HOW READING SHAPES EMPATHY

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE

Article Published on: 20TH AUG 2025 | www.demodemagazine.com

Reading is more than an intellectual exercise; it is a journey into the lives, minds, and emotions of others. When we read, we momentarily step outside of ourselves and inhabit perspectives different from our own. This act of imaginative immersion is what makes reading such a powerful tool for shaping empathy.

Fiction, in particular, allows readers to live through characters’ joys, struggles, and dilemmas. By following a protagonist’s journey, we not only witness their external challenges but also share their inner world—their fears, hopes, and moral conflicts. This intimate connection encourages us to recognize emotions in others and understand motivations that may differ from our own. Studies have even shown that frequent readers of literary fiction often score higher on measures of emotional intelligence and empathy.

But empathy through reading is not confined to novels. Memoirs and autobiographies give readers direct access to lived experiences, often of individuals from backgrounds or cultures unfamiliar to them. By encountering these narratives, readers bridge distances—geographical, cultural, or ideological—and begin to see humanity in people they may never meet. Nonfiction, too, by shedding light on social issues, fosters an awareness of struggles faced by communities worldwide.

The act of reading also cultivates patience and attentiveness, qualities essential to empathy. In a world of quick judgments and fleeting interactions, books require us to slow down, to listen deeply, and to process perspectives without interruption. This habit of mindful engagement translates into real-life encounters, where we become more capable of listening and responding with compassion.

Ultimately, reading shapes empathy by reminding us that every story matters. Each page turns into an invitation to understand another’s world, and in doing so, we expand our own capacity for kindness, tolerance, and human connection.