At some point years ago I did some online test and it turned out my English language vocabulary was somewhere in the top 0.01% or something like that.

Which is kinda ridiculous because I'm not a native English speaker.

I think it's the result of years of lots and lots of reading things in English: books, newspapers, magazines, even online.

Then on top of that I moved to Britain, which did wonders for learning the local slang of at least the part of it were I lived and even meant some words I learned I only really know them in English (for example, terms used in professional Finance) because I learned them in English, not in my native language.

Also, a lot of the most supposedly sophisticated words are basically the Latin or Greek words barelly changed (sometimes not at all) or technical terms that originated in the dominant language at the time that tech was invented, so they're pretty much the same in all languages I know (so, say, the word "heliocentric" is pretty much the same in my native Portuguese, in Spanish, French, English and so on) so for things like scientific and technical terms having a good vocabulary is mostly language agnostic.

Nowadays, being able to read beyond a kindergarten level just pisses off all the Right people, which is awesome.

I mean, it unlocked big ideas earlier than most people, and I got a head start on serious critical thinking, which has shaped my life in many positive ways. But it didn't, like, directly lead to financial prosperity. Honestly it probably hampered it because I had too much context to exploit others with a clear conscience way before I had the means to do so at scale.

"Reading level" is more about literary comprehension than technical understanding. And embracing baser modes of expression has only made it easier to effectively communicate.

Above-average reading level is only really helpful long-term if you specialize in literature.

Hey, I'm proud of my kid knowing words other than "six seven" like a god damn imbecile. Surprises me regularly with his lexicon.

Even if it doesn't help the way we expect in the future, it sure as shit isn't hurting.

I've realized the most efficient way to succeed in life (hours spent studying vs perceived achievement) is to be able to talk to people and talk to them well. If you're born with a golden mouth, you're set.

Yeah. If anything, admitting that you’re an avid reader will have people saying “You think you’re better than me because you read?” Or some other dismissive comment regarding people who enjoy books.

So I’ve personally chosen to absolutely agree to that question: people who read are better than people who don’t.

And it doesn’t even need to be boring books. Yes, I will even count comic readers amongst our reading brethren. Anyone who reads with actual intent is alright in my book 😉

I had a collegiate reading level in 3rd grade.

Most people assumed it was because I was wicked smaht.

It's because I had no friends and hated life and used books as escapism. And just learned a ton of trivia along the way.

I like to joke that my knowledge base is vast as an ocean, but deep as a puddle, and if you aren't careful you'll fall into a sinkhole like astronomy, geology, or lord of the rings lore.

I think we have to separate achievement in this capitalist society from the skills we were told to acquire.

Being a good reader has a million benefits. If let's you think about ideas that you might not encounter in real life. It allows you to live inside someone else's mind. It makes you more empathetic. It makes you capable of thinking more creatively. It makes you consider things that you might not have been able to otherwise. Being a good reader makes you a more well rounded, intelligent and creative person.

Just because it didn't get you a high paying job in this grifters economy doesn't mean it was useless. Keep reading. Keep dreaming of a better world. Keep striving to be a real human in a world full of grifting capitalist drones.

It sure as hell didn't get me as far as my mother expected. But she was drunk half the time anyway so meh

Systemic failure we’re all dealing with. You did all you were told to do, you went to school, you sat down, you listened and you got the degree. Then maybe you got the job, maybe you just now lost the job, and the wages didn’t keep up with inflation, so you can’t get the house and you can’t get the family, too expensive.

Everything got expensive, then the world complains why you aren’t having any children, why you’re not consuming. You turn on the tv or your podcasts and you see illiterate people get platformed spouting nonsense about conspiracy theories and to do your research.

Then you see this comic and you see the connection. You see that a promise was broken. You did your part but the system ripped you off. You’re angry or depressed. It’s time to take action. Vote for Count Binface.

Me reading at a collegiate level in 2nd grade then ending up as a dumbass adult.

Yeah because when it comes to getting ahead skills don’t matter. What really matters is who your uncle is or whose ass you kiss.

Weewf. Why you got to call me out like that? I was reading at a grade 10 level in grade 5. Now I just post stupid memes on the internet.

Preach on

But hey, at least we're harder to mislead and we understand the media we consume better.

Had a 9th grade reading level according to my kindergarten teacher. Probably the last time I was proud of myself.

Same.

At least I can do a nice turn of word though.

Don't let your dreams become all-star memes

think of the internet cred though. you may make 500k less a year but you can come up with a thousand zingers to reply with instead of calling someone 'a re**ard' like a barbarian.

don't you feel good about yourself?

I was reading at a college level in 5th grade.

it only provided the opportunity to wreck the smug sense of superiority of my teacher, whom berated me daily for being "difficult" and "undisciplined".

guess I was unchallenged by your lackluster curriculum you dumb bitch.

I'll never forget the look on her face when she saw my reading comprehension score came back a few points higher than her own. she even attempted to identify if I was cheating.

I used to read one level above my grade always. Then when I would get into the grade, the English teacher was always impressed that I’d read everything already and I was always impressed at the extremely stupid questions they would ask about the “author’s intent” in writing this poem.

It’s a fucking poem, Linda. Chill your beans at trying to be an amateur psychologist for a man dead 300 years already.