Dear Fozolie - This is actually a favorite subject of mine. I personally believe the reason Iranians' have a "taxi driver" opinion on everything is because genrally speaking, Iranians are not well read. Look at the sales figures on books in Iran. 5000 copies nationwide is considered a bestseller. And when you're not well read you have an opinion on everything--most of it being utter rubish and conspiracy theories. That's why conspiracy theories are so widespread in Iran. I would even go as far as saying that the Iranians' apathy toward reading was one of the causes of the 1979 devolution. At that time we had a small group of people who had never read anything of substance read a bucnh of communist propaganda books and got over-excited (Iranians have a penchant for being kaseyeh daghatar as ash about everything), and the rest is history. 

I think Iranians lack of interest in reading has various root causes. For one thing independent reading is not encouraged in K-12 education in Iran. While kids are forced to memorize useless poetry, they are not assigned, or even encouraged in any significant way to engage in, an independent reading regimen as students in American schools are. Another reason is that we have always lived in a dictatorial / religious society were reading books could have severe consequences, both legally, and religiously--where you were told you would get punished by God. Under the IR the two consequences are now combined. So, the end result is that we have a very ill informed scoiety. And that's sad.

The point about reading (books) is valid. Reminds me of the following:

A few years ago I traveled to see an old high school buddy in another town (in the US). When he picked me up at the airport, I was holding a book I was reading on the plane. He looked at it and said "what, a book? bikari? you know I haven't read a single book in my life....". I looked at him and said...you sound like it bro'.

This mentality coupled and enabled by the brian-washing that religion (in this case eSSlam) has brought us continue to pave the way for the on-going case of Head-in-the-Assi'des syndrom.

Dear COP - I was at an Iranian dinner party with my parents not too long ago, and there were two Iranian doctors there in attendance, one a general practioner and the other a cardiologist. Both were in their mid-50s. Both got their degrees in Iran, but have been in the U.S. for decades. At some point I heard them talk about the new Fahrenheit 451 movie that was directed by an Iranian American. I got excited thinking there was going to be a book discussion. So I jumped in and started talking about how much I liked the book and what the movie had / didn't have in common with the book. They all got quite. So, I asked what they thought. Both said thay hadn't read the book--which is really a high school reading requirement in U.S. That's when I first read it. So, talking about movies and Iranians I said that I heard that Reza Aslan's book, The Zealot, was going to be made into a movie. They were all quiet again. I asked again, and they said they hadn't read that book either. So, the TV was on, and some people were watching The Man in the High Castle (one of my favorite books) on Amazon streaming. I again started talking about how much I liked that book (again, first read it in high school). Once again, I got the blank stares. They hadn't read that either. I just got up and went to get a dink for myself. Disappointed--and also didn't want to come across as bragging.

And these are our creams of the crop. They all send their kids to private schools (to show off is my guess) for a "good education" when they themselves haven't read basic classic literature. Disappointing....   

It's true that Irooni don't read books. It's also true that most irooni talk out of their ass as pointed in this blog and exemplified by first comment. However, these two facts are not connected. Expecting Iranian 'physicians' to be well read is a cultural expectation. Much like an irooni girl marrying a physician and getting promoted to 'khanoom doctor" overnight.

Military people are usually well read (especially those spending a lot of time in submarines and the like), as are farmers but even that is a generality.

Many book reading nations are not particularly civilized or informed (Egypt and Saudi Arabaia rank in most top 10 lists). And many well educated and advanced countries do not rank in top 20 or even 50 (Germany, japan, South Korea, etc.). Yet, they are not known for being bullshit artists.

The problem is cultural and historic, exacerbated by "eSSlaam" that is designed to minimize openness, flexibility and civility.

In terms of Saudi & Egypt it's important to know what they're actually reading. My grandfather considers himself well read because he has "finished the Quran three times," and has also read Hafez. Generally I expect people with graduate degrees to be well read, just for the amount of reading that is required in high school and college alone. I know I had to read a LOT of books and do book reports for my various classes. That usually creates a habit--at least it did for me. I have a graduate degree, and my circle of [non-Iranian] friends with the same level of education are very well read (including physician friends). I am kind of embarrassed to say that some of them are much better read than I am. I do agree that it's cultural. But culture can be (and is hugely) influenced by education. Independent and explorative reading is just not encouraged in our education system for both political and religious reasons. 

In the golden age of Iranian radio (as there was little else to entertain on Friday mornings in Tehran’s winters), in an episode of the popular programme called You and the Radio, Shoma va Raad-yo, they carried out a simple survey of how many people could name between which cities the famous trans-Iran railway runs by interviewing Tehronees on the streets.  The results were damning as almost none of interviewees could answer the question correctly (Tehran to London was one answer). However, as usual in life, there is no one factor.

Another factor is quality of education.  The heavy emphasis by modernists to train engineers and doctors - builders of infrastructure - at the expense of other disciplines, and the education system’s sole reliance on learning by rote has immensely contributed to a lack of critical thinking hence talking through the posterior.  

It is difficult to establish a link between book reading, education, and speaking out of one's behind, or both sides of the mouth that is elevated to an art form by Iranians.

With Internet and social media the very concept of reading and learning is distorted. Egyptian's top list for 2017 is pretty eclectic . Saudi's have some of the American best sellers on their list.

Iran produces more STEM graduates (by % of population) than any country in the world by a huge margin and that is true for women as well. Good news for future (if Iran survives scumic regime) but I doubt it'll reduce the phenomenon in discussion here.

I used to be a bookworm but an exception among friends and schoolmates in pre scumic Iran. Many friends and acquaintances here (Doctors and Engineers...) are not readers either. Although, reading Rumi and Hafez is common and seems to make them, and Iranians in general, feel more Iranian and somehow superior.

In all fairness this disconnect is by no means limited to Iranians but we sure seem to have a lot more, expressing themeslves pervasively.