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Ilia Temelkov's avatar

The Elif Shafak text is amazing, but when I first read it I felt it was a bit out of touch. I agree that literature can change our perceptions and that literature is important, but that’s not necessarily in a positive way. Books were also what kept the flame of the which hunts back in the day and the reason for many other horrible things people did throughout history.

So, it’s about more than just having literature available, it’s about paying attention to it. That’s, in my opinion, the main issue today. There’s more ‘good’ writing than ever before in history but that doesn’t change the fact that humanity pays attention to other things.

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Ål Nik's avatar

Everything is a tool, and how it is used depends on the hands it falls into.

What I like about her text are all of the different points she’s bringing up. Although it feels a bit overwhelming to consider them in depth. I take it as a nice reminder of the role of literature, understanding the kinds of information in the current age, the entanglement of everything and everyone, and that storytelling has always been there (for better or for worse) - use it wisely. :)

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