In 2026, people are striving to be ‘disgustingly well-read’ – why?
So much of the beauty of reading for me has been its ability to expand my world view. So why are people pitching it as a way to wall yours off?
It started with one creator pushing classics with the hook of helping you become ‘disgustingly well-read’. The term irked me from the first time I heard it, in the same way that the “old money style” did, or any of the other pre-packaged aesthetics intending to let average civilians play-act the gentry.
Personally, I’ve never intentionally read to be seen as a certain type of person. In fact, at times I’ve altered my reading habits to actively seem less like a certain type of person (in 2021, I realised I’d ordered so many non-fiction books critical of different tech companies that I was probably on a watch list and my bookshelf was starting to look like it would fit nicely in a cabin outside of Lincoln, Montana).
As I saw more people making content with the same hook to share reading lists and noted the broader self-stylings of each video, I noticed that beyond the branding what annoyed me was the express goal of trying to shock and intimidate people with the books you’ve read.
I am not sure what the ultimate end game is there. When someone asks what I’m reading, it’s normally an attempt to find some common ground or at least learn something about me. For the readers following the prescriptions in these posts, it is likely to be obvious to anyone you’re talking to that the only reason you’re reading classics is to be able to say that you are – unless you’re willing to lie if someone dares ask what inspired you to pick one up.