Feeling More Alive: Fahrenheit 451's The Hearth and the Salamander

In which John discusses Part 1 of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, "The Hearth and the Salamander," including discussions of Guy Montag, Clarisse, the complicated relationship between technology and nature, and more. Huzzah for the Nerdfighter Book Club!
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[@Paperbag-om6mh]

the fact that I am here instead of reading my book for homework shows the accuracy by Bradburys prediction

[@akmediascope]

the movie from the 1960s is really good

[@jaysonk0312]

Paperbag1124 at least you understood his message 😂👍👍

[@asimplestrawberry]

Paperbag1124 I’m supposed to be reading the book he’s talking about and I️m watching this because I️ don’t want to read it

[@nizamifaz1107]

Paperbag1124 same lol

[@LLGKYNRD]

Paperbag1124 same dude

[@lahunter00]

Please do a crash course literature on F451! I'm an English teacher and my students and I LOVE watching the videos. Thanks for all you are doing to promote the love of learning and books.

[@angiewagner9232]

John's Green Shirt John Green's Shirt.

[@ChinmayaNagpal]

+

[@josephthefirst1]

X

[@cleiton361]

JosephTheFirst1 *

[@mirandashea9191]

+

[@senatorpoopypants7182]

+

[@amberwilliams819]

The thing about this book that separates it from each and every dystopian fiction is that this one could actually happen. People could actually stop caring. This book is scary in a way, because you can kind of see it happening.

[@angelaoleary-wyatt512]

Prophet??

[@dubhlinn2]

Hi from 2024, when John’s books are still getting banned in schools.

[@MrSaturnMusic]

i feel bad for not having anything meaningful to say. but john's hair makes him look like jimmy neutron

[@QuantumLoopNinja]

When I'm teaching. Seeing other people (mostly underprivelidged kids) realise that they are not stupid in the least or discover something they think is amazing is a beautiful thing to me. Knowledge is a wonderful thing to behold.

[@thebusinessgoose]

I feel most alive when I'm laughing, especially when I'm laughing with my friends. And I don't mean giggling or snickering, I mean like the kind of laughter that makes you tear up and your chest hurt. That, for me, is the best feeling in the world.

[@aishasilat5672]

I completely agree :)

[@ixillis1]

Sarah N he’s stupid

[@bekkaanneee]

One of the times at which I feel most alive is the moment after I slam my saxophone down and stand at attention, breathe heaving and with a pounding heart, right at the end of a performance with my high school marching band. The music, the marching, and the feeling I get when I know I just completed marching 8 minutes worth of music and movement, at a a near constant extremely high level. It's incredible.

[@ceilidancr]

I feel so incredibly alive when I'm on service trips with my youth group. The exhaustion and pain you feel after spending all day repairing homes or moving heavy furniture. The moments of pure joy and laughter when we had time off in the evenings. The unbelievably deep conversations that make me amazed that my peers are so clever and wise. The reminders from everyone of how talented and unique and good I am even if I doubt it sometimes. The amount of love I have for people I barely knew before

[@amberconnabeer3807]

I love all of Bradbury's stuff (weirdly, however, I mostly reread his introductions) but this novel makes me uncomfortable for a couple of reasons. 1. It is extremely true. Like that bit with Beatty when he is talking about how it wasn't the government who took them to the book burning, mind numbing future of flashing images and general schrödingerness, but the people who stopped reading and looking and living, which I guess is the point of the novel- one that is made BRILLIANTLY (can I just say, THE WRITING IN THIS NOVEL HOLY SHIT IT IS AMAZING). However 2. One a less positive note, after reading f.451, I personally find it very easy to gain a kind of snobbery, or superiority. I am quite an avid reader, and after reading this, I find it important to remind myself because I read does not make me better than someone who doesn't. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that there is a way of reading into the book which seems to critisce the non reader, and that is something I don't love about it.

[@dismissing]

Hey, it's been five years since you commented this. Have you found a way to curb your feeling of superiority? I'm kind of in a similar position right now. Although I don't try to show it to my friends, I still feel an itch to _motivate_ people to read books.

[@NatLeRat]

@@dismissing hey, its been five months since you've commented this. have you found a way to cur- just kidding haha

[@Frostything]

@@dismissing I know it's been six months since your reply, but I'd say that, first off, there's nothing wrong with suggesting books to your friends, or encouraging them to read in general. But, I'd also keep in mind that meaningful and thought provoking ideas and experiences aren't limited to the medium of books, and Fahrenheit 451 itself suggests this. If your friends like movies, encourage discussion among each other. You could ask which movies made them think, and which simply entertained. Then, together, try to find more of those movies that are interesting and talk about them, learn to appreciate them. Same goes for video games, or anything. Point is, books aren't the only medium with potential. And also respect that some people have already spent their mental energy on work or school or just life in general, and simply find that they rather unwind without using up the attention they feel they do not have. I'm saying all this off the top of my head, so take it with a good bit of salt, but I hope it helps in thinking through it.

