Would You Rather: Not be able to read OR not be able to talk?

Reading is such an integral part of my life. I think I would rather be unable to talk. There are many ways to get around being mute, such as sign language and language relay services for the telephone. Text messaging and the internet have also made it much easier to communicate without speaking.

Ha...this is not really hard at all! I would rather not be able to talk. Who would rather not be able to read? That would be horrible and you would be lost in the dark if you could not read. Even just the simple things like a stop sign, or even the things in the car, or making a box of Macaroni and Cheese. I know the Mac and Cheese didn't really fit with the whole care scenario, but think about the food preparations that you couldn't read!! That would be horrible!! :( So, after what I had just said....I am still stinking with I would rather be able to read. :D

tough one that, i suppose if i couldn't talk i could still write messages to people, however if i couldn't read i would be dumb as i would never have learnt anything and therefore not be at university so being able to talk would be of little use. I will go with not being able to talk because i could still be as clever as i am and would still be able to communicate, just be a bit more difficult. Also on the plus side no one would have to put up with my awful singing

I would rather it not be either, but if I had to choose, I would choose not being able to talk. There are so many other ways you could learn to communicate. There are devices, like my son has just gotten, that can do the talking for you. There are computers out there that can talk for you. But if you can't read it would make life so hard. You have to be able to read to live life to the fullest. You would be so much further in the dark.

I'm going to go with the answer that I just know will make my wife happy, I going to have to say, not be able to talk. She would so love that, simply because she feels ...."I talk too much anyway" (LMAO) I love to read & there or other ways to communicate. (Great Question) If you don't mind me asking, what would your choice be???

My husbands grandmother could not hear so they all learned sign language. This came in handy when his mother had her voice box removed when she was in her 50's due to cancer. Without being able to read or write she would have had no form of communication except the sign language. Few people know sign launguage or bother to learn it unless need to. I would prefer not to be able to talk over not being able to read. Some say I talk too much anyway.

Well I was going to come and say that I'd rather not be able to talk since then I could commucate in other ways. Doesn't make sense if you can read, but not write or do any other form of commucation. but if I had to choose one I guess i'd say not to be able to talk. I love to read way to much to just stop being able to read.

I would choose talk. I would to be able to write since I could still hear and learn still so writing and reading my would make my life full. I had a friend that we would commmunicate through writing. I sure do miss him. Interesting to think about and will check to see what others respond with.

I think I'd sooner not be able to read. I'm normally a good talker, and I find it a lot easier learning through talking and seeing. Knowledge seems to stick in my head quicker when it isn't from the written word. I enjoy reading, but if I learn, the talking, seeing and doing teach me faster than any written words do.

i'd rather read AND talk...i always thought that life with an incomplete body of psyche is useless and it's a mockery, so, i wouldn't accept it. :)

I think I would definitely choose to read over talking. Not being able to read would effectively cut off all types of communication other than talking and basically you would be cut off from everyone. Not being able to talk leaves room for options such as sign language. Text messaging and the internet have played a HUGE role in getting around this obstacle too. Give me reading over talking any day. Some people talk too much anyway lol.

I think given the choice I would rather not read. Both would seem like an awful choice to make. But If I could communicate with people then I would be able to learn to read given time. You could never learn to speak.

I would choose not talking above not reading. Reading is extremely valuable. We need it for our everyday lives. Everytime we go on a trip. Without reading we would not be able to follow directions, we wouldn't be able to learn, to study, etc. Without talking though, you're right, we would have to learn other forms of communication. Deaf people do it everyday through sign language. Body language is the biggest form of language used by the entire world anyway. If you were to go to a foreign country and not know their language then being able to talk even if you could wouldn't do you any amount of good anyway. You would have to communicate through body language. So it's possible. Life without reading is on the otherhand, not.

I would rather not be able to talk. I spend much more time reading than talking. I love reading books, much of what I do on the internet requires me to read and I couldn't watch foreign films without the subtitles! It does seem tricky with that 'if I can't talk, I can't write' because what about typing? And if I can read, why would I not be able to write? Either way, I still think I'd rather not talk than not read.

If I couldn't talk; I would merely get a liberator communication board like friends of mine who are also disabled have. If I couldn't read; I think my life would end (not kidding at all).

I would rather know how to talk than read. Even though I would miss out on being able to read things myself, I could always ask someone to help me. In my opinion it is harder not being able to talk, especially with having an autistic child that cannot do this simple thing we take for granted. I wish everyday that he could talk, so we could communicate easier, but his speech is so poor that when he does try to talk my husband and I have a hard time understanding him. Lately we've been able to understand him when he 'speaks', but anyone else that i not used to him would not be able to understand a word he said. :(

I would give up talking before I would give up the ability to read. I already know a bit of American Sign Language, and that would be fine with me to learn more or just fall back on good old pantomimes.

I would chose not to be able to read because i could always learn again! but with talking you could never learn again and that would be a probablem in our current socity you need to talk!

I've never been much of a talker to begin with...not that I do have anything to say..and since I'm a writer (among other things) what I lack in speech I make make up with writing, in fact most of my so called short stories are a least 25 pages long...So no it wouldn't bother me not to talk..ah...but reading Good Gracious NO..could never give that up!!! uh uh, no way

i would rather not to read than not to talk.... cause its better to have a friend than a book... cause being able to talk could give you many friends... rather than being a bookworm... and i do hate books...lol... and i am also a talkative type person..