Researchers have found evidence that reading fiction improves empathy.
In The New School University study, people performed better on tests measuring empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence after reading literary fiction (as opposed to popular fiction or nonfiction). The reason is that literary fiction often leaves more to the imagination, encouraging readers to make inferences about characters and be sensitive to emotional nuance and complexity.
Not the worst news!
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Do you ever feel as though you are “walking in the shoes” of characters when you read novels or short stories? Do you think that feeling helps you better understand and share other people’s perspectives and feelings?
Link to full article on NYtimes.com.
And for all us nerds, here’s a Link to the full study published in Science.