10 Reasons Why Literature Has Changed The World

Books, books, and more books! Reading is something loved by many around the world, but why? Is it the pure enjoyment of finishing a book, or the knowledge that you gain from it? We may never know, but what we do know is that it's changing the world, and here's why:

1. It opens our minds, and lets our creativity flow

Reading allows us to slip into the world of a dearly loved character, whether we want to or not. If the writing is good enough, we can close our eyes, open our minds, and put ourselves into the skin of a real or even a fictional person. We fight every battle with them, experience the good, bad, and the ugly with them, and we become apart of them. Sometimes one can go beyond the written words and can even create their own scenes. For example, in Divergent by Veronica Roth, one can put themselves into the shoes beloved character, Tris, as she fights to become a member of the Dauntless. The action and struggle she goes through almost becomes real to the reader. The ending is an example of how the reader can create their own scenes. Open endedly, the book ceases to tell us how Tris deals with the emotions of losing her parents, and confessing her love to Four.

2. Reading makes us smarter

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Staring at a tv screen for hours suck the life and brain out of you. A study from Stanford University says that reading is the workout for the brain. Whether you are just reading for pleasure, or actually analyzing the book, there is really no difference, they are both effective ways to strengthen your brain. Reading expands your vocabulary, improves your communication skills, boosts our memories, and helps us focus. In Between Heaven and Earth by Eric Walters, the main character takes his first trip to Africa. Many references are made to the history and culture of Tanzania, and mountain climbing. It educates you as you are reading, how interesting. If you're ever interested in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, that is definitely the book to read for an entertaining source of knowledge on your climb. You will know all the basic words and phrases used in the country, and what not to do when your bags get stolen.

3. Books humble us

Sometimes life gets busy and we begin to doubt ourselves. We feel as if we are almost worthless and we feel as if our lives are terrible… even if it's just a failed math test or a fight with your best friend. Life hurts sometimes. However, literature and books seem to keep us humble and kind. Some books are so full of trashiest and hopeless moments that they make us feel grateful for our lives. One of the saddest books, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, is a great example of that. Two teenagers with cancer meet at a support group. Augustus’ cancer has almost gone away, but Hazel is still fighting hard. The two meet and instantly fall in love and of course, the author must stab the reader in the heart as Augustus’ cancer returns. The millions of readers worldwide are left to tears when he dies. Two teens with cancer fall in love, and then on of them dies; how much worse can it get? This book humbles us as it makes us grateful for the life and health that we have.

4. We become real life detectives

Books are life simulators. Fiction or nonfiction, there will always be a story to it. The story doesn't always have to be sad though, we still get attached to happy characters too. Whether the problem is emotional, physical, cultural, financial, or anything, we are always thinking of ways to fix the character's troubles. We become real life detectives in a way. Life problems aren't usually as bad as those found in literature, but solving those problems help us deal with life. Someone stole your wallet? No problem. Your friend lied to you? Figure out why! The power of reading helps us develop the sense of problem solving. In The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, the reader is faced with the challenge of uncovering clues following a murder at the Louvre in Paris. Although fiction, the book is a very good way to develop problem solving skills.

5. Reading is power

Cliché but true. Reading books empowers you. When reading about an amazing character saving the world in some crazy way, it makes you want you to make a difference. Obviously books can be quite extreme and you won't be saving the world from evil governments, aliens, zombie apocalypses and robot takeovers, but you can still make a difference. You could help in your community, get involved in clubs, volunteer, or even stand up for someone who needs help. Everyone has a bit of “I want to save the world” in them, and books give us the inspiration to do so. In The Giver by Lois Lowry, Jonas tries to break out of society's mold. He wants everyone to see in colour and have memories. He fights the government and saves the world with the help of the Giver. Books like this give readers motivation to change the world, and therefore empowers us.

6. We become more empathetic

It's true, humans are becoming less empathetic. We see so many problems in everyday life like wars, and deaths, and depression that we have almost become immune to it. When we read books, we get so attached to the character that we almost become obsessed with their problems and we can only hope for a good outcome. We feel so bad for them and what they go through, which is of course the natural human emotion. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden's problems are beyond imaginable for most of the readers. He is consumed by depression, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts follow the death of his brother. When reading the book, the reader can almost feel themselves falling down with Holden as he spirals further and further into depression. You feel so terrible that he is going through this and want to help him, desperately. That is what empathy is all about. You understand, and share his emotions. Reading helps us become more empathetic to world scenarios, or even minor problems that our friends and family are facing. Everyone wants someone that understands what they are going through, and are willing to help them, and reading will help us become that person.

7. Reading is a healthy way to kill time

Most people in today's society turn to phones, computers, and tv’s to pass time. All three of those time killers give off harmful radiation. Books however, do not. They stimulate the mind the same as a video game would, if not more! If you pick a book that you are interested in, then you get to enter into the world of that book for a limitless amount of time. You could find yourself still fully engulfed in a book countless hours later and still be interested. Why get radiation from phones and computers when you could have a healthy way to kill time while creating your own story?

8. Helps us recall good memories

Ah memories, everyone has them, Good or bad, fun or not. The good ones are the best things to relive. You could be eating a sandwich and you would remember the time you had a picnic with your best friends on the beach. It's amazing, really. Books are a great way to think about past memories. In Between Heaven and Earth, the main character DJs grandfather passes away. The grief makes him so sad as they were so close. He remembers all the amazing memories the two had together, like the time they went flying together, or all the summers spent at the cottage, and family dinners. Writing about this could make one think about all the good memories one could have with their own grandparents. Reliving them could make a bad day into a great one, just from the mere action of reading.

9. It expands our vocabulary

Which sentence is more effective, “This evening’s meal was exceptional”, or “dinner tonight was good”. If you chose the first one, then you appreciate the importance of good vocabulary. A good vocabulary can make you sound much more intelligent and attractive to others, and it can be learned from books! Authors often write with great language and vocabulary to make the writing appear more detailed. Reading often enough will allow you to obtain the vocabulary words to use in your own daily speech. Using those words learned from literature will give a better impression to anyone from job employers to meeting your partner's parents for the first time. People like intelligence. Reading more helps you boost your vocabulary to seem more intelligent.

10. Reduces a significant amount of stress

Curling up with a good book isn't just good for entertainment, it also releases stress! A study from the University of Sussex says that reading for just 6 minutes, lowers your heart rate and eases the tension in your muscles. It reduces stress up to 68%. Reading reduces stress better and faster than other known relaxation methods such as listening to music and drinking hot tea. Don't stress about things such as due dates and exams, curl up with a good book and hot cup of tea for maximum relaxation! A stress free world will cure so much, and who knew the answer was reading? The more you know.