How to grow empathy
A meta‑analysis of fourteen studies found that reading fiction gives a small but real boost to understanding other people.
As a counsellor who is always helping clients find ways to be self-compassionate, I am aware of keeping up my own regime. Mine tries to hold on to physical exercise and strength training, space for myself, the occasional manicure or massage, and catching up with friends over a good cup of tea. When there is enough room in my life, I curl up with a book and a cup of tea, plus the occasional block of chocolate.
So I was interested to see research by two psychologists in America, from the University of Rochester and Princeton.1 They conducted a meta-study across fourteen previous studies linking reading to empathy.2 The research pointed strongly to the ability of regular reading, and particularly reading fiction, to produce sustained improvement in the ability to empathise with people, and an increase in emotional intelligence.
A novel asks you to follow a character and form pictures from the concepts in the book inside your own imagination. That capacity appears to encourage the brain to grow in empathy and emotional intelligence.
A novel gives you the boundaries to align yourself to various characters and walk in their shoes. The story encourages you to think about what those characters are experiencing, and to feel their pain or their joy.
With that in mind, I found my library card and walked myself to the library last week, and checked out a few books with a plan to read most days, and at least once a week to sit and read for an hour or two. Who knew that resting your body inside an exciting story would be good for your mind?