[@lidicehm661]

@@dismissing hey it's been 10 monthssimc you commented this but I'd like to say that Montag didn't read much either. He just read one chapter of one book, i think it's not how much you read or how many big important books you read, it's that you care about stuff. Montag cared and changed his life, why not encourage your friends to do one little thing that will eventually (probably) improve their lives?

[@carom4996]

What I actually liked about the book. Was how the men carrying books in their minds, said they weren't important. I do understand your comment, and I feel the same way sometimes, but I think the book isn't the main reason. What I felt Bradbury was criticizing the most was the apathy of the people and their unwillingness to have an opinion, related to not reading, but mainly to not asking yourself questions the way Clarisse did at the beginning of the book.

[@theramblingreviewer5150]

Things that make me feel the most alive in a nonstructured list 1. Listening to music that makes me feel things 2. Singing in choir, or acting in a stage show and feeling like I am a part of something 3. Reading a book and suddenly realizing that it touches on my life 4. Exploring nature reserves and walking around feeling like I'm in another world 5. Talking to people I actually care about and feeling like I am taking meaning from their words

[@pohjanvanamo]

Good list. 3. and 4. I felt especially, I forgot those while thinking my reply 😅 I think it's the meaning of the moment, when you are fully there, and the world is amazing.

[@emmarsele]

Art make me feel alive. Not just paintings, but dancing, theater, music, writing, culture, sharing, performing, creating.

[@KatherineCullis]

Really, truly hands-on raising my daughter makes me feel alive. She hasn't forgotten yet how pretty dandelions are, or how fun a cardboard box is, and she still takes time to say hello to every airplane, bird, dog, and car. She reminds me to do the same as we synergistically introduce and reintroduce each other to the world and everything in it.

[@StrikeAsh178]

I feel alive when I go running in the woods by myself, and there are no human sounds. Just birds and insects and wind. It makes me feel wholesome and transported back to a world where our world wasn't centered around tv and clothes you wear. I am in a world where family and friends were closer. Being alone in nature is the experience that brought forth the most thoughts about our society.

[@s.marrinricks8953]

I feel most alive playing music. Marching band is hard work, but the feeling you get in your chest when you know you've done a good show is amazing. As my Director says: music makes lives better. Even if it's only for 7 minutes, it makes peoples lives better.

[@TheIrreverent]

John, you asked, "When do you feel least like you are wasting your life?" What immediately popped into my head was her face, and I thought, "When I'm with her." To me, that speaks not only of my infatuation, but the importance to which I ascribe human connection. It doesn't matter what we are doing, just that we are doing it. If I am engaging with others, and creating new memories, experiences, and living a life examined, then I feel as if I am not wasting a single second, especially with her.

[@annehollingsworth609]

Although Bradbury predicted some negative things that are true today, he didn't touch on the positives. In modern society, it's incredibly easy to access information and stay in contact with people via portable devices and the Internet. He touched on the evolution of technology (like ear buds and multiple TVs) but he only explored how they would isolate us from our surroundings, not connect us.

[@jchrizzy6995]

I agree that he didn't touch on the good aspects but the book is in a dystopian setting, so I think he didn't predict very many good things intentionally.

[@malenaquijas658]

Since TVs isolate us from our surroundings, maybe in the future TVs can evolve and be able to let us connect with our social life. All in all I agree with what you said.

[@denalilomonaco7176]

Do you think that Bradbury was right in a way that some technology takes away human interaction ?

[@abwihamwinkin]

+Annie Hollingsworth Personally, I'd like to disagree. While although the internet makes it easier for us to contact people, it separates us from the world all that much more. Research has shown that teenagers worldwide are on social media a good chunk of their day, almost seven hours out of the twenty-four. Not only that, but texting is another big thing. In our society today, teenagers connect, and text way more on their phones then with other people. This takes away the ability to start conversations with other people, and puts them at a very awkward placement. Being social is one of the greatest gifts that a human being can have, and putting it away and focusing on a mobile device can kill that. The internet is not a bad thing, but just like anything else, if you obsess over it, it becomes a bad thing.

[@abwihamwinkin]

+Annie Hollingsworth There is no doubt, though, that our society has changed greatly. And it's not just the internet that has caused it. But even so, being productive is key to having a successful and gratifying life. You CAN be productive on the internet in many ways, but spending all your time on social media is most certainly not a good thing.

