Many people – especially men – in our Western world do not read fiction (think of novels, short stories, poetry).
That is a great pity, because fiction in particular – and I know this sounds contradictory – can help us understand reality better.
For example, it can teach us how best to deal with the challenges we face in our lives, and it can also show us that it is not so bad if that doesn’t always work out. It offers us the opportunity to compare ourselves with others, to identify similarities and differences in our emotions, our appearance, our beliefs, and our reactions to certain situations. It can ground us and make us feel less lonely. It can give us insight into other people and make it easier for us to connect with them. It can make us travel without getting out of our armchair. And it can stimulate our imagination and, thereby, our creativity. At the same time, it provides a sense of total seclusion, even in the midst of other people, enjoyment and ultimate relaxation.
– ‘As a boy I read science fiction and adventure books, but now that I’m an adult I of course don’t do that anymore.’
– ‘Fairy tales are for children.’
– ‘My wife likes reading novels, but I definitely don’t have time for that.’
– ‘Why would I read fiction when there is so much interesting non-fiction? At least I can learn something from that.’
– ‘I find reading fiction a total waste of my precious time.’
– ‘Sometimes I find it downright reprehensible. For example, when explicit sex is involved. Or when it deals with unnatural relationships.’
– ‘Why should I read something that someone else has made up?’
Where does that aversion, or perhaps even fear, of fiction come from?
There are, of course, all kinds of reasons and excuses for that, but in my opinion, they largely boil down to these principles:
1. It often stems from puritanism. Certainly in societies dominated by Protestant religions. People believe that one should not enjoy life for the sake of enjoyment itself. Life is meant to consist of hard work and sacrifice, and only in an afterlife (in heaven) one is allowed to enjoy.
If one still wishes to enjoy the here and now, that conviction is suppressed with alcohol.
2. Everything one does in life should be aimed at productivity and making money. If an activity does not contribute directly or indirectly to someone’s status or bank balance, then that is wasted time.
(It is for this reason that bestsellers and biographies about successful people are sometimes actually read by them. Those are allowed to stimulate their imagination, because they might ‘magically’ ensure that the reader also becomes successful.)
3. People believe that nowadays there are plenty of other and better ways to relax: for example, watching – preferably true story – films, documentaries, and TV series, or playing computer games, where one learns while playing how to excel in real life.
It is probably needless to say that these same people generally do not like art either. Because, well, what’s the point of that then?