What Is the Value, if Any, of Reading Literature Today?
The benefits of reading are widespread and the importance of literature should never be underrated. From improving mental health to fostering creativity to improving general intelligence, information technology'due south easy to see why literature is important.
As a long-time book lover, I firmly believe in the importance of reading books and that reading every day is 1 of the all-time things that y'all can exercise for yourself.
Reading is not only a hobby merely a method of relaxation and instruction.
Books of all genres, from pacy thrillers to young adult fantasy novels to hard-hitting memoirs, are all every bit important.
It doesn't matter what you lot read, reading itself is the of import part.
Below are 8 reasons why literature is important and why reading should form part of your daily routine (even if it's just for 6 minutes!).
Reading is a grade of escapism
First and foremost, literature is a bright means of escapism. Through books one can swoop into another graphic symbol's globe, sometimes one alike to our own, sometimes one that is completely made upwardly.
And in doing so, yous tin completely disassemble from your ain reality for as long every bit you're reading.
The beauty of fiction is that it tin can take y'all can literally anywhere and your imagination is the just limit.
I like to recall of books as films that play out in your caput, which are you in complete control of. This idea has been articulated much more eloquently by Paulo Coelho, who said:
"The volume is a movie that takes place in the heed of the reader. That's why we go to movies and say, "Oh, the volume is better."
Paulo Coelho
You lot could be walking along the bank of the Seine via a volume ready in Paris or flying into boxing on the back of a dragon.
I cannot stress enough the benefits of reading fiction.
Books tin can foster inventiveness
One of the greatest joys of reading is that it'southward up to you to interpret the words in front of you.
Whilst the author of the piece of work may have had a detail meaning or feeling in mind when they wrote those words, y'all, the reader, are in complete control of how those words are interpreted.
In the words of American writer Edmund Wilson:
"No two persons ever read the aforementioned book."
―Edmund Wilson
Reading forces yous to confront the ideas of others, some of which are weird and wonderful ideas that you lot may never have considered before.
In turn, this could help your heed begin exploring new possibilities and may trigger a new tour of inventiveness.
About writers draw their inspiration from two places: the world effectually them and the works of others.
I don't think at that place's anything incorrect with being inspired by the works of others as, to be honest, nothing is original in this earth.
Reading the astonishing stories of others can be the footing of creating your own wonderful stories.
Every bit long as information technology's non plagiarised and credit is given where credit is due, of class.
Reading reduces stress in mind and body
Reading is a proven method of reducing stress and relaxing and the positive effects upon both the heed and body have been demonstrated by a number of studies.
Yeah, not merely tin reading have a positive effect on your mental health, but it can also help decrease blood pressure level and lower the eye rate.
Reading a great volume can blot your full attention, allowing you to forget the stresses of everyday life.
It gives you lot time to sit alone with your thoughts and the words in front of y'all with no distractions (I hope!).
READ MORE: ix Easy Ways to Reduce Screen Time
If you're short on time and think y'all don't have time for a spot of reading every day then the following fact might interest y'all.
A report past the Academy of Sussex showed that just vi minutes of reading is plenty to reduce stress levels.
Only 6 minutes!
The benefits of reading everyday are clear.
What's more than, the same study institute that reading is a faster method of relaxation than whatsoever other, such as listening to music or going for a walk.
Stories tin help yous feel less solitary
One of the many advantages of reading books is that, despite being a solitary activity, information technology tin can actually make y'all feel less lonely.
Through books, we can notice characters who have been through similar life experiences to our own or characters we'd love to phone call our friends in existent life.
Whilst yous might struggle to connect with people in existent life, y'all might notice that the characters in a story are exactly the kind of people you've been looking to spend time with.
Indeed, a report from Demos and The Reading Agency has institute that reading or listening to an audiobook tin can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and assistance alleviate social isolation.
Beyond the pages of your book, at that place are too wonderful volume communities you lot can discover whether it be a book club or the wonderful world of #bookstagram.
Bookstagram is an Instagram customs of bookworms who dearest to share their recommendations for what to read, their favourite bookshops and more.
Books tin join and I personally take fabricated a great number of friends over the years from a shared honey a reading.
READ More: 20 Beautiful Book Instagram Accounts to Follow
Nosotros can learn near other cultures & countries we can't travel to
With travel restrictions and airtight borders, the past year has simply highlighted the importance of world literature as books tin be a mechanism of travel.
Indeed, the whole ethos of my blog is to share travel posts for those who wish to pack their bags and explore other places for themselves and book posts for those who wish to travel through the pages of a book instead.
Through books, especially translated books, we can learn well-nigh other cultures and places that we may never get the hazard to visit for ourselves.