[@chatterboxo007]

I feel most alive when I'm with friends and family and we break out of the comfort zone by doing things that aren't "normal." It doesn't always have to be big things, sometimes it's just taking a drive or going to the museum around the corner that we've never been to, but after experiencing something new, I always feel refreshed and encouraged to keep on going.

[@mlemleh]

I feel most alive when I'm creating something. With people or by myself. Making a video, writing a song or poem, floating an idea. Creating something that before that moment did not exist.

[@Willasfantasyland]

Nothing makes me feel more alive then when I'm playing music in a group. I love listening to how all the sounds come together, and how the part I'm playing fits in with everything and makes something amazing.

[@ktparadis3204]

That's how I feel about singing

[@ZimmervisionCZ]

My life feels meaningful when I'm hanging out with all of my friends and we just talk. It doesn't matter about what we speak, it's just amazing to me having a long conversation that just grows and evolves until we're all gathered in a circle and it's 3 in the morning and we don't know or care where all that time has gone.

[@mysticpeachbud]

I feel alive when I write, play piano, listen to music, and watch the Vlogbrothers!

[@soyuncatacol]

Playing music makes me feel alive. Also writing, creating anything, really laughing with friends and walking in nature. :)

[@fireflower2003]

I spend so much time worrying about all the things i need to do that life can get very monotonous and just passes me by. It is a very rare occasion when i get to lie back and think about the world. I am currently on holiday, lying in the Sun, thinking about the world, and thanks to this book club i am reading for the first time in ages! Which makes me feel connected to my mind, and nerdfighteria, and therefore makes me feel alive. So thanks for that :)

[@Dragontongue18]

I read Fahrenheit 451 when I was in highschool, and I also found it unsettling but it was unsettling in a good way in that it may have been the first book to really make think critically. And then, last year, I watched an anime called R.O.D. (Read or Die), which I think was just as profound as Fahrenheit 451. It's got a lot of censorship themes, it's focused heavily around books and writers, as well as people who can magically control paper to form weapons, familiars, or to augment their martial arts, and it's also got this whole plot about cloning what the antagonists of the show call "Great Persons" (minds like Einstein, Edison, and such) and the worlds in classic novels, like H.G. Wells War of the Worlds, start spilling into the real world, and it's all just very fantastic and it made me really think critically about the message and about books and stuff. I would definitely recommend giving it a watch (it's free on Crunchyroll) or reading the manga. It's either 13 or 23 episodes, so not an incredibly long chunk of time.

[@Dragontongue18]

And I would have to agree, I feel most alive when I'm discussing things with people I care about in a meaningful manner. It doesn't even really have to be a meaningful topic. I could be talking to my cousin about Pokemon and EV training, or I could be talking to him about cultural issues and sexism in gaming and I would still feel equally alive and pursuing purpose, so I guess for me it might be more WHO I am talking to than what is being discussed, although what is being discussed does need to line up with my interests. For example, in my anthropology class I just finished up, I wasn't really impressed with most of my classmates, they kept complaining about deadlines and asking for extensions, etc, so I found a lot of the discussion to be pretty dull because I didn't really find myself able to respect the people I was engaging in discourse with a whole lot. But, I also feel really alive when I am watching shows I enjoy with people I enjoy watching them with, or playing some of my favorite multiplayer games with people, or even playing a single player game with others in the room and just chatting while playing. But I can have conversations with some people that don't feel very engaging, like usually when my roommate actually ventures out of his room, he's usually talking about the same old stuff and it doesn't feel very engaging, and I see so little of him that, when topics I care about do come up, I don't even feel all that engaged. Moving on from social contact that makes me feel more alive and have more purpose, I also feel really alive and in the moment when I am at martial arts training, which I suppose means that it's having the desired effect. But working hard, mentally and physically, on increasing health and learning ways of defense and just being able to have a singular focus is another thing that really makes me feel like I am doing something incredibly meaningful. So both engaging in Nerdfighteria discussions, Nerdfighterly discourse with friends and family (even if there are disagreements), and working out, all of these things help me to feel more "alive".

[@evanharriman9979]

I feel alive when I'm riding my bike and am reminded of nature around us, of the harmony and even the discord of the 7 billion people on this rock.

[@anavin32]

I feel the most alive when I'm doing something I haven't done before or when I truly laugh. The kind of uncontrollable stomach-hurting fits that make me love and appreciate my surroundings- whether it be a group of people or just my computer.

[@PogieJoe]

I'm so glad we're reading this book. I've never read it before and it's spectacular.

