Quote:
Originally posted by Vaskez:
If you were illiterate you wouldn't be able to post on IW and that would detract from your happiness. Reading brings happiness in so many little ways, not to mention the usefulness of it in our modern society without which your quality of life would be far lower. Surely I don't need to spell it out 
Whoever asked, 10% is very high. In western Europe at least illiteracy tends to be around 1%. It's much higher in some 3rd world countries.
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But if I were illiterate it is unlikely that I would know or care about IW. Ignorance is bliss.
If you don't have the 'literacy is vital' argument drummed into your head from birth it is unlikely that you are going to experience any anxiety over not being able to read or write.
Likewise, if you don't have the 'fat is ugly' argument drummed into your head (which is argued for, subtly and not-so-subtly by 'the media'), then you are unlikely to feel anxiety about putting on a few pounds [img]smile.gif[/img]
I'm not saying literacy isn't valuable, quite the contrary. I just don't believe that it is necessary for happiness, and a low rate of national literacy is not a sad thing.