Nosotros can read about what it'south like to grow upwards in a different continent, nether a different ruler or government, with different laws and societal norms.
Of form, one could read virtually these things from a history textbook, the news or the internet but fiction and memoirs can oftentimes be much more than impactful every bit the reader can really get within the heads of the characters they're reading virtually.
Important literature about other cultures:
Through Yeonmi Park's memoir In Order to Alive, you lot can learn most a young girl'southward escape from Democratic people's republic of korea and her backbreaking journey to South korea via China, where it took years for her to be reunited with her family.
Through The Joy Luck Club past Amy Tan, you tin learn about unlike Asian American immigrant experiences and the familial and cultural tensions often felt past families who up and motility from East to Due west.
Through Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, you lot can learn almost military-ruled Nigeria, a young Nigerian woman'southward journey to New York and her eventual return to newly-democratic Nigeria 15 years later.
Again, the journey to and from the Due west reveals much about different cultures and can assistance you encounter places you are familiar with through fresh optics and a different perspective.
I'll round off this indicate with ane of my accented favourite quotes about reading:
"Reading gives united states someplace to go when we take to stay where nosotros are."
―Mason Cooley
Read more than:
Best Japanese Books to Read
All-time Korean Books to Read
Best Classic French Novels to Read
All-time Italian Novels to Read
Books Fix in Paris
You tin larn empathy and agreement
Linked to the in a higher place point, we can learn to feel empathy and develop an understanding of our young man human beings past reading nigh the experiences of others who are different from u.s.a..
Reading virtually characters with unlike personalities, different socio-economic backgrounds, different temperaments, different races and unlike conditions can assist give yous a glimpse into the life of a person you may never encounter in reality.
You may never have experienced racism yourself but begin to understand the kind of trauma that BIPOC regularly face as a result of reading fiction and non-fiction about race.
Books like Why I'k No Longer Talking to White People About Race or The Hate U Requite are brilliant examples in this category.
In reading these kinds of books, you may brainstorm to wait at prejudices or stereotypes that you yourself may have been perpetuating and reconsider them in low-cal of what you've read.
You may never have come beyond anyone disabled before merely a book like Me Before You lot could assistance you lot empathize some of the daily struggles a paraplegic may face.
One thing to bear in listen though is that just as each and every person'due south individual experience is unlike, and then is each and every story written.
Reading i book well-nigh a person with Asperger'south doesn't mean you sympathise all the nuances that living with this status entails.
That's why it'south important to read lots and read widely and then you can understand the varied experiences of others and begin to empathise with those who are dissimilar from you.
You can learn about history without reading a textbook
One of the benefits of reading literature is that it can exist an astonishing tool for education us almost history. Granted, fiction books will unremarkably present a sure viewpoint of that history, then shouldn't exist taken as showing the total story.
However, reading different accounts of major historical through fiction tin can open your eyes to accounts and experiences that yous'd never have considered earlier.
This is one reason why I strongly believe in the importance of literature in club for understanding and reflecting on the past.
Through The Volume Thief yous could acquire almost the plight of the Jews during World State of war II.
Through Wolf Hall, you could learn almost Thomas Cromwell'south rise to ability during Henry VIII's reign.
Through Sapien s, you lot could read about the history of humanity and where it's headed.
Reading can assist improve general intelligence
One of the amazing furnishings of literature is that readers tend to become more than intelligent by and large. Of course, if you're devouring non-fiction books and textbooks, you lot'd await to learn new things and become smarter.
However, studies show that reading anything can make yous smarter. Every bit discussed in a higher place, fiction can be very educational – you can learn almost other cultures, places, people and histories.
Children are oftentimes encouraged to read because it tin help expand their vocabularies. This doesn't finish when yous get an adult, there are over 171,146 words in the English linguistic communication so there are e'er more to be discovered!
You can see why then that people who read more than may be more intelligent across the lath. Information technology doesn't thingwhat you read, every bit long as you lot read.
In that location are many studies that testify that those who read are naturally more intelligent in all areas, even in areas that are completely unrelated to the topics they accept been reading almost.
If that isn't proof that literature is of import and we should all read more, I don't know what is.
I first came across this fact way back in 2013 when I was about to sit my A-Levels. I used this as an excuse to my mum when I was found reading full general fiction and revising from a textbook or doing my homework.
Since my results turned out ok, I'm going to take that equally proof that these studies are true because I also read more than ever in that year.
You can read a fiddling more about the connectedness between reading and intelligence hither .
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Why is literature important to you? I'd dear to know your thoughts on the benefits of reading or what impact books take had on your life in the comments beneath!
If you liked this post, check out these:
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