From: NPR
You 2.0: The Empathy Gym
August 7, 2019
What books are on your summer reading list?
If you’re reading mostly nonfiction, consider the benefits of adding a novel to the mix.
“There’s a fair amount of evidence now that the more fiction that people read, the more empathetic that they become,” says Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki. “Because fiction is one of the most powerful ways to connect with people who are different from us who we might not have a chance to meet otherwise.”
Zaki argues that empathy is like a muscle — it can be strengthened with exercise and it can atrophy when idle. On this episode of Hidden Brain, we talk about calibrating our empathy so we can interact with others more mindfully.
Read the whole story (subscription may be required): NPR
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