Would You Stop Reading Because Someone Says You Should?

Posted June 19, 2017 by Zeee in Discussions • 14 Comments

Let’s talk about anything bookish!

I love to read and it honestly boggles my mind when someone will tell me that I should STOP reading! The HORROR!

I belong to a reader group that actually posted about this. This person shared that her ex-husband did not want her to read and now that they had divorced, she can now read to her heart’s content. Now, I don’t want to judge her in this case, but I am really curious about this.

I have been reading since I was really young, and before I started reading, I was read to. Reading has been a part of my life and is one of the things that define me and I cannot for the life of me stop reading.

There are other factors that cause someone to stop reading. Of course, if one of the people, your spouse, for example, will want you to stop reading, I can see why you would. Right?

My husband and I have different hobbies but we also share a few. The great thing about our relationship is that he actually reads, too. Well, not as much as I do, but he reads and he understands my passion for reading. Come to think of it, he hasn’t told me to stop reading since we started dating.

Of course, I don’t spend ALL my time reading. And my husband and I have a compromise. Since he works out of state for 4 weeks, I usually have my me time, which I mostly spend reading. When he comes home, we do things together. It could be watching our favorite shows together or going on a road trip.

It is true that I tend to read less when he is here but there are times when he is watching anime and I am reading. So, we do have a balance.

What I am saying is that I still cannot comprehend why someone would tell you to stop reading at all. Do you?

Has anyone told you to stop reading? What did you do?

Would you stop reading because someone wants you to?

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14 responses to “Would You Stop Reading Because Someone Says You Should?”

  1. Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

    My husband doesn’t read at all, and I’m sure there are times when he’d like me to put. The. Book. Down. Still, he knows that I love to read and he’d never try to make me actually stop. Just, you know, pay attention to him every once in a while. 🙂
    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted…June Wrap-Up & Best of the BunchMy Profile

    Reply
    • Zeee

      hahaha yeah, I know what you mean. Like right now, husband and I are watching TV while I’m blogging 🙂

      Reply
  2. Fleur @ Fleur Henley

    When I was a lot younger, my parents used to tell me to stop reading so much! I had to stop then, because they were in charge of my pocket money and what I bought with it – but now that I’m a little more independent I can read to my hearts content.
    Fleur @ Fleur Henley recently posted…Six Signs I’m Getting OlderMy Profile

    Reply
    • Zeee

      Yes, I can totally see that happening. I was luckier than most because my parents never really told me to stop reading. However, I used to save my lunch money just to buy the books I wanted! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Krysta @ Pages Unbound

    We don’t know the full story of the woman who was told to stop reading, but it sounds like she might have been reading too much. Perhaps what her husband was saying was really that he felt ignored or unsupported because she wasn’t spending time with him or helping out around the house. We tend to glorify reading over other hobbies as more cultured or more productive, but just as we could see reason in a request like “Can you golf less?” or “Can you spend less time watching television?” we can assume that there is such as thing as excessive reading if the person is not fulfilling the duties and obligations in their life.

    Reply
    • Zeee

      You know what, Krysta, you do have a point. I used to play computer games in high school and my boyfriend and I had fights because of it. The solution was to only play when we weren’t hanging out together.

      I also have a workaround with the chores since I listen to audiobooks while doing chores.

      Reply
  4. Molly @ Molly's Book Nook

    uhhh heck no! I’m married and my husband would never tell me to stop reading just like I would never tell him to stop doing any of his hobbies. However, I guess it would be similar to girls saying they don’t want their significant other’s playing video games. So I can see how those could relate, but I would never do that and if he were to ever say that I have to stop reading, I’d laugh and go read haha. Honestly, our hobbies are what we do when we want to be left alone a little. It’s healthy to have something just for you and that’s what reading is. I have quiet time while I read, which gives him time to do his thing. Win win in my opinion.
    Molly @ Molly’s Book Nook recently posted…More Ways To Read On A BudgetMy Profile

    Reply
    • Zeee

      I totally agree. I think the only time you would find offense to this is when they ONLY do that and not help around the house or basically do nothing to help, right? Like my husband also binge watches and plays games so when he does those things, I also do reading. We kind of have a balance when it comes to chores.. haha

      Reply
  5. Wendy @ Falconer's Library

    There’s a difference between, “Hey, instead of reading this evening, will you watch this show with me?” and “Reading is dumb and I forbid you to read so much.” The first one is totally okay, especially if “Oooh, I am at a really good part but if you give me half an hour I’ll come join you,” is accepted. The second one is grounds for divorce. My husband plays a lot of card games, and it takes a lot of his time. I don’t have the right kind of brain for strategy games, so I’m totally not interested. But I know it makes him happy, so I have no problem letting him do his thing. He is not a reader, but he would never tell me to stop doing something that clearly means so much to me either.

    Reply
    • Zeee

      You do have a point, Wendy! I totally get it. My husband reads, but he doesn’t read a much as I do, but we do things together and we also do different things together, i.e. he watches movies/plays games while I read or blog. But we also do things together other than our hobbies so it is a win-win for us.

      Reply
  6. Terri M., the Director

    No one has ever told me to STOP reading. That’s weird. But then again I’ve surrounded myself with people (including my husband) who love to read. I’ve passed my love of reading on to other people (I’ve gotten about a half dozen people to TRY Outlander). I’m also involved with hobbies connected to reading. So I guess I wouldn’t hang out with or be friends with someone who told me to stop reading.
    Terri M., the Director recently posted…My Summer Reading List. COYER Summer Reading ChallengeMy Profile

    Reply
    • Zeee

      You do have a point. I have friends that love to read and I also have friends that don’t read. They haven’t told me to stop reading though. But it would be different if the person who told you to stop reading was someone you love, right?

      Reply
  7. Nereyda

    People tell you to stop reading??? But why??? Go bug the people that are doing drugs or something that’s actually bad. I sometimes get snarky comments cause I read YA but no one has ever flat out told me to stop reading.

    Reply
    • Zeee

      I have gotten some crap about reading YA and of course reading ROMANCE. I absolutely hate it when people do that, but I have learned to let it slide and it doesn’t bother me anymore.

      Reply