Fiction Readers Trump Non-Fiction Readers

Hold on. Lest you think I'm going to completely diss non-fiction readers, put your pitchforks down. That's not what this is about. A palm-stinging high-five to anyone who reads. Period.

That being said, fiction readers trump those of the non-fiction persuasion when it comes to compassion. Science says those who stick their noses into the fictional realm are more empathetic. In a recent study at Emory University, neuroscientist Gregory Berns says:

"We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically."

Without going all Einstein on you, the shortened version is that researchers found what we all knew anyway . . . when you envision yourself as a character in a book, you take on the emotions that character is feeling. Chalk this up to your central sulcus in your brain. This carries over to real relationships as well, making those who read fiction more aware of other's emotions.

Moral of the story? Choose a fiction reader as your BFF.