Read and Be Happy

“The competitive habit of mind easily invades regions to which it does not belong.  Take, for example, the question of reading.  There are two motives for reading a book: one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it.  It has become the thing in America for [readers] to read (or seem to read) certain books every month; some read them, some read the first chapter, some read the reviews, but all have these books on their tables.  They do not, however, read any old masterpieces…Consequently the reading that is done is entirely of modern books, which, of course are seldom and never of masterpieces.  This also is an effect of competition, not perhaps wholly bad, since most of the [readers] in question, if left to themselves, so far from reading masterpieces, would read books even worse than those selected for them by their literary pastors and masters.”

The Conquest of Happiness

In his book, The Conquest of Happiness, Bertrand Russell outlines what he sees as the causes of unhappiness and, ultimately, those of happiness.  Russell’s philosophy provides a context through which, and against which, I will pose my project and “hypothesis,” if you will.  I strive to amplify Russell’s point that “men and women appear to have become incapable of enjoying the more intellectual pleasures” and this is a principal, but certainly not solitary, cause of unhappiness.  When pressed, which is to say, when under the threat of torture, I would have to admit that both being happy and reading place in the top five on MYLISTOFTHINGSGRAETSAECREDANDSAEXY. 

            Russell, in developing his argument, advises the deconstruction of moral codes and social norms imparted to the unhappy-man during his childhood: the dissolution of imagined structures to the world.  This is where my process divorces Russell’s.  I strive to bring us back to the structured comfort we all once knew and all still secretly love.  We will be read a children’s book via tape recoding; we will turn the pages when prompted by the ding; we will read along and not skip ahead; we will learn ourselves how to read.  Hopefully this will reconstruct a part of our past in which we first saw that we could read, even when someone had not told us to.  Reading with integrity, we’ll call it. 

            Unfortunately, due to foreseen budget cuts, the number of books provided will force the children to share one copy between two, or three of his or her classmates.  Children of lower reading aptitudes needn’t worry.  Mr. Jameson will be there to help you sound out any three-syllable, or tough two-syllable, words.  There will be no talking while the tape recording of the book is being played.  If there is time, children may ask questions after the book has finished, but only questions pertaining to the book the student has just read.  We will learn something, be reminded why reading really is valuable, cause after all, “What good could such knowledge be?  It could not add to anybody’s income.”

Citation can be provided if needed