--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we were meant to read for enjoyment…" description: "\"If we were meant to read for enjoyment, would God have created television? Read as it was intended - for exercise. The more you read, the more you expa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/steve-carell-2000_children_if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-w_1096248.jpg" --- # If we were meant to read for enjoyment, would God have… ![“If we were meant to read for enjoyment, would God have created television? Read as it was intended - for exercise. The more you read, the more you expand your - what's the word I'm looking for? - your stockpile of words. You must have a stockpile of words that you can pass along to your children…” quote by Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/steve-carell-2000_children_if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-w_1096248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/steve-carell-2000_children_if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-w_1096248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/steve-carell-2000_children_if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-w_1096248.jpg) > “If we were meant to read for enjoyment, would God have created television? Read as it was intended - for exercise. The more you read, the more you expand your - what's the word I'm looking for? - your stockpile of words. You must have a stockpile of words that you can pass along to your children for their stockpile.” [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading for pleasure is secondary; reading is meant as mental exercise to build vocabulary and cultural capital. **In simple terms:** Reading builds word stock for personal and generational benefit. Key Takeaway Read regularly to expand your vocabulary. Themes education language growth Mood reflective inspirational Type advice motivational When to use this quote - parenting - self‑improvement - academic study - public speaking Key Concepts Vocabulary acquisition cognitive development Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance reading for fun and reading for growth? - What habits help turn reading into a vocabulary‑building exercise? A Different Perspective Reading for enjoyment alone may neglect the discipline needed for deep learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Enjoyment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoyment/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Exercise Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise-read-2259334/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Meant Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant-read-1263687/) [Read Intended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-intended-2860380/) [Stockpile Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stockpile-words-2860379/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Words Stockpile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-stockpile-2860378/) [Your children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-children/) ## Related quotes > [I would rather exercise than read a newspaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/i-would-rather-exercise-than-read-a-newspaper/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I generally wake up, exercise and read through a huge amount of newspapers. I get to the office somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00 -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivanka-trump/i-generally-wake-up-exercise-and-read-through-a-huge-amount-of/) [Ivanka Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivanka-trump/) > [“Sometimes there is no chemistry between writer and reader, so - give up. Not all books are meant to be read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-mother/sometimes-there-is-no-chemistry-between-writer-and-reader-so-give-up/) [My mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/my-mother/) > [“Even if you are not actively mourning a loved one right now, you bought my book for a reason, and I don’t think there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-caputo/even-if-you-are-not-actively-mourning-a-loved-one-right-now-you/) [Theresa Caputo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-caputo/) > [“But Hadley understood. It wasn't that she was meant to read them all. Maybe someday she would, but for now, it was more the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/but-hadley-understood-it-wasn-t-that-she-was-meant-to-read-them-all/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [If the book is true, it will find an audience that is meant to read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/if-the-book-is-true-it-will-find-an-audience-that-is-meant-to-read-it/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“We’re meant to read the lives of important people as if they never bothered with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or took a coffee break,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-shapiro/we-re-meant-to-read-the-lives-of-important-people-as-if-they-never/) [Laura Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-shapiro/) > [“Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old. I have seen a great many lists of her drawing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/emma-has-been-meaning-to-read-more-ever-since-she-was-twelve-years-2/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [A book is meant not only to be read, but to haunt you, to importune you like a lover or a parent, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-broyard/a-book-is-meant-not-only-to-be-read-but-to-haunt-you-to-importune-you/) [Anatole Broyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-broyard/) > [The Bible was meant to be read by those in love. It's sad when it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/the-bible-was-meant-to-be-read-by-those-in-love-it-s-sad-when-it-s-not/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [“My book isn't meant to be read all at once, but rather all in good time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bienvenue/my-book-isn-t-meant-to-be-read-all-at-once-but-rather-all-in-good-time/) [Justin Bienvenue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bienvenue/) > [“Available only to souls who once died inside — and came back full of truth. Not meant for those still living for appearances, approval,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoenix-moon/available-only-to-souls-who-once-died-inside-and-came-back-full-of/) [Phoenix Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoenix-moon/) > [“For the first time in her life, she read voraciously. Anything that was on Joe's bookshelves she considered to have a worthy seal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-north/for-the-first-time-in-her-life-she-read-voraciously-anything-that-was/) [Freya North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-north/) > [“Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old. I have seen a great many lists of her drawing-up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/emma-has-been-meaning-to-read-more-ever-since-she-was-twelve-years/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“There was something about the possession of a book that was important to me. Owning it gave me proprietary rights on the story. