‘Nerd!’ If you’re reading enthusiast and you’ve heard this term as if meant to insult you then fret not, for there are far too many people who witness the similar shots aimed at them in their daily life. It has become a very familiar slang to our present-day society.
Fact filled published material tends to label one as a smart person but when it comes to novels and books of the same category, the experiencing human is thought to be socially awkward, non-conversational, lifeless, boring creature who is unaware of the beauty of life. Okay, I might have exaggerated the last part a little bit but there’s still a smidgen of truth in it.
To unveil the true nature of my kind, that we are not pointy-toothed, introverted bats who live in abandoned castles far away from civilization, I decided to take a step out of my creepy dark cave so I can clear some myths about the above mentioned species of people.
Chances are if you were fond of folktales and stories in your childhood, you might have managed to keep up with it while going through a development in both your age and taste, or you could’ve gotten this contagious magic from your family or friends. Either way, once you enter this charismatic kingdom of ‘Booktopia’, there is no way out and if you give your devotion and indulging services to it you’ll probably turn out to be the richest person by the time you’re done.
Where the informative and acknowledging book items enhance your mentality on a formal scale, the novel category of the books grooms you emotionally and on a spiritually informal level. We soak up the attributes and traits of our favorite characters with our imagination and perception to such an extent that in bits and pieces, all those gained parts become a part of our own identity. When you come across a decisive matter you consider it not only from your point of view but also from those of the fictional subjects you idolize. Reading is a pure form of art consumption because it polishes one’s creativity with mere synchronization of words and fantasy. A reader lives so many lives, experiences so many adventures, mourns so many deaths and rejoices so many eventful moments that he/she is bound to have a wild imagination and scenario creating ability.
The misunderstood characteristics of a bookworm include ‘abundance of social misanthropy’. It is a totally false notion that if I’m buried nose-deep into a book then I’m abstaining from any sort of human contact, with a red neon sign above my head saying ‘TALK AND YOU SHALL PERISH’. We, the readers, communicate in the most unique way. If you ever see these type of people interacting then you watch history unfold and may be surprised by the amount of conversation they’ll have. We don’t shut people out because we know the strength letters carry, we just simply save more for the ones we find relatable. To an outsider it might seem odd that two beings are expressing such strong sentiments regarding fictional universes, but to them, it makes up for an indulging and lively conversation.
Another sad reality about reading is that it is stereotyped on the basis of gender, for example, females can only enjoy the romance genre of novels. For god’s sake! It’s not necessary that a lady can only smile if she sees a harmonious relationship between two lovers. For all you know she might be appreciating Katniss’s bravery (The Hunger Games), or she could be fawning over Robert langdon’s decoding capability (The Da-vinci Code), or she could be astounded by Mitch McDeere’s cleverness (The Firm).
Reading is a normal activity, like cooking, watching movies, swimming etc. Take it as a preference over other preferences. An evolution isn’t always loud and wreaking havoc, it could be a human sitting in the corner of a room of 50 people while experiencing a refinement in their personality from all aspects with an ominously silent word scanning. A writer distributes all their good traits to the readers through their works and it’s a strangely empowering concept.
Contrary to some popular beliefs, the routine of this habit is both entertaining and educating. The significance of this habit can only be proved by those who know the lessons words can teach humanity.