Read More Fiction for Better Relationships
Reading is a great way to boost your communication skills and open your creative mind. You can pick up a lot of great knowledge when you read. Some studies show that a regular reading habit means a longer and healthier life. Those are some pretty significant benefits of reading.
One thing reading fiction does is improve your ability to empathize with others. Psychology Today tells us that empathy improves your wellness in several ways.
📌 At its core, empathy is about understanding and feeling what others are experiencing. You may or not be sympathetic to their situation, but you can effectively put yourself into their emotional experience. This helps you connect deeply with others.
📌 Empathy can keep you from burning out, where you feel overwhelmed and incapable of carrying on. Understanding what other people are going through helps you recognize your feelings and deal with them so things like stress and overwhelm don’t lead to burnout.
📌 It might just save your life. Empathy gives you the ability to read other people effectively. It’s not just about being able to understand someone’s feelings. Empathy helps you effectively read what’s going on in a person’s mind, even if they’re saying something entirely different. Determining if a situation is hazardous or nonhazardous is a core survival skill.
vReading a wide range of fiction exposes you to multiple characters. Different emotions, outlooks, desires, and experiences are open to you. By exploring what these imaginary characters go through, you can connect better with the people in your life.
Reading Fiction Improves Your Theory of Mind
Theory of mind is a term used in psychology. It refers to the ability of a person to understand others and empathize with their feelings and experiences.
Researchers David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano reported in the October 2013 issue of Science that readers of literary fiction enjoy a greater theory of mind. This is fiction that lets you know the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters.
This improved perception of how others are feeling and thinking extends to real-world relationships. It means reading fiction, where you get to know the characters, can help you form deeper relationships in the real world with real people. Reading benefits your life in so many ways. Start reading more to improve your relationships and enjoy better overall health and wellness.
