Do You Love Reading Fiction? You May Be Building Empathy Skills.
Whenever I meet with a new client, I always ask what he or she enjoys doing in his or her free time. Of course I’m curious about struggles, challenges, or whatever brought them to counseling in the first place. However, I also like to know about strengths, hobbies, and interests.
I have been pleasantly surprised how many children and adolescents have mentioned they like “reading books.” Computers, smart phones, and tablets usually make the list as well; nonetheless, fiction has not been totally replaced by digital and social media.
Personally, I love a good book. I started out as an English Major in college, but then fell in love with Sociology and Psychology, so I minored in English Literature. As a therapist, and a fiction book lover, I was interested to read this article, which discusses how reading fiction helps build empathy. The article also discusses the benefits of reading poetry, although in scientific studies, it was reading fiction and becoming immersed in the fictional story that increased an individual’s empathy skills. Having empathy makes you a good friend and a good listener.
I don’t know how valid this study was, or what this really means for fiction book lovers. However, I think increasing your empathy is definitely an extra perk of immersing yourself in a fictional story. For those of us who love books, we know that being immersed in a good story often means it’s almost impossible to put the book down. You can’t wait to find out what happens next, yet you don’t want the story to end.
Sometimes, we cry, laugh, or become frightened along with the fictional characters. I suppose it makes sense that being able to emotionally connect with fictional characters, and become invested in their story, can translate to being empathetic in real life. In counseling or therapy, there is even something called bibliotherapy. I often suggest a certain book (and not just therapy or self-help books) to help a client get through a difficult time.
What do you think? What are your favorite books?
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