A study published in 2013 in the Brain Connectivity Journal conducted by scientists from Emory University stated that reading fiction books, specifically novels, has a positive effect on our brain function and actually improves all connectivity in the brain.
A few reasons why:
- Increases activity in the left temporal cortex — an area of the brain associated with language learning.
- Increases activity in the central sulcus of the brain — the fold in the cerebral cortex that separates the parietal lobe from the frontal lobe, and separates the sensory and motor areas of the brain.
- Reading a novel improves our ability to put ourselves in the role of another person, aka empathy.
- When we read, we perceive the body sensations of others through the “mirroring” technique, similar to visualization.
Reading makes you a better person overall. But if you don’t read or seek to become a more learned, empathetic person there are still many organizations that value ignorance, sycophancy and narcissistic individuals. I suggest you apply to Fox News, My Pillow, Mar-a-Lago or run for political office.