The Bookworm Benefit: Why Fiction Readers Have Better Emotional Intelligence

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Are we only as emotionally balanced as our bookshelves? Learn how reading fiction can transform your emotional intelligence in ways nonfiction can’t. | SUCCESS

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young women relaxing and reading emotional intelligence books

David Foster Wallace famously said that serious fiction’s purpose is to give the reader “imaginative access to other selves.” In other words, reading fiction allows us to see the world through different lenses and perspectives, a well-known ability of the emotionally intelligent.

Yet each new year brings a fresh wave of emotional intelligence reading lists devoid of fiction titles, seemingly neglecting what researchers have known for years: Reading fiction increases emotional intelligence.

So, while it’s tempting to turn to nonfiction for self-betterment first, it may be time to grab that copy of Crime and Punishment collecting dust on the shelf before diving into another self-help bestseller. Here’s why:

Increasingly, emotional intelligence, or emotional quotient (EQ), is becoming invaluable in the workplace and in life. And rightfully so. Those with high emotional intelligence are known to perform better at work and in leadership roles and to have more meaningful relationships with others, according to studies.

But how do we develop this sought-after trait? And what do we have to learn from fiction books, past and present, that nonfiction can’t teach us?

“Information is really good, but most [nonfiction] books do not get into the implementation of it,” says Stephanie Rose, a heart-centered change strategist and founder of Firefly Scout, with over 80 titles under her book-reading belt this year.

While collecting information is useful, what we do with it matters, and reading fiction is one way to put our EQ learnings into practice. Because we’re stepping into the minds of different characters, “it saves us from having to go live a thousand lifetimes… to really understand someone else’s point of view,” Rose points out.

Saba Harouni Lurie, psychotherapist and founder of Take Root Therapy in Los Angeles, echoes this sentiment. “Reading stories from different perspectives strengthens our ability to consider things from multiple angles,” she says. “Over time, this experience deepens our ability to remain thoughtful and curious about complex situations and allows us to treat others with compassion and insight.”

This transformative experience sticks with us in a way that nonfiction reading perhaps doesn’t. “When it’s a story and it pulls on your emotions and feelings, your body remembers that,” Rose says. “When you experience something in your own life that maybe hits on that same feeling, that’s going to trigger a memory for you.”

Another critical aspect of emotional intelligence is the ability to understand the motivations behind someone else’s actions. This is known as cognitive empathy, and part of it is knowing what we don’t know and questioning our own biases.

“In character-focused fiction, we gain insight into the characters’ motivations, their deepest emotions and how even the most minor shifts in their feelings can lead to dramatic changes,” Lurie says.

But in real life, this information isn’t so clearly laid out for us. Rose says her fiction-reading habit has taught her to ask questions like “What else could have happened? Is it a past experience? Something that happened on the way here?” when trying to understand and empathize with others.

Fiction offers insights into how different characters behave when they don’t have all the information. We might find ourselves questioning whether a character would have acted differently if they knew what we, as readers, know or if we might judge the character differently if we didn’t know the motivations behind their actions. We might begin to reflect on our own behavior in similar situations.

According to Lurie, this is one of the key benefits of reading fiction when it comes to emotional intelligence and empathy. “Fiction can allow us to observe and explore all types of experiences and characters, which develops empathy as you step into the perspective of the protagonist, villain and every other character in the book,” she says.

“It’s a great way to develop emotional intelligence because you’re stepping into perspectives that may challenge your own and offer a deeper understanding of others.”

What’s in the slight purse of lips or the subtle furrow of a brow? These nonverbal cues and microexpressions can reveal a person’s true feelings, even despite attempts to hide them, and they’re woven into countless works of literary fiction. Sometimes, actions as simple as a hand flex (as Pride and Prejudice fans can attest) are worth a thousand words.

Reading these physical cues and microexpressions accurately is a key sign of high emotional intelligence, and when authors use these signals to show the innermost feelings of their characters, readers get the opportunity to empathize with them on a deep level. “I can share in a character’s excitement or disappointment even if I haven’t experienced those emotions myself,” Lurie says.

As we become more attuned to these micro-cues, we become better at reading and relating to those around us, including people with stories much different from our own. “The more I learn about the intricacies of someone’s mind and how they came to be that way, the easier it becomes to have empathy for them,” Lurie says.

The subtleties in fiction can also work our EQ skills at the subconscious level. Rose recalls feeling compelled to keep reading Rainbow Rowell’s Slow Dance, despite being unsure why. “Something about it was resolving something I didn’t realize was an emotional open end for me,” she says. Sometimes, we don’t even know a situation is bothering us until it’s reflected back at us on the page.

So, what type of fiction books should you carry with you down the path to self-improvement? While there’s evidence to suggest that literary fiction (rather than popular fiction) is king for developing emotional intelligence, Lurie recommends picking up whatever work of fiction speaks to you first, from the classics to the contemporary. “I don’t think there’s a wrong place to start when it comes to building EQ,” she says. Here are some of her favorite fiction titles:

“I read [both] in my 20s when I was still trying to make sense of the world and make sense of myself, and I remember returning to them again and again.”

“[This] is a book that has come up with colleagues and clients.… While the story seems to go far off the script many middle-aged mothers live by, it offers what could be a fantasy for some (perhaps a nightmare for others), and normalizes the inner conflict that many of the mothers I have spoken with relate to.”

“[This] is another book I recently read that gripped me and taught me so much about the history between Korea and Japan. It widened my lens and curiosity about cultures I thought I was already familiar with.”

Much like Lurie, Rose is drawn to books that lean into character self-discovery and differing perspectives. Her fiction favorites include:

“I love how this book weaves together a story about the things we miss when we are wrapped up in our own lives along with the idea of second chances we give ourselves and to others. Opening ourselves up to others ends up making all of us richer in the ways that truly matter.”

“This setting was a throwback reminder of how we can misconstrue a whole situation based on reading someone’s energy wrong from the vibes they are giving off. I also loved how it used a life-changing moment to make the characters feel the clarity of their true feelings and take inspired action.”

“We often hold ourselves back by the worry of ‘I don’t know.’ This book plays with the idea of what if you were given clues of how your story would unfold and the confidence that can come with external information to guide your life? The story comes back to believing in the true power of trusting in yourself while navigating the unknowns in life.”

“While I love this book for its strong female lead, there is a moment where the whole story hangs on a moment of body language and trusting what she truly knows about a person. It speaks to the emotional intelligence of knowing someone’s heart over their words.”

Photo by ShotPrime Studio/shutterstock.com

Megan Pietrus is a freelance writer infinitely interested in the complexities of human behavior.

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