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'OCD Reading'
Mar. 30th, 2025 08:10 amFor years after graduating from university, I've picked up a habit that's like 'OCD reading'. I read smoothly for a while, then start re-reading a particular paragraph or collection of sentences over and over again. The sentences that snag my attention are usually unremarkable ones, nothing with important details or are written in a way that I'd like to retain.
I'm as if reluctant to move on to the next part of the narrative. It takes less effort and is rather relaxing to stay at one part and get more familiar with it until being stuck wears on my nerves. I'm overly conscious of expending energy to flex the mental muscles for comprehending language, visualizing images and interpreting meaning. I encounter more stuckness when reading fiction rather than non-fiction, and when the words are printed on paper rather than displayed on a screen.
Just pushing through and continuing to read creates a mild discomfort like being in a vehicle cruising too fast down a straight road. Getting stuck slows down my reading, but it doesn't matter as long as I'm reading what I like. I just keep thinking that I've finished lots of great books before without any compulsion to re-read unremarkable parts and I'd like to flip the switch back, if possible.
My latest theory is that my 'OCD reading' has come about as articles and social media posts online take up most of my reading. Maybe it's a slight shock to my brain whenever I turn to paper books with scenarios and ideas that are not broken into smaller chunks and seem less directly relevant to my personal life and thoughts. I'll see how much I can commit to doing without digital devices or screens for my leisure reading and whether it has any effect on my ability to advance through a piece of text.
I'm as if reluctant to move on to the next part of the narrative. It takes less effort and is rather relaxing to stay at one part and get more familiar with it until being stuck wears on my nerves. I'm overly conscious of expending energy to flex the mental muscles for comprehending language, visualizing images and interpreting meaning. I encounter more stuckness when reading fiction rather than non-fiction, and when the words are printed on paper rather than displayed on a screen.
Just pushing through and continuing to read creates a mild discomfort like being in a vehicle cruising too fast down a straight road. Getting stuck slows down my reading, but it doesn't matter as long as I'm reading what I like. I just keep thinking that I've finished lots of great books before without any compulsion to re-read unremarkable parts and I'd like to flip the switch back, if possible.
My latest theory is that my 'OCD reading' has come about as articles and social media posts online take up most of my reading. Maybe it's a slight shock to my brain whenever I turn to paper books with scenarios and ideas that are not broken into smaller chunks and seem less directly relevant to my personal life and thoughts. I'll see how much I can commit to doing without digital devices or screens for my leisure reading and whether it has any effect on my ability to advance through a piece of text.
