Do you go from front to back?
By smtrego
@smtrego (181)
United States
June 27, 2008 3:50pm CST
I this really bad habit, when reading magazines or catalogs, I look at items or articles from the back of the print item to the front. I don't mean that I read the end of the article first, I just start with the articles in the back first and work my way forward. I have even made a conscious effort to start at the front of magazines, but the next thing I know, I am toward the back and moving forward.
I have absolutely no idea why I do this but I know there are a few other people that do this as well. Are there any myLotters that do this? If so, does it bother you? Have you tried to change?
4 people like this
20 responses
@petiksmode (2983)
• Philippines
27 Jun 08
this thread kinda surprise me i really thought only us (filipinos) hve this odd manner in reading magazine or books...there is a local author here who wrote a book on this entitled "BAKIT BALIKTAD MAGBASA NG LIBRO ANG PINOY?" (why do filipinos read in reverse) (if i translated it right)
now i know that it is not only for us...
2 people like this
@smtrego (181)
• United States
28 Jun 08
Wow. That is very interesting. Just keep in mind that most Americans (I guess) read from the front of a magazine to the back. There are some, like me, who read from back to front, but we are definitely not the majority.
Isn't that cool that we all learned something about other cultures through this thread?
Thanks so much for your input. You have enlightened us.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (178064)
• United States
27 Jun 08
Well, that's interesting. I sometimes flip thru magazines and read articles that are near the back, but I never go from back to front. I dont think there is anything wrong with it though. It's just your thing.
2 people like this
@teka44 (3420)
• Brazil
27 Jun 08
Hi smtrego. I go from front to back. I always read in the right way likewise if I am reading a suspense book and want to know what happen, I keep reading untill the end. I just cannot go to the end because seems that I lose the best part. I have seen some people doing the same as you and I cannot understand why they do this. Is this the rush to finish the reading?
2 people like this
@smtrego (181)
• United States
28 Jun 08
With books I do not do this. It is only with magazines and such. I will start at the back of the magazine and find a story that way. I will read from the beginning to the end of the story in that order, it is just that I will read the stuff in the back of the magazine and move toward the front.
Thanks for the response.
1 person likes this
@petiksmode (2983)
• Philippines
27 Jun 08
i usually have fave magazines section that i read first before skimming out of pictures or anything...im not the type of doing it back to front or the other way...i read first my fave section, after that, i will browse the pictures and only then i will flip from page 1 to read other topics/articles.
2 people like this
@smtrego (181)
• United States
28 Jun 08
In another post, someone said that their father, who is Japanese, did it too. One of the first posts said people from the Philippines do it too. I was thinking maybe I was meant to live there or something. LOL I really have no idea why I do it though.
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
28 Jun 08
well i won't really call it a bad habit. it's more like a quirky habit you have. i always read from the front. i'm not sure if it's a habit or it's easier to do so. most magazines have a particular flow. some articles are continued many pages later too. so if i read it backwards i might miss the beginning.
as for catalogs, i'd go straight to things that interest me first. for supermarket catalogs, i'll go for the food pages first. :p
1 person likes this
@2wicelot (2945)
•
28 Jun 08
May it is because what you are really interested in is at the back of the magazine and you would prefer to read that first before you read other parts. May be you don't want the suspense of waiting to read the whole thing before getting to what you are most interested in.
1 person likes this
@smtrego (181)
• United States
28 Jun 08
Actually I will read a specific article of interest first. Then when I go to check out the rest of the magazine I go from back to front. I also do this with questionnaires and tests. For some reason I cannot do certain things in order. Thanks for your thoughts.
@Alucifer89 (292)
• India
28 Jun 08
Well, i read magazines as dictated by myr priority and/or interest list :P ..
But yes, i do read newspapers from the last page .. and friends tend to ask .. and all i ever come up with is 'old habit' .. I dont know why i do this, since my favourite pages (edit, world news, sports) are not in the last .. but i cosider it too small a thing to be wasting my time upon. I guess thats how some of us are wired in the head ... lol
Have a good day.
1 person likes this
@kolleenwilson (94)
• United States
28 Jun 08
I have always read magazines this way. I am not entirely sure why - sometimes I feel like if I don't start at the back I'll never make it through the entire magazine. I believe many of the cover stories are found in the middle to the back of the magazine. Catalogs I believe I start where ever I find my first item of interest - I either go forward or backward from there. But it was interesting to me when you said you read magazines the same way I do. I always thought my way was unique but now I am not so sure.
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
28 Jun 08
I tend to do that too, I don't mean to. I'll start out looking at a magazine starting from the front, but if I put it down, and come back later to finish looking at it, I always start from the back, and go backwards looking at it. It don't bother me, I don't know if it bothers anyone else, I haven't tried to change or anything.
1 person likes this
@curious888 (1212)
• Malaysia
28 Jun 08
I look for contents that attract my attentions first. It may be in front page or at the back or in the middle.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (164563)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Jun 08
I do too. Only read them in the doctor's office waiting for my appointment.
@getnbuy (1312)
• United States
29 Jun 08
I heard a lecture on the brain once, and the speaker said reading like that means you are left brained. -Nothing wrong with that, of course. Just interesting. I often am tempted to read that way. I think its ok, so long as you understand what you are reading.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
28 Jun 08
Hello smtrego.
I look at magazines from the beginning forward. I do find it interesting that you peruse them from the back first. I, too, wonder why you do that. Perhaps you think the best stuff is at the back of the magazine. It doesn't seem like it would matter either way.
PearlGrace
@meiyeec511 (405)
• Malaysia
28 Jun 08
I'm not neccessary will read books or magazines from front to back, will depends on the content. I will glance through the books or magazines from back to front first normally as well as newspaper.
I won't change my habit as this is my preference.
1 person likes this
@BeckyAnn (265)
• United States
29 Jun 08
I don't think it's a bad habit, I do it; but that's mostly because I read a lot of manga that are printed in the original format (reverse from American). So whenever I pick up a book, I impulsively flip it that way. It's so common for me that it isn't even a problem anymore. Sure weirded me out in second grade, though. -Lol-
~Becky Ann
@yullar (129)
• China
28 Jun 08
Hi friend,
do not worry about that,as I know my girlfriend maybe like you,because she would like to see the ending first when she see the movies or read books.
I think that is not importent,just do it as you like,you know some times changing is not easy .
But if you like, you can have a try.Mabe first you can try to read the catalogue and select what you like to read and do not mind whether it is at the back or front.Then when you finish it,you should read the catalogue again,find one to read,untill you read over it,and for some time,I think you will find that you can read it with no orders,just as you like,you can have a try.But for one thing,I think you shoud not focus your mind on wether back or front,but on the article you read.Its ok.
It should not bother you .If my advise is invalid,I think you should let nature take its course,that's ok,goodluck.
1 person likes this
@marquitafox (333)
• United States
24 Oct 08
i stumbled accross this article by acident and couldn't beleive what i was seeing !yes i have the same problem and i think it has something to do with maybe some sort of copulsive behaior.allthough i don't think it's that big of a deal,but even though i am aware of it now i still do it.