[@RvenclawPadawan]

I read Fahrenheit 451 for school in 8th grade (2 years ago) but amazingly I remember everything that John mentioned!! Apparently that book left an impression on me Also I feel least like I'm wasting my life when I'm performing or learning/discussing things that I genuinely care about. And volunteering. I really like making the world suck less

[@MrLaunchpadMcquack]

I feel most alive when my words and actions are accepted and praised by others. When I try something new and I am quickly glad that I did.

[@adchick27]

There is some SUPER PUFF in this vid

[@nicklol328]

MY NAME IS RAY BRADBURY

[@CaptainPIanet]

I've seen this same quotes used many times. What is it referencing?

[@lukeosland]

Captain Planet kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZOmq5WLnqdrba8

[@CaptainPIanet]

Thank you!

[@lukeosland]

Captain Planet No problem, bro!

[@jillianiscute8296]

proud of you

[@n.a7993]

Comment to an old video: We actually read more now than we used to in the 90's. Us, the so-called millennials, read more than any other generation! TBH THAT'S AMAZING

[@Cloudy_Days.]

N.A Unfortunately the millennials are more brainwashed than any other generation through false "facts" of what they read nowadays. Not from the books, but from their phones which consist of alot of misleading information. #truth

[@TDPhinsTalkAdmin]

Yeah and among other problems millennials are to busy taking selfies and not voting to save up for any retirement... Put down the book and pick up a job application

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

Adam Padilla If you think a job in 2019 will allow a person to save up for retirement after the many-thousands in debt required to get one, then you’re either delusional or have never had to live in this generation.

[@msPinnen95]

Writing makes me feel alive. Writing word's that means something for someone other then myself. Words that will never die, words that will last forever. Words that makes people realize new truths. Words that will be thrown across the universe and start revolutions. Knowing I have written them, knowing that they will never fade even if I do, that is what makes my life meaningful.

[@wolfferoni]

I'm curious to know if John's views on classic novels has changed over the years. Side note: the poof is spectacular in this video.

[@sheaelliott942]

It's so upsetting that I have to skip over a vlogbrothers video in this run of mine, but I haven't read Fahrenheit 451 and I currently don't have time to read it because I need to read 1984, but I will get to these 451 videos... I will. I promise. (cries internally because I don't want the books spoiled but I really want to watch it)

[@sandoval9276]

Oh, I feel you, literally the same happened to me! But power through and come back :D (F451 is so worth reading)

[@sheaelliott942]

I can't wait until I finally get the chance to read it!! One of my best friends has continuously recommended it to me but I've never had the time to read it. One day (hopefully soon!)

[@krausmal37]

Shea Elliott oi

[@juliamestre2004]

have you finally had the time to read it :)?

[@sheaelliott942]

Ahh sadly no, not yet. It's on my list for this summer though!

[@365cupsoftea]

swimming in the ocean, talking about deeper issues like you, changing people's lives and helping, reading, creating

[@TdScar]

Thank you. Now I can write my college analysis paper

[@TF-jx3cm]

Mr. Bradbury predicted a lot of things in his book Fahrenheit 451, but he didn't predict that with the Internet we have today we are able to publish anything on a global scale.

[@IvanGonzalez-ym7ue]

How has being able to publish anything on a global scale helped the society? P.S. It's not aliens

[@bobbyboderek5515]

+Ivan Gonzalez lol

[@gamerskills1]

Although Bradbury did predict many things he still didn't talk about how we have mobile devices that we can read from, so if books were illegal now it would be almost impossible to destroy all the books, tablets, iPhones ect

[@emavani]

I feel like I'm wasting my life least when I am at work. I give people clear sight, protect their eyes and advise on health choices. The joy a child cannot hide when she first puts on her new spectacles and sees sharply again is beautiful and heart-warming and does not get old. I lost my job yesterday.

[@mauricioduron3193]

Are things going better for you this much later?

[@nikkimorris4569]

This is weird but I defiantly feel most alive when i am doing gymnastics and even more so when I get a new skill. I love the rush of danger and energy I love being able to flip and Sault and leap and turn it feels so fun but yet scary so I am feeling fear and yet weightlessness at the same time. That's just me:):):)

[@alannar.8701]

My class read this book, and they didn't teach us ANY of this.

[@ruthrh4746]

Music. I feel most alive when I am making music. Mostly singing.

[@CeeShelles]

I feel alive when I am dancing, moving, taking on the world. In dance your body is literally art, every new hobby, every new awesome thing you can create.

[@8stringwrshpleader]

John's professional wrestler name should be "Rolling Thunder" and his catchphrase could be, "TASTE THE RAIN!!!!!"