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-bell/there-was-something-about-the-possession-of-a-book-that-was-important/) [Georgia Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-bell/) ## More by Steve Carell > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Im not funny. Im actually quite a boring person to meet one-on-one. That seems to shock quite a few people who I run into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/im-not-funny-im-actually-quite-a-boring-person-to-meet-one-on-one/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [It's harder when people are playing along, because it's just not as funny. They're trying to be funny, and it sort of cancels out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-harder-when-people-are-playing-along-because-it-s-just-not-as/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [My wife is way funnier than I am. As much as I don't really feel I share a sense of humour with my family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/my-wife-is-way-funnier-than-i-am-as-much-as-i-don-t-really-feel-i/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [From cheesecake on a stick to meat skewers to deep-fried bananas on a stick - there are no plates anymore. In Los Angeles, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/from-cheesecake-on-a-stick-to-meat-skewers-to-deep-fried-bananas-on-a/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [If I'd had a great level of success early on, who knows how I would have responded. I might have been a complete jerk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/if-i-d-had-a-great-level-of-success-early-on-who-knows-how-i-would/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [It was kind of like they were just giving us a toy to play with, to do whatever we wanted with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-was-kind-of-like-they-were-just-giving-us-a-toy-to-play-with-to-do/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [I wasn't a class clown, I never developed this comedic flair as a kid. Even when I decided to become an actor, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/i-wasn-t-a-class-clown-i-never-developed-this-comedic-flair-as-a-kid/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Whenever I hear someone describe something as a 'kids movie' or a 'family movie,' it immediately has a negative connotation in my mind because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/whenever-i-hear-someone-describe-something-as-a-kids-movie-or-a/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [I don't text, I don't have a Blackberry. Literally, I just have a cell phone that I haven't programmed and the whole Bluetooth. No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/i-don-t-text-i-don-t-have-a-blackberry-literally-i-just-have-a-cell/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [I ate fiberglass insulation. It wasn’t cotton candy like the guy said… my tummy itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/i-ate-fiberglass-insulation-it-wasn-t-cotton-candy-like-the-guy-said/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [After enjoying a tuna fish sandwich, my seven year old son kindly asked me to 'Change my breath.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/after-enjoying-a-tuna-fish-sandwich-my-seven-year-old-son-kindly/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Different things just strike people differently. And it's so subjective, too. Because what makes one person laugh won't make others laugh. I guess it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/different-things-just-strike-people-differently-and-it-s-so/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [“I hate hospitals, in my mind they are associated with sickness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/i-hate-hospitals-in-my-mind-they-are-associated-with-sickness/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [I think when someone who's known for doing drama does a comedy but just tries to be funny, that's a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/i-think-when-someone-who-s-known-for-doing-drama-does-a-comedy-but/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) [Explore all 192 Steve Carell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we were meant to read for enjoyment, would God have created television? Read as it was intended - for exercise. The more you read, the more you expand your - what's the word I'm looking for? - your stockpile of words. You must have a stockpile of words that you can pass along to your children for their stockpile.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Carell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-would-god-have-created/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-would-god-have-created/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/steve-carell-2000_children_if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-w_1096248.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/steve-carell-2000_children_if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-w_1096248.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/steve-carell-2000_children_if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-w_1096248.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we were meant to read for enjoyment, would God have created television? Read as it was intended - for…” — Steve Carell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Steve Carell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we were meant to read...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-would-god-have-created/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/if-we-were-meant-to-read-for-enjoyment-would-god-have-created/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```