Starting from ideas offered by an old advertisement promoting reading, the article examines the widespread prejudice regarding the supposed correlation between reading behaviour and intelligence quotient. 

Through an analysis of the concept of intelligence itself and how it is measured, the article addresses the sociological origins of this false myth and its implications for the construction of readers’ habits, exploring its harmful influence on initiatives to promote education and reading. 

Finally, it analyses the actual contribution that repeated reading behaviour can have on the exercise of problem-solving, critical thinking and creative imagination, specifying its potential and highlighting its benefits. The entire contribution aims to overturn the prejudice exposed, refuting the initial assumption (“those who do not read are stupid”) and presenting it in a positive light, thus providing data in favour of reading as an activity capable of developing skills related to the concept of intelligence.