Teenagers are in some ways the best readers because their imaginations haven't been narrowed down by boring things like jobs and the realities of money and capitalism.
Interpretation
Teenagers have a unique perspective that allows them to read creatively without the constraints of adult concerns.
In this quote, Matt Haig suggests that teenagers often possess a more vibrant and unrestricted imagination when it comes to reading. Unlike adults who may be bogged down by the mundane realities of life, such as work and financial pressures, teenagers can engage with literature more freely, enabling them to explore ideas and narratives with a fresh and inventive outlook.
In practice
In a classroom discussion on the value of literature, you might say, 'As Matt Haig observes, teenagers are often the best readers because they approach stories without the constraints of adult worries.'
Being a depressive should not imply danger any more than being a man or even a human should. Mental illness isn't a them/us issue; we are all on the scale somewhere. So we must be very careful to resist ignorance and combat the stigma that leads to dangerous silence.
It can be difficult for people to talk about it, because there still is that stigma around mental illness. But I would encourage people to do that, because they'll be surprised once they do 'come out' how many other people have had similar experiences.
Understand that thoughts are thoughts. If they are unreasonable, reason with them, even if you have no reason left. You are the observer of your mind, not its victim.
We need, ultimately, to be able to view mental health with the same clear-headedness we show when talking about physical health.
You are no less or more of a man or a woman or a human for having depression than you would be for having cancer or cardiovascular disease or a car accident.
You don't have to be a creative maverick to have a troubled mind. You just have to be human. There is no 'us' and 'them.' No one is one hundred per cent healthy, physically or mentally.
To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.
At Chicago I offer a course on Emotion, Reason and the Law that law students just love. But I am not there as a lawyer, my job is to teach philosophy.
School has become the world religion of a modernized proletariat, and makes futile promises of salvation to the poor of the technological age.
Reading is socially accepted disassociation. You flip a switch and youβre not there anymore. Itβs better than heroin. More effective and cheaper and legal.
The more research you do, the more at ease you are in the world you're writing about. It doesn't encumber you, it makes you free.
If you're going to learn a new language, you can't try to be perfect. You'll stop yourself from talking. You just have to let go.
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