Has reading helped you become a better person?
(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)
Yes, I definitely think it has! I don’t think it always happens – otherwise we wouldn’t have so many issues in the book community – but I do think reading and being an avid reader does come with the possibility of making someone more emphatic. How can it not? When we read we are looking at the world through another’s eyes, and each book has the capacity to teach us something about the human condition. This is also why reading diversely is so crucial – by reading different perspectives, not only can we understand our own world better, but we can put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.
Not only that, but reading has allowed me to understand more about various aspects of social justice, mainly through non-fiction reading. Whether it’s essay collections like Not That Bad or Transitions, or a deep dive like Everyday Sexism or The Transgender Issue, or books that tackle class like Anti Social, all of these have given me insights into lives I have not lived. Books like A Little Gay History of Wales have reminded me of how far we have come in terms of LGBTQIA+ rights and how far we still have to go, while Slay in Your Lane and White Tears/Brown Scars have helped me gain a deeper understanding of the realities faced by Women of Colour.
That’s not to say reading these books or these kinds of books automatically makes me a better person, but I seek them out so I can understand better. I fully believe there are quite a few out there who embrace “activism” in a toxic way, who might put these books on their shelves and even read them, but learn little from them. However, in a general sense, I think reading gives us such a great opportunity to explore other perspectives and work on our own bias’, it’s great there are so many different ways we can do this.
So yes, I definitely feel reading has made me a better person, but I don’t think it’s just the act of reading that does this, but the types of books we read, the variety in what we read, and how we approach these books – with open minds and an eagerness to understand, and a willingness to embrace perspectives outside our own.
Unwrapping Words 