A study published in the Journal of Research in Personality found people who frequently read fiction scored higher on tests of empathy and social acumen (the ability to make quick judgments of people and situations). Study leader Raymond Mar theorizes, “Stories force us to empathize with characters who are different from us, and that ability helps us better understand the many kinds of people we come across in the real world.”
Source: positive thinking, Sep/Oct 2007
Filed under: happiness
