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brownalytics 🎩
@brownalytics
As a reader who actually reads more non-fiction than fiction but appreciates both, this take keeps coming up and is said so smugly and confidently that it can’t be roasted enough. I’ve encountered this sentiment many times over the years, from devs and founders to academics to organizers and sometimes even creatives. One thing they seemed to have in common, aside from a generally dismissive attitude toward the importance of culture, is they were far less imaginative and empathetic than most of their peers in the same field and spoke more in jargon than in vernacular (which limited their ability to communicate complicated ideas to the average person). Everyone processes information differently so if fiction isn’t your thing then cool. But to argue that non-fiction has a monopoly on “real” and is inherently, objectively better for learning is big know-it-all energy.
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Paul Berg
@prberg
Culture is tremendously important. You're confounding culture with fiction. The former is much broader than the latter. https://x.com/PaulRBerg/status/1809634655240335653
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Kate Kornish
@katekornish
These latest studies reinforce the cognitive, emotional, and neurological benefits of reading fiction, showing that it continues to be a valuable activity for brain health and overall well-being. *Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience* (2016) - Empathy and narrative processing. *Brain Connectivity* (2019) - Effects of fiction on brain connectivity (fMRI study). *Frontiers in Psychology* (2020) - Fiction reading and cognitive flexibility. *Journal of Environmental Psychology* (2020) - Reading fiction and stress reduction. *Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts* (2021) - Fiction as a boost for creative thinking.
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Paul Berg
@prberg
Compelling evidence that opens me up to the value of fiction — thanks for sharing. However, I wonder if these benefits are unique to fiction. I suspect that psychedelics may offer similar effects (boosting creativity and empathy).
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