Friday, March 4, 2016

The bold is not beautiful

Read this paragraph below:

"There are two types of lipoproteins, the 'good' protective high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the 'bad' harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Cholesterol can increase the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke and TIA."

And now read it again:

"There are two types of lipoproteins, the 'good' protective high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the 'bad' harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Cholesterol can increase the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke and TIA."

Probably, when reading the lines a second time, you might have focused more attention on the words highlighted by bold characters. Now think about it: it was me, the editor, who decided which words to stress, in order to lead your attention (and thus your opinion) towards a definite direction. This is the reason why I don't like the new trend of using bold characters in articles and in the news (unfortunately this system is spreading also in the newspaper). 

Today's readers are used to be taken by the hand while reading: in a way, it's much easier, it requires less time and energy to understand a concept...but what about personal and free interpretation? Or, more importantly, the critical approach to a text? What if the great writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky had scattered words in italics and bold characters throughout the pages of his masterpiece "Crime and Punishment", in order to lead the reader's opinions as he liked? Horrible. 

Reading, like seeing and hearing, is an act of interpretation. Do not accept to be passive while reading: always ask yourself questions and think with your own brain!

PS: I know, this post has very little to share with running, but once in a while I like to go off topic, just for a change!


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