[@shrekleton8435]

Ray Bradbury successfully predicted many things about our future, however there are many important things he missed. Some of these things consist of: The development of the Internet and computer technology, smartphones, and self-driving cars. In his book "Fahrenheit 451" Mr. Bradbury makes a point about more and more people being killed in car accidents; in our society today self-driving cars could help remedy this. JH

[@bellavelasquez2772]

Noob

[@unicorns9555]

I think that this is a good solution to this problem.

[@moonlightmrn5969]

l shrekleton l I think that Fahrenheit 451 isn't meant to predict the specifics of our future. Rather, I feel that the book is meant to explore the possible consequences of a future in which people are overly reliant on technology and less reliant on intellectual pursuits like books.

[@RanchoFan]

The problem with self driving cars is the only way they would remedy car accidents is if you made everyone use self driving cars

[@joshuaholtgreive3323]

Fair enough, but I think that part wasn’t so much about the cars or car accidents themselves but rather how people might devalue human life in the future when there are so many distractions and thrills everywhere, like, for instance, driving very very fast

[@ololo518]

i felt alive today, when i was on explorers festival and i was watching people talking about their trips, what they saw, what they felt and all this beautiful things around. it's really motivating. i'm trying to be alive. write just to make this conversation continue and so you will know :)

[@vilennon24]

fahrenheit 451 is awesome compared to tfios

[@JoeyBuckaroo]

Wow, that burn was 451 °F.

[@vilennon24]

EGKangaroo I always hate when people respond.....

[@JoeyBuckaroo]

mesca todd I guess you didn't know there's an option to turn that off.

[@vilennon24]

EGKangaroo that's something you would do

[@JoeyBuckaroo]

mesca todd Nope. I don't mind people responding to my comments. Since you don't. I am going to respond to you. And you're going to like it.

[@LoveMehPoOkie]

I feel alive when I'm just with my daughter and teaching her new things. She's so young and it's amazing to me how much she can learn. I can't believe at one time I was so young and innocent. Beautiful -3

[@alexdegazee]

I don't feel "alive" when I watching tv or sitting by myself waiting for things to happen. This week I volunteer at a camp for kids with disabilities that I used to go to when I was a kid; because I had been there so many times, and this being my first time volunteering, was kind of revisiting the campus and the memories through their eyes. I got to act crazy for my camper, dance with them, and cheer them on; and everything as worth it just to see them smile and grow. That makes me feel alive.

[@synchrogirl978]

I feel most alive at a concert, I just went to my first one so who really knows, but I went with my best friend and I made like 4 or 5 new friends and never learned their names. And I just felt alive really when the performer was singing and everyone knew the words and sang along no matter how bad their voice was. It's just that moment of connection in a large group that makes feel alive because in that moment it doesn't matter where you're from or what you've been through everyone just comes t

[@HobbertSharp]

11 years. Wow. It feels almost like 2. This book has meant so much to me. It is what helped me fall in love with books, and with writing. This video, and bookclub, it meant so much to me. It is so strange, now, to see a John who is so much younger, who spoke to a so much younger me, and feel that it was a lifetime ago and yesterday all at once. I miss those days, when books, and knowledge meant so much to me. When I was not so focused on what it takes to find some stability, and what it takes to ease the burden of finding.

[@azigz]

I feel most alive when I'm reading or not just reading but talking about stories in depth, thinking deeply, hearing opinions and discussing then with friends, the deep meaning behind the general idea. I feel like it shows the amazingness of the human consciousness and that's when I feel the most alive the most human.

[@nickanthropocene6502]

Moments when I feel alive: -When I'm reading a really good book -When I'm listening to really good music (usually of the angry-yet-depressive sort) -When I'm learning something new -When I'm playing chess against other people

[@reANNAmatedd]

Books like this always make me wonder if I would be brave enough to stand up and, in this case, harbor books. I know I would absolutely want to, but do I have the guts? What makes me most feel alive is playing with my one and three-year old nephews. Reading THEM books, teaching them to write letters, or just sing "E-I-E-I-O." I feel my greatest contribution in life is being with them. They are exceptionally bright and brilliant, and I know without a doubt that they will grow up to be AMAZING.

[@krisskrossedpsycho]

I have to read this book for school. Now, thanks to the Vlogbrothers, I'm actually looking forward to it!

[@ahmadhassan-kf6mu]

how was it

[@kriso.6690]

@@ahmadhassan-kf6mu It was a long time ago now, but I remember it being pretty good. I think I actually ended up listening to the audiobook in conjunction with my paperback copy. (This is the same person, I actually totally forgot that the other account existed!)

