The novel on your nightstand may be doing more for your empathy and cognitive health than you think

AI Summary

The article challenges the idea that fiction is less valuable than nonfiction, describing research into whether novels and other narrative works can support empathy and cognitive health. The supplied excerpt does not provide the study's methods or findings.

A popular narrative across Instagram Reels, business podcasts and magazine covers is that people who are smart and serious about growth read nonfiction. Nonfiction directly provides factual information and real-world knowledge, whereas fiction, like novels and poetry, is treated as a less practical cousin. Now, a recent study has asked whether fiction really is just entertainment.