Bad Books for Bad People?

[Metamorph]

Has it been your experience that horrible people just read horrible writing? If not, do you think there are any other correlations between people and what they read? I think it's a given that you are what you read (though you can read things ironically.)

[Grendel]

This topic is not loaded at all, and the discussion it starts will be dispassionate and objective.

[ghost of forum past]

When forming an impression of another person, and when I am in a situation where this is possible, I will often have a look at what books someone has on their shelves or on their desk. Lots of information can be gathered - one's curiosity can be judged by how much conflicting information there is between the books owned, for example having both a Richard Dawkins book and a C.S. Lewis book, or by how much varied information there is between the books owned, such as random unrelated hobby books. In general, people who are not curious won't want to have information that conflicts with their own viewpoint or their interests.

So, yes, there may be something to correlating general characteristics of a person and the books that they read.

[ashlesha]

I notice quantity more than quality in this dept.
Or if somebody has 5 shelves of nothing but harlequin romance or birdwatching guides I'd probably think we have different interests and might not hit it off. So it would contribute to my impression of them. But I wouldn't think they're a bad person.
I'm more likely be to be impressed than turned off by anything on a bookshelf.

[ghost of forum past]

I am quite sure that they just respect ****** for his effective leadership abilities and wish to incorporate that into their professional lives

[ouronis]

Reading makes you stuck thinking the thoughts of others. Ban reading.

[Metamorph]

Reading makes you stuck thinking the thoughts of others. Ban reading.

let's keep the cover of Mein Kampf and burn all the pages to remind us