[@ahmadhassan-kf6mu]

@@kriso.6690 Happy to hear also it is incredible that you replied thanks for taking the time and I am really happy you liked the book ☺️

[@AreolaTheodosia]

I think I felt most alive going on road trips with my mum. During one trip, we ended up camping on the beach during a hurricane. It was one of the most intense moments of my life. We cooked shrimp and corn and sat on the beach watching the waves. *sigh* If my mother were still here to answer this question, she would say that she felt most alive driving during a blizzard. We had 4-wheel drive and would do errands for our friends who didn't. Anything was feasible when we were together.

[@deborawolfenson5506]

I love Ray Bradbury. And Farenhei 451 is one of the books that has a especial place in my heart. The issues it talks about are very important to me in a personal level, often current worries in contemporary society... and the way it is written is beautiful and sharp. I know it's a science fiction novel, but I think it is more precise to say it's a book about human nature, also about the relevance of interpersonal relationships, communication and self identity. In my opinion, the book wasn't trying to predict the future with exactitude, but to point out the danger of losing direct interactions with others, the danger of living in a society that impose us an unique, depersonalized and artificial path of life... because emotions, dreams, curiosity, creativity and love are an essential part of human beings. And happiness is part of living worth.

[@VestaJavaheri]

i feel the most alive when i finish a wonderful book and am processing all my feels. also, when i'm around my friends. whether we're just sitting or talking or cuddling or kissing or anything at all, really, it's only when i'm with them that i truly understand what love means.

[@trying2hard2becool]

I feel most alive when I'm writing, or watching my friends draw. I find watching someone create something out of nothing more beautiful than anything else in the world.

[@English3Muffin]

A lot of things make me feel alive. Singing, listening to music, hiking/being in nature, reading, having deep intellectual conversations, playing with my animal companions, being with friends and family, and writing. Oh, and eating something so delicious you can barely comprehend its deliciousness.

[@asuperstarz]

I always find I feel most alive when I'm dancing. Wether it be dancing around my room like an idiot or in dance class or onstage. Dancing is just exhilerating and can show so many emotions in one simple movement.

[@creatievzyn]

I feel most alive when I am either with friends, not merely talking about things but experiencing things as well. Traveling, for instance, but traveling with people. After all, adventure and experience are worth the most when had with people. Also when I am involved with music. Playing it, listening to it, etc.

[@achyldahl]

I feel quite dead sometimes when I've been on the computer so long that I start looking for things to entertain me because my mind is stuck in a cheap entertainment rut. I am so much happier when I go on the internet briefly, then go read a book or help people or memorize poetry or play music. But when I am on the internet, I sometimes forget that those things make me happier. I think awareness is the key to snapping out of hours of mindless, deadening entertainment.

[@theKMSchool]

When I am with family is when I feel alive. Being with them just playing games or even just talking makes me feel so happy. And not just that I mean when I eat something I love or even go out somewhere it always makes me feel awesome,happy and most of all alive. These things make me feel alive because I am surrounded with the things and people I love and I really enjoy that. It something that makes me realize what an awesome life I have and how lucky I am.

[@uptown3636]

"Taste the rain" is indeed a lovely turn of phrase. I'm now obsessed.

[@helenadavidson1997]

I feel most alive whenever i'm doing something really exciting, like horse riding or sailing, and when i can get really engrossed in either doing, reading or watching something. Sometimes i do feel like i'm wasting my life, and i want to stop, but it is a distraction from doing something boring and time-consuming, like revising. As much as i like school and learning things, once i am able to learn the things i want and not waste my time on things that do not mean a lot, i will live again.

[@Justplainsomething]

I feel most alive when talking or writing about the things I love with other people. Movies and TV and stories, characters we love, jokes we both know by heart. And many of those people I share things with are online. I'm going to RVBTO next week up in Toronto where I'll be surrounded by friends I've known for years that live all around the continent and world. That makes me feel alive.

[@neshploda17]

I feel most alive whenever I have a conversation with a very close friend, and we forget the time, and accidently stay up into the wee hours of the morning, and both of us really don't care; we are just enjoying each others company.

[@jessicamariadavis]

Whenever I'm outside and I have no distractions with me (like books or ipods or phones) I end up observing the intricacies of natural things that I tend to overlook, such as the veins in a leaf or the grooves in tree bark, or just watching a little bug living it up. The realisation that there is such rich detail and constant activity in the world and how it is ongoing whilst I usually am staring at some 2 dimensional screen really hits me, and it freaks me out a little.

[@kateribarry]

I loved the part when he first met Clarisse and she tells him there's dew on the grass in the morning and that the moon has a face and he can't seem to remember if he knew that prior to her telling him.

