Your guru lied to you.
Non-fiction books are overrated AF.
Brain scans show people who read fiction have healthier brains than people who only read non-fiction
Here’s why 👇👇
Non-fiction books are overrated AF.
Brain scans show people who read fiction have healthier brains than people who only read non-fiction
Here’s why 👇👇
Disclaimer: non-fiction isn’t bad for you. But nonfiction is limited in terms of what it can do for your brain.
Ideally, your reading diet should have both fiction and nonfiction titles.
If you only read nonfiction, you’re limiting your ability to...
Ideally, your reading diet should have both fiction and nonfiction titles.
If you only read nonfiction, you’re limiting your ability to...
think and improve your brain health.
Have you ever wondered why it’s so rare the movie adaption is as good as the book despite all the advanced special effects?
It’s because no special effect can beat your brain’s power to imagine.
Studies show that reading fiction...
Have you ever wondered why it’s so rare the movie adaption is as good as the book despite all the advanced special effects?
It’s because no special effect can beat your brain’s power to imagine.
Studies show that reading fiction...
improves brain connectivity because fiction forces you to engage different regions of your brain.
When you read a novel, the sensorimotor parts of your brain light up.
This is the part of your brain that tricks your mind into thinking it’s doing something...
When you read a novel, the sensorimotor parts of your brain light up.
This is the part of your brain that tricks your mind into thinking it’s doing something...
when it’s not, a phenomenon known as “embodied cognition.”
Ex: A study about visualisation was done on a group of basketball players.
They found that just by visualising shooting hoops increases your free shot accuracy.
Reading fiction is like visualisation on steroids....
Ex: A study about visualisation was done on a group of basketball players.
They found that just by visualising shooting hoops increases your free shot accuracy.
Reading fiction is like visualisation on steroids....
The storytelling aspect of fiction is a multi-faceted form of visualisation and communication which engages several regions of your brain.
Then there’s the benefit of enhancing your cognitive skills.
We used to call this street smarts.
And we ALL know 99% of the time...
Then there’s the benefit of enhancing your cognitive skills.
We used to call this street smarts.
And we ALL know 99% of the time...
street smarts > book smarts.
Here’s why:
Reading nonfiction is great for collecting knowledge but it does little to improve all the skills you need to excel in any career.
Skills like:
Self-Discipline
Self-Awareness
Creative problem-solving
Empathy
Learning agility
Here’s why:
Reading nonfiction is great for collecting knowledge but it does little to improve all the skills you need to excel in any career.
Skills like:
Self-Discipline
Self-Awareness
Creative problem-solving
Empathy
Learning agility
Adaptiveness
Flexibility
Positivity
Rational Judgement
Generosity
Kindness
Etc
The *act* of reading fiction allows you to strengthen several of these cognitive skills.
How does this work?
For starters, reading fiction improves theory of mind (ToM)...
Flexibility
Positivity
Rational Judgement
Generosity
Kindness
Etc
The *act* of reading fiction allows you to strengthen several of these cognitive skills.
How does this work?
For starters, reading fiction improves theory of mind (ToM)...
ToM is the ability to attribute mental states (beliefs, intents, desires etc) to yourself and others and to understand others have different mental states from you.
When you read a novel, you’re forced to put yourself in the shoes of multiple characters.
When you read a novel, you’re forced to put yourself in the shoes of multiple characters.
This helps you develop social acuity and a sharper ability to comprehend other people’s motivations.
Think about how useful this is in real life scenarios when you’re working with groups of people.
Research shows fiction readers are far more likely...
Think about how useful this is in real life scenarios when you’re working with groups of people.
Research shows fiction readers are far more likely...
to keep an open mind when processing information, a necessary skill for effective decision-making.
People who dismiss fiction as just “fairy tales and made up stories” are missing the simulative benefits of reading literary fiction.
Cognitive psychologist Dr Keith Oatley...
People who dismiss fiction as just “fairy tales and made up stories” are missing the simulative benefits of reading literary fiction.
Cognitive psychologist Dr Keith Oatley...
puts it perfectly
“Just as computer simulations can help us get to grips with complex problems such as flying a plane or forecasting the weather, so novels, stories and dramas can help us understand the complexities of social life.”
Reading fiction is like...
“Just as computer simulations can help us get to grips with complex problems such as flying a plane or forecasting the weather, so novels, stories and dramas can help us understand the complexities of social life.”
Reading fiction is like...
stepping into a simulator for life.
Brain science proves this to be true.
We rely on cognitive functions to understand stories.
There’s no one special region in the brain that lets us do this.
Instead… we use several regions of our brain to comprehend stories, just as...
Brain science proves this to be true.
We rely on cognitive functions to understand stories.
There’s no one special region in the brain that lets us do this.
Instead… we use several regions of our brain to comprehend stories, just as...
use them to comprehend and deduce meaning from the real world.
The facts in fiction are fake but the truths about human behavior and psychology it teaches us are real and help us improve our real life performance.
For example:
The facts in fiction are fake but the truths about human behavior and psychology it teaches us are real and help us improve our real life performance.
For example:
Participants were asked to read Pompei over 9 days and the researchers scanned their brains to understand where and what the activity was.
After 5 days, researchers scanned their brains again and found some lasting changes to their brain.
After 5 days, researchers scanned their brains again and found some lasting changes to their brain.
> Extra connectivity in the left temporal cortex - this is the part of your brain that processes language.
> Central sulcus - This region is associated with sensations. Reading the book left lasting changes about the experiences readers felt while reading the book.
> Central sulcus - This region is associated with sensations. Reading the book left lasting changes about the experiences readers felt while reading the book.
You might not remember the facts of the story but the experience of reading the book has lasting changes on your brain and improves your overall cognitive skills.
Tl;dr?
Read more fiction. It literally improves your cognitive skills and...
Tl;dr?
Read more fiction. It literally improves your cognitive skills and...
makes you smarter, wiser and more prepared for the real world.
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