In One Ear, Out the Other?

I remember as a student how important taking notes was. If I didn’t write it down, even on a wrinkled napkin, it wouldn’t be long before it exited my mind forever! The same is true for casual reading in some sense as well. When we take in a novel, we might leave with the whole premise as well as a couple cool details, mind-blowing connections or ah-ha moments. You leave with a feeling for sure, but then do we ever really take a moment to process our thoughts and feelings about these stories? It was not until I joined a “book club” that I actually began to see how a book could shift my thinking, sometimes quite drastically. Being able to chat about the books plot, characters I liked, disliked or why I disliked them, helped me to process the emotional responses and insights that previously would disappear as soon as my attention was on to the next thing.

Story as Old as Time

For all the “personal growth” books I have read, it is kind of funny that the most impactful self/societal reflections were sparked by books like “Animal Farm” “Fahrenheit 451” and “The Hiding Place”. We are all made differently, but there is no doubt that our human nature is drawn to storytelling. It is how information and history were passed down. It’s how we get across important life lessons to children (and each other). When something inspiring happens in our day, we rush home and try to express every detail through expressive words. Telling it like a story, seems to connect and relate deeper than facts, but on a level of humanness that sticks! So, it is no surprise that there are cognitive benefits in connecting literary themes to our personal experiences.

Fun Facts!

Research shows that critical reading and contemplating (reviewing) actually improves analytical thinking skills. Studies have shown that using comprehension strategies, develops the skill of applying higher order thinking in life, such as using careful evaluation, sound judgment, and reasoning powers (something I feel our generation might be lacking).