5 Benefits of Reading Fiction
There’s a lot of advice that is thrown around when you are leveling up.
Some of the advice seems relatable and others seem like complete trash.
But just like anything in this world, there is ambiguity.
One of the pieces of advice seems ambiguous.
Which one is that?
It comes down to reading fiction.
During my last year on twitter or just different networking circles, I saw the self-improvement sphere polarized regarding the topic of reading fiction?
Some say it’s a waste of time.
Others say it is beneficial.
‘Which boat are you in bro?’
I am part of the group that says fiction is beneficial.
I have a philosophy that for every 3 nonfiction books you read, you should read 1 fiction.
Simple and to the point.
But why though?
Us humans need to know the benefits before we commit to something.
So in this blog post, I am going to take the side of advocating for fiction.
And I will be sharing the benefits that come alongside.
The benefits are practical.
AND the benefits last even after you are done reading.
Let’s get it.
1. Fiction Improves your Storytelling
I will commend a lot of nonfiction writers for leveraging stories in their work.
One of the top personal finance books of all time, Rich Dad Poor Dad is pretty much a story.
The full thing is not a story. Yet, it has its moments.
This is dope and I am sure more nonfiction writers will continue to drop stories in their content.
Now with that being said, fiction is a story. The WHOLE thing.
Not just bits and pieces to make a point.
But the whole thing is a narrative that allows you to flex your creative sides.
Fiction books make your brain more flexible.
Your brain is converting words to images and the images into motion.
That’s why I prefer science fiction. Words turned into motions from out of this world.
Although you may not notice it, you are conducting magic.
Consuming more stories primes your brain to tell more stories.
And you’ll be more polished with consistent practice.
2. Fiction Books Improve Social Skills
Yep. I found this one very surprising, however, it was true in context to my life.
What’s crazy is that I noticed others have the same exact insight.
‘Why do fiction books improve social skills?’
I don’t know any science behind it.
But my theory is due to gaining extra perspectives.
Most stories allow the reader to take on multiple perspectives of characters.
These perspectives allow you to change the dimensions within your mind.
Once you leave the book, the enhanced perspectives allow you to empathize better in social interactions.
Often times, your subconscious mind has no clue what is real or what is fake.
So a part of you feels like your perspectives have been enhanced via a book.
And no one can blame you.
3. Fiction Books Teach you About Life
Our civilization was built on stories.
If you think about it, the oldest story that you are aware of is older than you, your dad, your grandpa, and your Great-grandpa.
Yes, many stories are shared from our childhood to our adulthood.
This allows us to shape our perceptions.
Our perceptions are the interpretations that we form from the data gathered via our 5 senses.
Well, guess what?
Your subconscious mind speaks the language of pictures and feelings.
Stories tackle its message via pictures and feelings.
Each story that you read has tons of life lessons buried within it.
Whether you are consciously aware or not…
Your subconscious mind is still listening.
4. Fiction Books Make You Bolder
This is one of the benefits of reading fiction that may be true for some and not true for others.
To have this benefit apply to your life, you need to have a certain level of self-improvement done up to this point.
If you have invested in leveling up, then you may notice this benefit to the tee.
Throughout your level up journey, you’ll have a few moments of fear.
Let’s say you have to give a speech in front of a massive audience.
Up until this point, you have been practicing a ton.
But the day before the speech, there is a strong level of speech anxiety.
Well, in a situation like this, having a fiction book where the main character overcame some massive fear gives you hope.
As we read about how the main character has the SAME level of fear as us, we no longer feel alone.
Whenever we feel like we can relate with someone, a part of our tension becomes disarmed.
This allows us to reevaluate our current predicament and move with more grace.
5. Fiction Leads to More Creative Insights
A couple of years back, IBM ran a poll on a few of the top CEOs around the globe.
The poll asked the CEOs what is their most desired skill for success?
And a staggering amount said creativity.
Creativity is the hottest commodity in the upcoming ages.
Yet most have no clue how to describe it.
‘Can you describe it?’
I call it structured chaos.
However, that is my personalized definition.
You need to develop your personal definition as well.
Creativity is meant to be experienced first before it is communicated.
Luckily, as you are reading fiction, you are going through a creative experience.
How you FEEL will give you the definition of creativity that you have been looking for.
Level Up your Fiction Game!
All the benefits of reading fiction that I listed tie right in with self-improvement.
Fiction books are not for little kids.
It may seem like that.
But when you tame the ego & re-evaluate the other side, you may notice some interesting benefits yourself.
My Favorite Fiction book list includes:
These are books I have read a few times.
Some of them may seem basic, others you may never have heard of.
One of the best practices is to force yourself to read a fiction book every now and then to develop a practice for the craft.
If you want to be a better communicator, you’ll be surprised by the benefits of reading fiction.
Begin this habit & view life from a different lens.
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– ArmaniTalks 🎙️🔥
