The Power of Reading Fiction

Perhaps it's due to the way movies and television programs portray bookworms, but people who like to read are often portrayed as socially awkward. While I could write an entire post dedicated to solely how wrong and irriatating these stereotypes are, I shall instead share an article I found recently. A recent study shows that reading fiction can actually improve your social skills, as opposed to most notions of social roles.

Introversion expert Susan Cain explains why:

This could of course be correlation rather than causation--maybe the kind of person who likes fiction is more empathic to start with--but the researchers think not. They believe that there's something about exposure to fiction--the direct immersion in another person's mind and body--that stimulates our empathic muscles.

So while it's entirely possible for fiction lovers to be shy and appear to lack some social skills, it's also possible that they've developed a great ability to empathize with others that isn't entirely apparent. If you're a bit shy and love to read fiction, the good news is that you might be more socially adept than you realize.

How Reading Improves Your Social Life | Psychology Today