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How Fiction Makes You Kinder
Discover the Power of Stories to Grow Empathy
How diving into stories can help you connect with others, understand emotions, and see the world through different perspectives. It’s an important skill that helps us connect with people.
For instance, studies show that people who regularly read fiction are better at understanding others’ emotions. Reading fiction, or made-up stories, is one of the easiest and most fun ways to develop empathy.
Fiction Lets You See Life Through Someone Else’s Eyes
When you read fiction, you get to experience life from another person’s point of view. Books can take you to places you’ve never been and help you understand lives that are very different from your own.
For example, you might explore 19th-century England with Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice or face big challenges like Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.
When I read To Kill a Mockingbird as a kid, it really stuck with me. Walking in Scout’s shoes helped me see how important it is to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s hard.
It inspired me to speak out more often when I saw unfairness around me, whether it was defending a classmate or questioning rules that didn’t feel just.