[@morbidmolly151]

In my Freshman year of high school, my teach assigned us to write a short story based on this part of Fahrenheit 451 and it inspired me to write one of the best stories I have ever written in my writing career [granted it's been 4/5 years, so now I have some other stories that rival it] but it really did open the mind for a flow of imagination and allow creativity while making one think what will happen in the not-so-distant future.

[@rougepilot5513]

John is everywhere, I first encountered him in history class, and now in english class...

[@dasaf.2382]

I feel most alive performing- specifically acting in theater. There's nothing like the moment after the last scene, where the lights go out, and everyone holds their breath, simultaneously, silently asking "now? is it finished?" and then it breaks like a dam with water of applause and shared excitement: Nothing. Like. It.

[@annaglenn5405]

I don't know about anyone else, but I feel most alive right after I've just finished performing, and as tired or sweaty as I may be, I feel a course of adrenaline rushing through me from a) just doing what I really love and b) the audience applauding, because it says to me that I am appreciated for doing that, not just stepped on by jocks or 'cool' kids.

[@b5bobby]

John - a singer song writer living in NY called Jay Brannon used "I Taste the Rain" in his song "Greatest Hits" which is about physical abuse "I don't sing for the rainbow, cause I taste the rain" - love the way you are always so passionate about things. Rob

[@michlushful]

I feel most alive when I look at the stars and realize I'll never realize what's going on over there "right now". All I see is an old picture from so far in the past. It's amazing to me. That light is from a time when I wasn't even alive. It makes me realize both how small I am and how spectacularly big the universe is.

[@SketchBookShortFilms]

One of the things I love about Fahrenheit 451 is that it is less about the value of a specific type of media (i.e. books) but is rather about the value of quality media as a whole. Faber states in the book that the element that Montag is able to get from the books he has collected is not exclusive to them and that even 'the family' that Mildred watches could also provide it but that such a product is purposefully made not to. I don't have the book with me to use as a reference, but I remember Faber saying that one of the greatest things about books is their ability to show us the details of life. They hold a magnifying glass up to the world and allow the reader to look at life with a newfound appreciation for it. This is what I think is most important. It is less in what medium is used but rather in HOW that medium is utilized to craft a story.

[@ISwishAndFlick]

I feel the most alive when I'm having meaningful discussions with people about meaningful things.

[@PhoenixWormwood137]

What makes me feel most alive is talking and (mostly) writing about things I'm passionate about. Also, travel and exercise.

[@kellywilson8224]

I feel the most alive when I'm discussing things that matter with my friends and family. I also really feel alive when I'm teaching others about science or math or other things that I love.

[@emilynewhouse9450]

I feel alive when I am playing guitar, writing, having an awesome time with friends, acting, connecting. But I have to say I have decided Vlogbrothers are not mindless entertainment for me. They are mindful.

[@xxyarboaxx]

One of my favourite things to do, that really brings a sense of calm and wonder to me, is to go for a walk out to a field or a lake at night, and look at the stars (find Orion), smell the night air, and listen. Having good, engaging conversations with people is also awesome. Oh, and learning new things and being in new situations (even if I feel totally uncomfortable at first, it almost always turns into something really cool!)!

[@Quintinia]

I feel most alive when I'm experiencing something new, whether it be travel, food, an art medium, or a game. When I'm not constantly challenged I tend to go into a monotonous funk, but new things shake me up.

[@kiddooo10]

I feel the most alive when I'm doing conscious thinking. When I'm taking the time to really think about what's going on, or what I want, or anything like that, I feel most aware of myself living.

[@asphodelus33]

Solving problems. Unraveling a particularly tricky physics problem, puzzling, agonizing, running in mental circles, and then then feeling that spark of intuition, the "wait a minute" feeling, and finally being overtaken by exhaustion and exhilaration as the solution seems to work, seems to fit, seems to make sense and explain the essence of something important.

[@lynns692]

I feel most alive when I am either reading or when I am writing. Putting myself in a new universe with new people I can relate to, who are living themselves. I don't really do much myself, so when I get the chance to read a great novel (TFiOS, Looking for Alaska, and now Paper Towns) I love it. I live vicariously through these characters and their experiences. That is when I feel most alive.

