Reading is so unfulfilling. I feel like I need to read shitloads

>>18664281
People only like those books because they offer "insights", I only care about Edward Muzika's.

>>18664281
Yeah, this isn't just you anon. If you've got serious intentions to be cultured, then reading is probably an important thing to do. The other day a friend of mine recommended that everyone read the Bible, Christian or not, because there are so many artistic/literary references to it that if you don't know much about it's contents, you'll be missing out on a lot of references. So, even though this is unsolicited, you might want to pick up the Bible and read from front to back (or at least the more interesting parts. I'm sure there's a guide somewhere) is probably a good piece of literature to start with if you want to be cultured. Other holy texts too I guess, but idk anything about them.

That said, I think it'd be pretty reasonable to say that you don't really have to give a shit about being cultured. In many facets of life, that's how I feel. I don't want to fly to South America and get high on DMT. I don't want to be eaten alive by mosquitos (or alligators) on a turbine-powered boat in the bayou. I don't want to climb Mount Everest. I don't want to eat monkey brains or dog meat. I'll be missing out on all of these things, but that's okay, because I don't give (enough of) a shit about any of them and plenty of other things. Nobody's got enough time to soak all of those experiences in, so you've got to pick and choose. If you feel like reading classical literature isn't worth your time, then don't. There are other ways to pick up the skills/merits that people say come from reading those sorts of books.

Cont

>>18664346
If you read technical manuals, textbooks, or other 'non-fiction,' you'll walk away with meaningful skills while still improving your vocabulary and reading comprehension, which I take to be two of the biggest reasons that people want to promote reading in the first place. I think that fiction is more commonly recommended than non-fiction because it seems like it could appeal to more people, making reading less of a chore, but I pulled that out of my ass. I don't know.

I doubt that you'll find enlightenment in a fictional book (or a non-fictional book for that matter). I picked up Dostoyevsky from my library about a month ago for the exact same reasons. I still haven't finished the little anthology of short stories, but what I've read is good. It hasn't changed my life, and I bet that when (if) I finish it, it still won't. It's just another means of reflecting on your own experiences. You can reflect in ways besides reading, so if you feel like you'd rather educate yourself in other ways, then I'd encourage you to do so. Anybody who thinks they're 1337 for reading old books is probably a cunt looking for attention. Reading old books is fine, but having to brag about it or put other people down for not doing so is absolutely cringy, in my humble opinion. Reflection is something that you've got to do for yourself. Reading the reflections of others can obviously be helpful, but supplanting your own efforts with other people's words is doing yourself a grave disservice.

I see the irony, and I'm sorry to be such a cunt. I've just dealt with a lot of pseudointellectuals like the ones you described, and I really resent that shit. I think it's toxic to confidently and un-ironically propose that "everybody needs to watch Game of Thrones" or "spend a year in a foreign country." Don't be a sheep. When somebody else's prescription for satisfaction/peace/etc fails you, look elsewhere or come to your own conclusions.

Start reading Buddhist literature for insights

>>18664396
Advaita > Buddhism