Unpopular opinion: we need to stop reading for the vicarious experience of it. Reading for escapism is fun, but you rob yourself of so much when you approach *ALL* books this way. #WritingCommunity

Not all books are meant to enthrall you & make you feel good. When you approach books as escapism, you& #39;re asking the author to provide you with a highly personalized experience. A world you find fascinating. Characters you personally empathize with. This is an impossible task. /2

Frankly, it& #39;s lazy reading too. You need to meet books on their own terms. Don& #39;t care about the characters? Why? It& #39;s no secret we struggle to empathize with ppl different from us. Are they poorly written, or are they just different from you? /3

It& #39;s such an amazing opportunity to CHALLENGE yourself. To grow as a person & to learn about something you might not understand. But when you read for a vicarious experience, you rob yourself of this by getting annoyed that the story isn& #39;t meeting you on your terms. /4

It& #39;s not the story& #39;s job to suit you. Sure, there will always be stories you hate for a multitude of reasons, but the reason should never be because you were unwilling to step outside your box & meet the story and its characters halfway--to learn about difference. /end