Exploring how fiction expands our minds, letting us experience others’ thoughts and emotions without leaving home.
There’s no denying that reading brings us great joy. But does it offer more? Other than being a fabulous pastime, what can reading bring to the table?
Well, it turns out that there may be a connection between how and what we read and how understanding we are as people.
What Is Empathy?
Empathy is an innate human trait. Scientists have discovered that even babies show signs of empathy— albeit little ones! It is essentially the ability to put ourselves in others’ shoes, to understand how they might be feeling and what they might be going through, even if we are not experiencing the same thing ourselves.
Scientists believe that there are three different types of empathy:
- Cognitive empathy: the ability to understand someone’s thoughts or beliefs
- Emotional empathy: the ability to feel what another person feels
- Compassionate empathy: the action of doing something about someone else’s distress
While empathy appears to be something we’re born with, it is also something we can work on and nurture, just like any skill. Things like getting to know others, challenging our own biases, and even meeting a broader range of people can all help open us up.
The Connection Between Fiction and Empathy
One thing that seems to help more than almost anything else is fiction. Stories—especially people’s stories, but really any story—can help us step out of our bubble and into another world.
Fiction has the ability to completely transport us not only to another place or time but also into another person’s mind. We are given the chance to see and feel how the character experiences, providing a unique opportunity to step into lives that we might never otherwise encounter. We can experience the world as an entirely different person, be it another gender, sexuality, race, religion, age, or profession — the options are limitless.
Discussing this phenomenon, a psychologist at the University of Michigan said, “Fiction and stories do a lot of things for us. They expose us to uncomfortable ideas … and provide us with the opportunity to take other people’s perspectives in a safe, distanced way.” Going on to talk about fiction and empathy, he describes stories and fiction as “a playground for exercising empathetic skills.”
This connection between reading fiction and empathy has even been tested through studies. Since 2006, multiple studies have shown a strong correlation between the amount of fiction a person reads and their empathetic abilities.
In fact, so many studies have been conducted that researchers are now exploring what types of fiction make a person more empathetic. Comparing readers of literary fiction, genre fiction, and non-fiction, studies have found that readers of literary fiction had the highest empathy scores.
Literary fiction is a category of storytelling that emphasizes style, theme, and character over plot. It often explores complex social issues and human experiences, which is why it may enhance our empathy more than a sci-fi adventure or some high-fantasy adventure!
Other Benefits of Reading
Reading doesn’t just benefit our empathy; it’s good for us in many ways. Picking up a book is almost never a bad idea; it’s always going to help us as people, even if you end up not liking the plot!
Reading helps strengthen our brains. MRI scans have allowed researchers to confirm that reading involves complex networks of signals, and as we read more, these networks get stronger. Other studies have shown that in avid readers, brain connectivity is increased.
Not only that, but reading helps to build our vocabulary. Research has been proving so since way back in the 1960s! In what’s known as “the Matthew effect,” those who read more learn more. Studies have shown that students who read from a young age develop larger vocabularies, which can directly impact many areas of our adult lives.
Reading regularly can even prevent age-related cognitive decline. According to recent studies, it may also protect against conditions like Alzheimer’s.
On a slightly smaller scale, reading is also excellent for reducing stress levels. Just half an hour of reading can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress as effectively as yoga. Likewise, a good book can help prepare you for a restful night’s sleep.
Those with children will be interested to know that scientists have found that reading with your children builds warm and happy associations with books, and increases the likelihood that they’ll read more in the future. It also helps to improve your children’s academic performance by doing all of the above!
Reading also seems to help people live longer and can help to alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms.
All in all, it seems there are far more pros than cons to going out and buying another book… Even if your TBR pile is taller than you already!
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Millie Ramm
Millie has been writing since she was a child, and has spent more time with her nose in books than anywhere else. She has been ghostwriting novels and editing for the past few years, and when not working she is curled up with her cats, looking for her next read.
