Reading books from different cultural perspectives can be incredibly beneficial in a number of ways. I put together some thoughts below:
Expands your worldview: Reading books from different cultural perspectives can help you develop a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the world around you. It exposes you to different ideas, beliefs, and ways of life that you may not have encountered before. This can help you become more open-minded, empathetic, and tolerant of people who are different from you.
Increases cultural awareness: By reading books from different cultural perspectives, you can gain a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures. This can help you become more aware of the diverse range of customs, traditions, and beliefs that exist around the world. It can also help you develop a greater respect for cultural differences and a desire to learn more about other cultures.
Improves critical thinking skills: Reading books from different cultural perspectives can also help you develop your critical thinking skills. By exposing yourself to different perspectives and viewpoints, you can learn to analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources. This can help you develop a more nuanced understanding of complex issues and make more informed decisions.
Enhances empathy and emotional intelligence: Reading books from different cultural perspectives can also help you develop your empathy and emotional intelligence. By reading about the experiences of people who are different from you, you can learn to understand and relate to their emotions, thoughts, and feelings. This can help you become more compassionate and empathetic, and better able to communicate with people from different backgrounds.
Provides insight into historical and current events: Reading books from different cultural perspectives can also provide valuable insights into historical and current events. By reading about the experiences of people who have lived through different historical events, you can gain a greater understanding of the social, political, and economic factors that have shaped our world. This can also help you develop a deeper appreciation for the struggles and achievements of people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Improves language skills: Reading books from different cultural perspectives can also help you improve your language skills. By reading books written in different languages, you can learn new words and phrases, as well as gain a greater understanding of grammar and syntax. This can help you become more fluent in the language, and also make it easier for you to communicate with people who speak that language.
Fosters creativity and imagination: Reading books from different cultural perspectives can also foster creativity and imagination. By exposing yourself to different ideas and perspectives, you can learn to think outside the box and come up with new and innovative solutions to problems. This can also help you develop a greater appreciation for the arts and literature, and inspire you to create your own works of art.
Builds bridges between cultures: Reading books from different cultural perspectives can also help build bridges between cultures. By exposing yourself to different cultures and ideas, you can learn to appreciate and respect the diversity that exists in the world. This can help foster greater understanding and collaboration between people from different backgrounds, and ultimately help build a more peaceful and harmonious world.
Now obviously this is just an opinion piece. I’m not a researcher even though my Google search skills are topnotch. To me, this all feels like common sense. Reading books, I think, is a safer, less intrusive of way of learning about a culture other than your own. One of the most eye-opening experiences of my life has been to simply travel to a foreign country. I honestly can’t wait to do it again. Erin and I are trying to plan around a 10 (or so) day shut down for the store so that we can go to Iceland together. Seeing the world , seeing ourselves even, through another culture’s lens allows a much needed dose of objectivity about ourselves. For those of us unable to travel, books, movies, tv shows…all forms of media, but I’m partial to books…can serve that purpose.