Books can rewire our brains, and connect us all

Interesting 20:19 02.09.2018
In an increasingly fragmented world, it’s natural to wonder if anything remains to galvanize our unity. Divisive U.S. politics, Brexit, trade wars, distrust of foreign governments and the like polarize us as individuals and communities. The Us vs. Them rhetoric that colors public debate underscores the need to build bridges that take us outside our frame of reference and empower us to react with understanding toward those with different, even opposing, views. How do we see another side, another person, or another experience as clearly as we see our own?
 
In my work, I witness daily the transformative power of books. For children, books often create the first recognition of a self-identity — when they see themselves on the page, their culture and life experiences acknowledged or, even better, celebrated. When books reflect our own surroundings, when scenes and sentences resonate as authentic, then — as readers of any age — we internalize the message that our lives have value.
 
Juxtaposed, literature can be the window that transports us into realities far from our own. Books are more than binary tools to entertain or educate. They rewire our brain for emotional intelligence and allow us to empathize, offering a view outside ourselves. Books, notably fiction, have the capacity to make us better people, contributing positively to our ability to recognize that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from our own. Storytelling allows us to deeply consider someone else’s behavior, rather than dismiss the differences we see or accept similarities as rote. We are then able to ask “why” and place those different actions or decisions into context.
 
Interestingly, the brain does not make a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life. In fact, there are substantial overlaps in the brain networks used to understand stories and the networks used to navigate real-life interactions with others — in particular, interactions in which we look to identify or contextualize other perspectives or feelings.
 
In a study led by the Laboratory of Language Dynamics in France, when the brains of participants were scanned as they read sentences such as “Jill grasped the object” and “Pablo kicked the ball,” the scans revealed activity in the motor cortex, which coordinates the body’s movements. When we read, we experience the neurological response akin to the action we are reading about, our brain presented with a reality that it reacts to in kind. Reading is the original virtual reality experience.
 
With that in mind, imagine the power of literature that forces us to wrestle with a new truth or alternative view of the world. Can a white nationalist read the story of an illegal immigrant, African-American protestor, or Muslim Imam and respond with empathy, acknowledging their humanity and respecting their differences? Can a candidate use the storied history of America to better address the realities of their diverse constituency? Can the experience of reading alter their ideology, their platform?
 
Literacy, the ability to have these potentially transformative experiences, creates an opportunity to have a more inclusive, accepting and tolerant world. When presented with conflicts or challenges that we have been exposed to on the page in our real lives, we may alter our responses as we recall the multi-dimensionality of a hated figure in the latest novel we read, or the character flaws of a hero in a biography. Perhaps that explains why some of America’s most revered presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Teddy Roosevelt, were noted bookworms. The experience they had on the pages of books paved a way for them to fathom others’ realities and use that knowledge to enact policies for a more unified America.
 
If we are going to mend the deep schisms that exist, we have to look past our present boundaries and lean into our differences to find the ties that connect us. For some, books may be one of the few places where we meet people wholly unlike ourselves and revel in our differences. No quest to become a global citizen, or effective politician for that matter, can be realized without a respect for literature and its ability to change us from the inside out.
Azerbaijan takes measures to turn Khankandi into safe city - VİDEO

