, 16:49

I love a good nosey around the bookshelves when I visit someone. I do think you can tell a lot about someone from the books they own ... or at least a lot about the person they would like to be seen to be perhaps. When I come across shelves of classics I always wonder how many they have actually read, and I would check are the books in pristine condition or are they well thumbed, much loved old friends.
I hate to see those shelves of leather bound books that you just know have been purchased because they make good looking shelf fillers and have probably never been opened much less read. I'd be more impressed with a few shelves of well thumbed paperbacks.