Wouldn’t it be great if our hobbies did double duty and actually helped us become better people?
The idea that our hobbies can benefit us is especially vindicating to those whose hobby is reading fiction. Fiction reading is not the most exciting hobby, particularly compared to more extroverted activities like team sports.
A 2013 study found that fiction readers had better emotional intelligence. But later studies haven’t been able to replicate the results. It’s possible that people who are already in tune with others’ emotions are drawn to reading fiction.
So, what’s the real story? Whether or not reading fiction can make a difference, here is more information about how to increase your emotional intelligence.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to express ourselves and relate to other people. But even beyond the ability to communicate, it also requires us to manage our emotions and reactions. We become better able to imagine ourselves in others’ positions, which makes it easier to build connections with them.
What Are the Positive Benefits of Reading Fiction?
Even if the correlation between reading fiction and emotional intelligence are in question, there’s no doubt that reading has positive benefits. Reading literary fiction enables us to identify with the characters. We feel their emotions and empathize with their experiences. We become able to see the events of the story from their perspective. Reading fiction as a hobby gives us regular practice in seeing people and events from multiple points of view.
How Does Emotional Intelligence Help You?
Having better emotional intelligence helps you in your personal relationships and in the workplace. Studies have shown that people with higher emotional intelligence perform better at work. The ability to remain calm under stress and to defuse conflict naturally makes people well-suited to be effective managers. These same traits are beneficial to friendships, marriages and parenting roles as well.
How to Increase Your Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is not something we have from birth. You can, however, learn and develop the traits involved in emotional intelligence. Working to cultivate greater emotional intelligence is helpful in many ways and is worth the effort. Most people with high emotional intelligence feel empowered, happy and as though life is within their control. If you need to increase your emotional intelligence, some of the following actions may help you:
- Know that it’s not all about you. Life is a lot harder if you assume that the negative things that happen to you are personal. It’s also a lot more difficult to have empathy for others if you feel like the world is against you. A negative outlook, in general, is associated with lower emotional intelligence.
- Look at difficult people from a less reactive perspective. We all have difficult people we encounter. For example, we can choose to consider the amount of stress a difficult boss is under instead of reacting to their short temper. It doesn’t excuse their behavior but it helps us to calm ourselves. Almost any encounter with difficult people goes better when we can stop, breathe and adjust our reactions.
- Stay cool in stressful situations. The ability to remain calm is one of the best signs that you’re able to keep your emotions under control. This is a key part of emotional intelligence. Be that person who doesn’t get upset when circumstances become stressful or chaotic. In turn, you set the tone for others to follow your emotional lead.
Studies are in progress to determine whether reading fiction really does make you a kinder, more empathic person. Even if the benefits can’t be proven, few things are more enjoyable than curling up with a good book!
