Is Reading Fiction A Waste Of Time?


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There are a lot of benefits to reading but now and again, you may come across that one person who claims that the only ‘valuable’ reading is when you are reading non fiction. 

For some reason, there is a debate that reading fiction is a waste of time. Why? Because what you are reading is not actually ‘real’ or ‘factual’ and so, you aren’t actually learning anything of use. 

Is Reading Fiction A Waste Of Time?

However, there is more to reading than just picking up facts. 

So, we are going to be covering just a few of the benefits of reading fiction to prove that indulging in your favorite books is not a waste of time and that it’s important to read whatever you find interesting, exciting, and comfortable. Here are a few reasons why you should read fiction works! 

Reading Fiction Improves Your Ability To Empathize 

Empathy is an important ability that we are all encouraged to have because it helps you become a better person. 

This is because empathy is the ability we use to understand others emotions and help convey our own.

By being empathetic, you can respond responsibly to others and also help them deal with their emotions.

But being empathetic goes beyond just understanding emotions – it allows you to see things from someone else’s point of view, allowing you to understand the motives behind decisions. 

So, empathy is an important ability to have as you can use it to help improve your relationships with others and to learn to be kinder and more thoughtful to different people in different situations, thus improving your charity and sympathy. 

Reading fiction helps you improve your own empathy because it allows you to see new perspectives and see how other minds think.

Even if the situations the characters are in are fictional, the emotions and processes behind their decisions are most likely not – thus giving you a peek into experiences you have never experienced yourself and helping prepare you for the real world. 

Reading Fiction Improves Your Imagination 

Reading Fiction Improves Your Imagination 

Imaginative play is an important part of your development as you grow and by reading fiction from a young age, you can improve your own imagination and creativity by exploring new scenarios.

While reading non-fiction will open you up to hard cold facts, reading fiction allows you to explore beyond what we know and think about potential ‘what ifs’. 

This kind of inquisitivity is the building blocks to improving your own thinking and creative skills, allowing you to think outside of the box and potentially lead to new discoveries.

Having a strong imagination means that you have a powerful brain that can think in ways beyond standard thinking. 

It can help improve your problem solving skills and allows you to become more efficient in your work so a strong imagination is not something to discourage. Instead, encourage it by reading as much fiction as you like! 

Reading Fiction Is A Lot Of Fun

In the wise words of John Lennon, time enjoyed is not time wasted. 

This means that every second you spend reading a piece of fiction just for the fun of it is a second well spent.

There is no such thing as wasting time enjoying a hobby and so, reading fiction is not a waste of time as long as you are enjoying it. 

Fiction is filled with all kinds of fun and interesting scenarios, plus it can be entertaining to dive into some deep, philosophical themes and discussions only presented in fictional works.

So, entertaining yourself and indulging in your hobbies is not time wasted. This time is vital to keep your mental health and happiness up so you can live a fulfilling life! 

You don’t need to justify reading fiction with science and how it affects your brain and your personality; if someone challenges you on why you read fiction, just say that you enjoy it – and that’s all you need to say! 

There’s Fact In Fiction

Fiction is such a broad term that covers lots of different works, and each piece of literature can range from near factual to complete high fantasy. However, no matter what genre, authors are sure to trickle a bit of fact into their novels in lots of different ways. 

For example, many people love to discuss the similarities between the fictional character Jane Eyre and her author Charlotte Bronte, with some claiming that Jane Eyre is like an autobiographical version of Charlotte Bronte’s own life.

A lot of authors will draw on their real life experiences for inspiration for their fictional worlds and so, you can learn a lot about other people’s experiences and day to day life through their fictional writing.

Some authors will even pour in their own commentaries and opinions on real life views and by reading them through a fictional lens, this can improve our own understanding of the real world around us. 

So, reading fiction can still improve our own understanding of other people and how we all see the world differently based on our own unique experiences.

By critically thinking about these elements in fiction, we can also learn more about ourselves and how we connect or differ from others depending on our opinions, upbringing, and experiences.

This allows us to connect and relate with people while transcending time and space – that’s pretty neat! 

Final Thoughts 

As you can see, reading fiction is not a waste of time at all. 

Not only is reading fiction super fun and a great way to spend your free time, but it can also improve your development and character.

It is proven that reading fiction improves your ability to empathize as you are exposed to different kinds of people and learn more about them through their experiences.

It also improves your imagination and thus strengthens your problem solving skills! 

You can also learn a lot about different people and their own unique experiences by exploring the author’s autobiographical elements that leak into all kinds of literature ranging from the classic to the contemporary. 

So, broaden your horizons by trying out lots of different types of fictional reading and remember to enjoy!

Athena Sula
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