Some thoughts on reading

I just read the letters from a librarian post about aesthetics, art and philosophy. Well, the most recent one, at least. Pretty fascinating stuff. I wish I had the time to just sit around and think about this sort of thing. I guess it's good that other people do, as long as they share their thoughts and conversations with people like me. Hey, maybe that's the whole value of art, philosophy, even academic studying of humanities - not to live in isolation, but to produce something of value that regular people (at least, non-academics who care about this stuff) can use to improve their own lives, their understanding of the world they live in, and thereby contribute to the overall improvement of human civilization. Not through technological advancement, but through furthering knowledge of civilization itself.

Maybe because I read a lot, I occasionally feel the need to justify it in a more meaningful way than just that ‘I enjoy it’ or ‘I like learning’, so I think about this sort of thing all the time. When I read, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, I can't get away from the mindset that reading should be about more than entertainment or even personal fulfillment. To give meaning to reading, it’s important to discuss what we read, whether facts, ideas, or just beautiful usage of language (poetry, etc), and by doing so to add, in however small a way, to society's understanding of itself. This can happen even if you only share your thoughts with one or two people. If a person fills their brain with knowledge or ideas and doesn't share them, it's a waste, and turns reading into a self-indulgent exercise no different from sitting on the couch watching reality tv shows because any knowledge, insight or understanding gained remains internal and unused. To share ideas it’s not necessary to publish novels or give academic lectures - not at all. Ideas can be shared through simple things like conversations or pointless, rambling blog posts we write while at work (ahem). To quote Jacques Cousteau via Rushmore: "When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life he has no right to keep it to himself."

I have more thoughts on this, like the idea that there are too many voices out there already, so it might be nice if someone just sat and listened and tried to keep track of it instead of just adding to the cacophony (I am a librarian, after all), but I’ll have to think about it some more first.

Albania dusts off ancient treasures

I don't normally associate Albania with ancient Greek and Roman architecture, but really, why shouldn't I? It should be so obvious - Albania's right across the Adriatic from Italy, and right next to Greece. And yet, I'm still amazed at how the political map of today's world can almost completely erase the our consciousness of the historical continuity of civilization. Anyway, pretty cool stuff.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7978443.stm