News line

Japan eyes self-driving expressway lane network
10:40 29.03.2024
Oil prices end 1Q24 with strong growth
10:30 29.03.2024
SECRETS of the European Union's visit to the South Caucasus - Fikret Sadigov EXPLAINS
10:25 29.03.2024
Israeli strikes on Syria kill dozens, security sources say
10:20 29.03.2024
Ammunition found in Khankandi
Ammunition found in Khankandi
10:10 29.03.2024
Iran’s top diplomat: Military presence of third countries in Caspian Sea goes against interests of region
Iran’s top diplomat: Military presence of third countries in Caspian Sea goes against interests of region
10:00 29.03.2024
Armenia officially announces freezing its participation in CSTO
09:50 29.03.2024
US hopes to return to purchase of 72 fighter jets per year amid budget cuts
09:38 29.03.2024
Another 138 IDPs leave for Fuzuli
09:28 29.03.2024
Netanyahu: "We have strategic assets of Hamas"
09:17 29.03.2024
Date of next meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Parliament Speakers announced
09:00 29.03.2024
Russia prepares for new offensive in May-June l – says Zelensky
23:52 28.03.2024
Russian investigators have evidence of Ukraine link to Crocus terrorists
22:24 28.03.2024
Committee members of the EU Council will visit the South Caucasus region
19:48 28.03.2024
Bayern to pay Thomas Tuchel 12M euro compensation
Bayern to pay Thomas Tuchel 12M euro compensation
19:00 28.03.2024
Crocus City Hall terrorists took drugs before attack - law enforcement agencies
Crocus City Hall terrorists took drugs before attack - law enforcement agencies
18:33 28.03.2024
Azerbaijan, UN Development Program mull future co-op
18:00 28.03.2024
An Independent Trade Union Established within International Eurasia Press Fund - First in NGO sector - PHOTOS
17:39 28.03.2024
Italian PM condemns Macron for idea of sending troops to Ukraine
Italian PM condemns Macron for idea of sending troops to Ukraine
17:23 28.03.2024
Azerbaijan lends clarity to color requirement for taxis
17:02 28.03.2024
Isaac Herzog: Israel has no greater friend than US, and US has no greater friend than Israel
Isaac Herzog: Israel has no greater friend than US, and US has no greater friend than Israel
16:45 28.03.2024
Nigerian army eliminates over 200 militants in 2 weeks
16:30 28.03.2024
Armored Vehicle Coalition for Ukraine launched in Poland
Armored Vehicle Coalition for Ukraine launched in Poland
16:15 28.03.2024
Russia strengthens transport security measures after terror attack at Crocus City Hall
Russia strengthens transport security measures after terror attack at Crocus City Hall
15:55 28.03.2024
Türkiye plays an important role between Russia and Ukraine - says political scientist Ismail Cingoz
15:45 28.03.2024
2 schoolchildren detained in France on suspicion of sending bomb threats
15:35 28.03.2024
Ski resort in Georgia hit by avalanche
Ski resort in Georgia hit by avalanche
15:26 28.03.2024
Another protest against French colonialism held in New Caledonia, Azerbaijani flag raised
Another protest against French colonialism held in New Caledonia, Azerbaijani flag raised
15:15 28.03.2024
Media: US did not transfer all information about terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall to Russia
15:00 28.03.2024
Movement ‘Together’ calls on Armenia’s parliamentary forces to express vote of no confidence in Pashinyan
14:41 28.03.2024
Azerbaijan to participate in international trade fair in Istanbul
Azerbaijan to participate in international trade fair in Istanbul
14:32 28.03.2024
Le Pen accuses French government of fraud
14:22 28.03.2024
Armenian Government Grapples with Internal Division on Village Return Issue - Ishkhan Verdiyan talks on Ednews
14:12 28.03.2024
Ammunition found along route of Crocus City Hall terrorists
Ammunition found along route of Crocus City Hall terrorists
13:41 28.03.2024
Expert Ilyas Huseynov Predicts Peaceful Return of these territories to Azerbaijan
13:20 28.03.2024
Azerbaijan weather forecast for March 29
Azerbaijan weather forecast for March 29
12:55 28.03.2024
Russian MFA concerned about upcoming Armenia-US-EU meeting
12:23 28.03.2024
Secret Points of Pashinyan's Meeting with French Representative: Is Peace Agreement Signing Imminent?
12:00 28.03.2024
Armenia announces recruitment of border guards to work at Zvartnots
Armenia announces recruitment of border guards to work at Zvartnots
11:47 28.03.2024
The US-Armenia-EU Joint Conference is a part of the pressure plan on Azerbaijan - MP Konul Nurullayeva
11:30 28.03.2024
Hamısı