Reading Habit

We often hear idiom that “book is window of the world”, “be accustom to giving book as a present”, and the other. There are many idioms which have meaning that we suggested to reading any more.

As we know that reading is very important in our life, because there are many advantages that we have pick it up. And also writing, there are many critics delivered by writing. He was across space, time and also nations in this world.

Like Ibnu Rusyd and al-Ghozali debated, we are never luxury if this idea never published in this world by writing. To write one idea we have to read any more, reading of text or reading in the reality. Because reading is one process of thinking space, how to support our mind and to think any more.

Reading and writing activities are characteristics of modern society in the real meaning. The society who have critics thinking, it is not basic of myth. In advance nations reading habit have been culture. For example Japan. In Japan there is a movement namely 20 Minutes Reading of Mother and Child. This movement is suggested to a mother to read for their child, a book who is borrowed from public or school library during 20 minute before their child go sleep.

If we visit this country, we will look somebody in every where, for example in bus, stopping place for public vehicles, garden and in public place, they read book and newspaper.

Taufiq Ismail research about Indonesian people who have study abroad (America, Europe, Australia), during one weeks, the average, they read one book. They also must write them comment from that book. How about Indonesian?

Ironically, this habit it doesn’t happen in Indonesia, activity of reading, writing just possessed by somebody, but does not become a culture here.

Physically, we can say that Indonesia is modern society, many products from advance country very is easy to find here, like building style, car, fashion until the kind of food. Only used a television program and advertising, that product and service become a consumption every day. However, all products from advance country doesn’t be imitated by Indonesian society, reading and writing habit doesn’t become a culture here.

Therefore, it’s not wrong if UNDP survey in 2003 was clarify about Indonesian achievement. The result fr0m this survey about reading society interest in this world has position number 39 from 41 country.

There are many reasons Indonesian society weakness in a reading and writing interest. Firstly, Indonesian society still stick with an oral culture, not literary culture with the result that society more accept knowledge from watching and hearing. It doesn’t come from reading and writing.

Whereas, watching sometimes make a passive thinking just accept and imitate. In a long time, power of imaginary will weak slowly and the new ideas difficult to improve. It is not wrong if accessory from the other country so easy to be wear in Indonesian society, and serious condition that the television material is more uneducated and full with gossip thing.

This condition return with a literary culture. Literary people base them knowledge with reading and writing. This process can make abstract thinking, we can see the phenomenon in every sides, not only surface side but also the sustentions. Because reading can open perception thinking, stimulate imagination.

Secondly, Indonesian society decrease of effort to buy books and magazines. Our society is more pleasure to buy accessories than the books, They often visit in shopping center than library or book store. On the other hand, development system in this country it is not balance between mall and book store or library also can influence reading energy of society.

Whereas, actually in holy book, every religion suggests to read anymore. For example Islam religion in Al-Qur’an, the first revelation goes down this world command to reading.

As we know that “knowledge is theoretic paradigm, what should be done and why, Skills is how to do it and curiosity is motivation, “curiosity to do it”. in order to success become a habit in our life, we must get that component. Amin Fauzi