Good morning, er, afternoon to you, Cynthia. Weather is not as nice here, but about what we expect.

This topic sounds familiar to me, but nothing is clicking so far. Maybe just the right clue will do it for me.

TM

It is mild but windy here - one of the giant Christmas balls I had suspended off the front porch has blown away - i hope someone brings it back. I couldn't find it when I went out. Then again, maybe someone else needed a Christmas decoration more.....
I am thinking of a chemical reaction, and I don't know why or what!!

Nancy.

Sorry. Away too long-checked in a couple times earlier, but figured folks were enjoying their weekend. I feel as though I should get out because it could be one of our last nice weekends. Choices of past-times in the cold of winter are more limited, even if not limiting.

So, we broke down and ordered a new tv. Good deal. I hate to admit how much I missed having one. I thought I would rediscover my love of reading and go through a book a week. Hmmm, that didn't happen. Oh well. My reading at this point is limited to children's lit and Tolkien. I need to get to the library one of these days.

Oh and went to see "Interstellar" at the Dulles Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum Imax theater! Wow! If you have never had the opportunity to see a REAL IMax movie (on the giant IMax screen), then you had better come visit us and we will take you! It was amazing. Even if you can't see it on an Imax screen, I thought it was good and worth seeing. The special effects are cool and the story is good-universal themes of hope, striving for something, solving problems, run throughout the film.

Cynthia

I have a vague guess for the answer but will need more clues to confirm or discard my idea.

One of the joys of retirement is more time for reading. Just finished a novel today but not one I will recommend. Took a long time to care about any of the characters. I like good character development and by the end there was some character growth but took too long in coming so an unsatisfactory read.

While I am not fond of graphic novels, I loved The Straford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth.

No clues in any of the above, just chatting.

Still thinking on this one.

Annette

Still asea on this - the only thing that might build empathy that I can think of is volunteerism - maybe the problem solving...really not sure.

Nancy.

Bobbie, when I retire, I would like to reread a lot of the literature I read in high school and college, plus some classics I missed. In my high school, we read many of the more obscure titles of the Greats. Then, in college I was reading mostly French authors in French. Now, that would certainly be good for me to do again.

Anyone else on board with us?

Cynthia

Reading ???

I always thought reading made me more of a loner....

Nancy.

I am going with reading but think any activity that puts one into another person's life helps to build empathy whether that is volunteering and interacting with others or more indirectly through reading and watching video or listening to information about someone's life.

In college I read mostly Russian literature on my own. Don't remember how I got started but found the long complicated novels fascinating. And full of f character growth and description. Probably pure escapism.

As a kid I read whatever I could get my hands on. Would go to our small library infrequently and read everything in one section before moving onto the next one. Also read my mom's romance books and true confession magazines as well as my dad's true crime mags. And of course, teen bop fan magazines that my sisters' bought. And...my teen uncle's hundreds of comic books.

I was thinking along the lines of learning an second language, but that doesn't seem too promising. Could it be some sort of role-playing?

TM

I too loved to read, and have done little in the last several years. You need quiet time and I never seem to have that. I do remember the pure joy of being in another place, immersed in that book. I think my early love of Nancy Drew set me up for mystery novels, especially the English ones: Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie, and many others that I don't remember. I love the current Patricia Cornwell and of course Kathy Reichs, whose books I adore. I've tried to read the classics, and some took. I tried to read 'Who Has Seen the Wind', a Canadian classic and just could not get into it. I'm just not that deep I guess. lol.

Nancy.

Well, you all got partway there, but since I didn't get back to you with better clues, I will award all of you four (very emotional ) stars. The exact answer is that reading fiction increases empathy. Even more specifically, reading literature has been shown to increase empathy in people.

Have a wonderful week all. I get a new student tomorrow. Keeping fingers crossed that he is relatively calm. Ha. As if he would be in my class if that were the case! ðÂÂÂ

Cynthia

Here is a link that might be useful: Science of empathy

I know there are people who like to read, but don't enjoy fiction. In fact I have a good friend like that. I've always thought that there must be something a little bit different in the brains of those of us who can jump into the characters that we read about and care about what happens to them. Logically, it seems that there's no reason why we should care about some words printed on a page describing a person who is not even real, yet we do. I can see how that brain difference could make some of us more empathetic.

I wonder if this study is just noticing and recording the people endowed with that gift, or if the results show that even people without the gift become more empathetic if they are made to read fiction.

Good stuff, Cynthia. Thanks for the stars.

TM

Good question!! I also seem to remember research into people who watched soaps, and while they were shut ins, they were 'friends' with the characters, and therefore received the brain chemical benefits of those relationships. Humans are funny old things, aren't we??

Nancy.

I read both, I do a lot of research on whatever interests me but I do like my fiction, I get right in there with the characters in whatever book I happen to be reading :).

Annette

Oooh, TM, that is a great question (I wonder if this study is just noticing and recording the people endowed with that gift, or if the results show that even people without the gift become more empathetic if they are made to read fiction). I don't know. I should try to find out. I was thinking that it was that the reading of literature made people more empathetic, but you have a point-perhaps we care about the characters because we are already empathetic people. That would absolutely make sense! Forget that study! Haha.

Cynthia

That is an interesting point, TM. Perhaps empathetic people read more fiction because they like to experience the feelings of the characters while not needing to take any action to alleviate any adverse conditions. Or maybe those feelings bring forth moral action in the real world?

Thanks for the interesting question, Cynthia. Much to read and think about and discuss with others.