Reading is only for the job: Indian society

I stayed in a complete village while growing up, and the experience that I share in this blog post will be related to that. I am not blaming the entire Indian society but a subset of the society which happens to be the rural society in my case.

The thing is, whenever I am having a book or reading something, most people assume that I have been preparing for some kind of job and reading for that. For your information, I have finished my college education and now making a living, but they assume that if I am reading or studying something, it must be related to classes or preparation for the job.

The other day, a person was visiting my home and he asked me, "have you been preparing for a new job or have you taken admission into a new course?". I have no issues with it, but have a question: Does the idea never crosses their mind that a person might be reading because he/she's interesting in reading?

Why does this happen?

Let me explain.

Masses only know what they see or experience. But in the rural areas like my hometown, people have only seen people making a living by working in the fields or studying hard and getting a job. They are only looking for "survival" and not at all for luxury or for self-pleasing.

You cannot do something that you "like" but is not actually necessary for your daily lives.

Again, I am not blaming, but trying to make you understand the seriousness of the issue. I read somewhere that when you're hungry, you do not worry about or overthink about things that you normally do when your belly is full. The pressure of finding your next meal forces you to think about the meal only and not about anything else.

So... since they have rarely seen anyone reading even when the person is doing good in life already. And they don't really understand the reasoning behind it.

Can't blame them.

What say?