Precious gift Quote by David Lipsky
““David Foster Wallace: We sit around and bitch about how TV has ruined the audience for reading—when really all it’s done is given us the really precious gift of making our job harder.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: “The End of the End of the World” with David Foster Wallace, 2005
Wallace argues that TV's impact on reading is a challenge that can deepen literary appreciation.
In simple terms: TV makes reading harder, but also more rewarding.
Key Takeaway
Embrace difficulty to sharpen reading skills.
Themes
media
reading
challenge
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- education
- media consumption
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
cognitive load
cultural criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you turn media distraction into focus?
- What benefits arise from reading in a noisy world?
A Different Perspective
Harder reading may discourage some readers.
![“Books are a social substitute; you read people who, at one level, you'd like to hang out with. [David Foster Wallace]'s writing self--it's most pronounced in his essays--was the best friend you'd ever have, spotting everything, whispering jokes, sweeping you past what was irritating or boring or…” quote by David Lipsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4f4/david-lipsky-30389_best-friend_books-are-a-social-substitute-you-read-p_2172757.jpg)
![“He [David Foster Wallace] compares raising children to raising books, you should take pride in the work you do inside a family and not from how they make out in the world. “It’s good to want a child to do well, but it’s bad to want that glory to reflect back on you,” is what he says.” quote by David Lipsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a4b/david-lipsky-30389_books_he-david-foster-wallace-compares-raising_1575049.jpg)
![“I am in that everything [ David Foster Wallace] writes is pretty much the best stuff I've read, so that makes me a fan I guess.” quote by John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/73f/john-krasinski-4756_fans_i-am-in-that-everything-david-foster-wal_1900900.jpg)
