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April 30, 2007

schopenhauer on reading

The art of not reading is a very important one. It consists in not taking an interest in whatever may be engaging the attention of the general public at any particular time. When some political or ecclesiastical pamphlet, or a novel, or poem is making a great commotion, you should remember that he who writes for fools always finds a large public. A precondition for reading good books in not reading bad ones: for life is short.

Buying books would be good if one could also buy the time to read them in: but as a rule the purchase of books is mistaken for the appropriation of their contents


Schopenhauer

Posted by amin at April 30, 2007 10:44 PM