[@rebechannon]

I read this book whilst InterRailing around mainland Europe with some of my best friends before we split up and go to separate universities. That made me feel alive. I loved the book because I have always read and I value the stories that books tell no matter if they are by famous authors known worldwide or someone writing a fanfic about something they feel passionate about. A lot of people don't understand why I read so much. The future that Fahrenheit 451 depicts genuinely scares/saddens me

[@LivexLongxProsper]

I feel alive when I read, when I travel to another writer's universe and plunge into their thought processes. Nothing in this world fills me with more pleasure than the words of others captured on page. the Firemen's principles go against everything I've ever thought or been taught. I also love Bradbury's stance on education, and how students are not "how" to learn, rather, they are taught "what to learn DFTBA

[@DesertBloodRose457]

When I write or draw I feel like I'm an actual person again. Not just a mindless drone again. I feel like I'm actually alive and feeling again. Everything else feels like I'm just going through the motions.

[@sk8terac]

Reading through some of the comments have really been an enlightening experience to find out what fuels people. I guess it all boils down to sharing memorable experience with people and exploring or learning about the world more.

[@loveydove3115]

i feel alive when i'm making an impact in peoples lives like volunteering, leading my instrument section, encouraging the people around me to do the right thing etc. i believe that since we have life we should also give life to others

[@Ripphel]

Becoming more of a global citizen, listening to NPR, watching the Daily Show, reading the Economist, the Huffington Post, having intelligent conversations about the state of current affairs with people who either have the same, or a different mindset makes me feel important. Which is why I like debate so much. :)

[@katefranta]

It was actually the realization that I could watch TV for hours and not do anything that influenced me to swear off of it. While of course it makes me culturally illiterate sometimes, I find that I am more discerning in what I look up on Netflix or Hulu as a result. Only shows or movies that I find interesting, or that are relevant to something I'm studying (formally or on my own). It's also made me start reading more. And that, I've found, is one of the best feelings there is.

[@brookekennon4142]

I think a really important part of the book, that isn't getting discussed much here, is the focus on memories, and how said memories effect us everyday.

[@CastralFire]

Music. Music makes me feel alive. I feel more when I listen to it, and when I go see people who create it and talk to them about it I feel like one song could change the world. It definitely has mine.

[@rebekahjoy509]

Although there were many things that's Ray Bradbury predicted that came true, there were some things in the 1950's that people did not foresee. These things include, views on the LGBT community changing such as, people being more accepting, leading the LGBT community to be themselves. Another pro since the 1950's is people recognizing racism; this was good because it made people equal in the eyes of the law.

[@nunyabusiness7858]

Rebekah Joy Yes but these communities have quickly fallen into SJW ideology, the exact thing Fahrenheit 451 warned us of.

[@Cloudy_Days.]

Nunya Business I agree 100% and you've made it short & simple for others to understand. Maybe that's why no one has even tried to debate on your comment. High five!! ✋💥👋

[@RandomScienceGirl]

I feel most alive when I'm reading the climax of a good book or talking about science with my academic bowl friends or geocaching with my sister. I don't know I just get this feeling that makes me smile and dance around!

[@tatianabeastmode6573]

That thing about mosquitos carrying the West Nile virus really hits home. In the summer of 2000, my parents and I used to sit out back near where we fed the birds each morning, to enjoy nature and watch the bats swoop around and eat mosquitos. We sat out back in the evenings after dinner whenever it was warm enough, and would stay out for 10 to 20 minutes each day or until the mosquitos drove us inside. Nature seemed benign enough, as well as beautiful and nobody in North America had really heard much about West Nile virus back then. Okay so you know where this is going. We all three came down with a vicious, nasty flulike illness with high fever, nausea and vomiting, and which caused us lingering problems like semi-paralysis, pneumonia, and near-death levels of illness. Mine relapsed a couple of times. I ended up having to take many days off work, and I began to have brown-outs at work and lost my strength and stamina so that I had to get a less strenuous job two different times. By 2009 I had had to retire from my even less strenuous job on disability. My mom spent most of a year unable to do her former work and was semi-paralyzed for six months, but she finally recovered. My dad got pneumonia and a year later was diagnosed with cancer, and then in 2002 he died. I'm still lingering, but haven't been able to work and just sleep about 14 hours a day now. This year I found out that West Nile can sometimes cause lingering disability and a polio-like semi-paralysis that lasts for 10 years or forever. I now think that's what we all three had. It matches the symptoms and time of year, and the fact that the abundant mosquitos out in the back yard shared the blood of the many migrating birds drawn to our feeders with us because we quite foolishly would sit outside in nature and allow ourselves to be bitten. Since then I've been increasingly reluctant to spend any time at all outdoors. Don't believe anyone who tells you that you're exaggerating the dangers of West Nile in your mind. I feel like we were insanely, bizarrely foolish for so recklessly exposing ourselves to arboviruses of every kind for so many years, and I'd give a lot to have my life as an engineer, runner, and generally healthy person back.