Is Reading Fiction a Waste of Time for Adults??

There are certain ideas that are subconsciously adopted as an adult.

One of those ideas is:

Reading fiction is a waste of time.

Why adults think that…they do not know.

A part of them adopted that idea without much critical thought.

When challenged as to why they think that:

They double down on their stance.

I’m here to say that fiction is not for little kids.

Heck, it will help adults the most.

I’m not going to give some fluffy response as to why.

My goal is to make a logical case for fiction books.

This blog deals with soft skills & how to better articulate your ideas to the masses…

Therefore, I will be making the case that fiction books make you a LETHAL communicator.

Flexible Mind = Interesting Personality

Imagine if you can consistently predict the next thing someone is going to say.

How will you view them?

‘Boring.’

Why?

‘Because they are predictable.’

Correct.

The reason for predictable talking points is due to a stiff mind.

Fiction books help rewire this stiffness.

I like to call it yoga for the mind.

Science fiction books train the mind to turn:

• words -> out of world images.

The imagination gets a workout.

But the effects don’t just end with the mind.

It starts with the mind & permeates into the speech.

A person who reads fiction is a dynamic conversationalist.

They can make toothpaste sound interesting if need be.

Their minds can breathe life into the inanimate.

Fiction Books Build Awareness & Empathy

I was recently reading one of my favorite fiction books, Things Fall Apart.

The main character is a man named Okonkwo.

In his village, he is the man.

A warrior who takes pride in showing masculinity & power.

However, throughout the book, Okonkwo is faced with tons of human problems:

-His son disappoints him.

-His village is abandoning its cultural roots.

-And his buried emotions are turning him into a monster.

Even though this is a made-up character (from what I am aware of).

It’s easy to connect with this character.

If the mind can connect with an imaginary character, then it becomes easier to connect with a real-life character.

Empathy is a skill set.

This skill comes easy for some & is difficult for others.

Empathy came difficult for me.

Still does…

Because for a large part of my life, I mainly saw reality through the logical lens.

Empathy requires going beyond logic alone.

Which my mind hesitated with.

However, fiction books have made the transition easier.

Try it.

Delivering Information in Compelling Ways

“You don’t know what you don’t know.”

I like this quote due to its simplicity & truth.

There are tons of experiences a person builds as they go through life.

If the experiences were packaged CORRECTLY, then tons of value could be provided.

‘From what?? My experiences? Nah man.’

Yes man. You don’t know what you don’t know.

Too many people communicate in lecture format.

Where they talk AT someone rather than TO someone.

• Talking AT someone is telling them what to do.
• Talking TO someone is how you connect with them.

Rather than lecturing, package the information correctly.

‘How?’

Through stories.

Fiction teaches how to build depth in characters, create conflicts, and mask lessons behind entertainment.

All these skills are not only for little kids.

Adults can use them the most.

Especially in the era that we are in now.

‘What era is that?’

The information age.

This age is set up for people to package their experiences effectively to make an impact.

Plus, make money in the process.

Finding the Right Fiction Books

‘Okay Armani, I think I get what you are saying. But there are 2 problems.’

What’s the first problem?

‘I don’t know how many fiction books to read.’

For every 3 nonfictions, read 1 fiction.

‘Okay, the second problem is that I don’t know WHAT fiction books to read.’

Go back to the past.

I’m sure your school made you read novels in your curriculum.

I don’t know about you, but younger me SparkNotes’d those books so I could pass the pop quizzes!

Nowadays, I read those books.

Books such as To Kill a Mockingbird, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Giver.

Or go back even more to the past when you enjoyed reading.

I’m sure there was a sliver of your life when fiction books bought joy.

For me, those books were the Harry Potter Series, Goosebumps Series & Lord of the Rings Series.

Renaissance Period of Fiction Books

I see a shift in consciousness happening soon.

With the information age at a peak, more people are going to get intrigued.

‘Intrigued in what?’

Intrigued in how their experiences can make an impact on others.

The entire ArmaniTalks brand is my experiences packaged with the CONTEXT of teaching soft skills.

My background makes it interesting.

I speak 2 languages, come from a hard skills field & am able to articulate common communication issues that shy & awkward people face.

That’s because I lived that life.

By walking the walk, it becomes easier to talk the talk.

Who knows how many people can benefit from your words when you:

• Talk TO people rather than AT people.

No one is vilifying nonfiction by the way.

Just know reading fiction is NOT a waste of time.

Especially for adults.

Avoid having an opinion on the matter if you are an adult who hasn’t read fiction in the past 5 years.

That’s like a guy who hasn’t gone to the dentist in 5 years giving dental advice.

Building a Commitment

It starts off with a decision.

A 3/1 rule is not bad.

For every 3 nonfiction books, read 1 fiction book.

It doesn’t count if the book is not finished.

Benefits include:

-Clear communication.

-Less rambling.

-Compelling delivery of information.

-Enhanced empathy.

-Stronger imagination.

The mind is gradually becoming flexible.

Make it do mental yoga.

That flexible mind leads to compelling speech & compelling writing.

Who knows…

Eventually, you may join the Renaissance of adults who reads fiction books, willingly.

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– ArmaniTalks