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dfdz

> They say a reader does not steal and a thief does not read.

Profound or contrapositive [1]?

P = reader

Q = not steal

not P = does not read

not Q = Theif

P - > Q

not Q - > not P

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraposition

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Yes, on the logical level, the quoted passage is redundant: for the reason you indicate, either "a reader does not steal" or "a thief does not read" suffices by itself -- at least if stealing a book one time makes you a thief (as opposed to thieves' being defined as people who steal habitually).

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