What makes us judge other people? One thing I am 100% guilty of, which I will readily admit, is judging people by what I see them reading in public. If I think what they're reading is silly or trivial I will totally make a snap judgment about who they are and the kind of person they are.
Today, sitting in the hallway, reading The Actor's Freedom I was acutely aware of a group of people passing by me silently judging me for reading this book. Was it because I was using my time to read a super old school acting book by Michael Goldman (who is awesome, ps, and anyone interested in critical writing on Shakespeare should check out Shakespeare and the Energies of Drama)? Was it because of the content of the book? What was it that created that weird atmosphere that I was below them simply because I was sitting on the floor reading?
We can't know what anyone else is thinking. Even when their thoughts seem very obvious - you would think that the book someone was reading said a lot about who they are as a person, but, hey turns out that that really isn't true. Just like most things in life, it is never that easy.
Example: I was reading The Actor's Freedom because I like to read everything I can about acting and different acting styles, even ones I find super ridiculous and I don't agree with at all (disclaimer, I have not read James Lipton's book, but I would if someone lent it to me), because I love knowledge. And I love information. But it struck me that some people, unaware of my insatiable thirst for information, may judge me as lame or even (god forbid!) super pretentious for reading something like that.
Why is that? Why do we assume to know anything about another person based on what they choose to read in public? How do we know this wasn't something they have to read for a variety of reasons unknown to us?
Another example!: Confession, I have read the entire Twilight series. It was terrible. It was poorly written, the characters were unbelievably uninteresting and selfish and idiotic, and in general the plot is boring and predictable (although the vampire war at the end of the last book was decently badass, and had it been a part of literally any other series I probably would even, dare I say it, admit to having enjoyed it). But the fact of the matter is, I read those books in public. Where everyone could see me. And silently judge me for thinking I am one of them.
But the truth is, I read that whole terrible, terrible series because my younger sister was obsessed at the time, but refused to read Harry Potter, saying it was stupid and could never be as awesome as Twilight. So I made her a deal: that I would read the entire Twilight series if she would agree to read at least the first four Harry Potter books (she did and quickly converted, realizing the error of her Twilight ways).
But no one could have possibly known that! Perhaps I should have written a giant note and taped a giant note to it that said something along the lines of "I'M READING THIS IRONICALLY, DON'T JUDGE ME PLZ!"
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, next time you're sitting on a subway or waiting in line a the supermarket, or passing by someone in the hallway, and you see them reading something ridiculous go ahead and make a judgment -that's your right- but! perhaps keep in the back of your mind the idea that perhaps their interest in this ridiculous doper is not as simple as it might appear.
And, moreover, don't ever feel embarrassed to read anything in public, because only you will know that those people silently judging you are actually being ....
Happy linking!
Lady Erin
(currently reading: Swamplandia! by Karen Russel, The Actor's Freedom by Michael Goldman, and The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson)
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