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https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190523-does-reading-fiction-make-us-better-people>
"Every day more than 1.8 million books are sold in the US and another
half a million books are sold in the UK. Despite all the other easy
distractions available to us today, there’s no doubt that many people
still love reading. Books can teach us plenty about the world, of
course, as well as improving our vocabularies and writing skills. But
can fiction also make us better people?
The claims for fiction are great. It’s been credited with everything
from an increase in volunteering and charitable giving to the tendency
to vote – and even with the gradual decrease in violence over the centuries.
Characters hook us into stories. Aristotle said that when we watch a
tragedy two emotions predominate: pity (for the character) and fear (for
yourself). Without necessarily even noticing, we imagine what it’s like
to be them and compare their reactions to situations with how we
responded in the past, or imagine we might in the future."
Via Muse, who wrote "This is why I am creating a series on how to become
a literary activist. Fame be damned, I just want the world to become a
better place."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
