Human intelligence is an amazing thing. It is made up of several elements, including genetics, DNA, and education, to name a few of the most obvious.

Most of us know that reading is an activity that can improve our intelligence over time. Reading teaches us to open our minds to new concepts, schools of thought, and patterns of thinking.

However, did you know that reading can also improve your emotional intelligence?

In this article, we’ll explore several ways that reading can help you develop and improve your emotional intelligence.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Before we discuss how reading can help, let’s define and explain emotional intelligence (EQ) briefly. Emotional intelligence, also known as “the emotional brain”, is the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Emotions derive from the Latin word, motere, which, in essence, means to ACT or move.

Individuals with high emotional intelligence levels are very self-aware, empathetic, and display exceptional social and interpersonal skills.

Not only are emotional intelligence skills highly rated in the professional world, but they can also help you improve personal relationships. This can help you to better resolve conflicts and develop and nurture strong relationships.

6 Ways Reading Can Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

1. Open your mind to diverse perspectives.

Reading exposes you to a wide range of narratives and characters. Those characters encounter and experience different situations and emotions. By immersing yourself in those different narratives and characters’ perspectives, you can gain insights into human behavior, emotions, and motivations, enhancing your understanding of others’ feelings and experiences. These experiences help you shape your own perspectives, providing you with opportunities to think for yourself.

2. Develop empathy.

Fictional literature allows readers to step into characters’ shoes and experience their viewpoints, perspectives, and emotions. This subconscious cognitive process fosters empathy, which, as mentioned above, is a core component of emotional intelligence. Reading provides the opportunity to deepen and strengthen your insights.

Does this sound a bit far-fetched? There’s science to back it up. In a 2013 study published by Science, researchers discovered that literary fiction helps readers better understand and become more aware of others’ thoughts and feelings, increasing their capacity for empathy.

3. Develop self-awareness.

Whether you read fiction or nonfiction books, self-help articles, or other resources, you are not only gaining knowledge about a particular topic but also simultaneously learning about your emotions, behavior, and thought patterns and how to apply them to everyday life. This process develops and improves your self-awareness, which is another key component of emotional intelligence.

4. Develop and apply principles.

Reading non-fiction books, including self-help, philosophy, or psychology, provides valuable knowledge and wisdom that you can apply to daily life. Reading also offers you practical insights that you can then implement in various situations. This process might happen subconsciously, but it can and does happen, thanks to reading.

Additionally, immersing yourself in a story, a theory, or other concept with complex ideas and arguments also stimulates critical thinking skills. By reading, you can learn to evaluate information, analyze different perspectives, and formulate your own opinions and principles, which you can then apply to daily life.

5. Improve your communication skills.

Over time, reading can enhance your vocabulary, language skills, and ability to articulate thoughts and feelings effectively. Reading also helps you to express yourself empathetically as well as be empathetic to others, all of which improve your written and verbal communication skills.

6. Reduce stress.

Reading helps you take your mind off those common everyday stressors, helping you to relax and realign your focus. Reducing stress has numerous mental and physical health benefits, namely reducing blood pressure and improving sleep quality, as well as improving emotional regulation and decision-making.

Reading Books Helps You Read People

As mentioned above, you can apply what you learn from your reading directly to your real-life situations. This allows you to practice empathy, self-awareness, and effective communication in your daily interactions, improving and further developing your emotional intelligence skills.

How can you maximize the benefits of reading for emotional intelligence development? No, you don’t have to read Dostevsky or Dalio regularly (unless you choose to, of course). You can read personal development or professional development books, fiction or nonfiction literature, or even a magazine article. It also doesn’t matter if it’s an ebook, a paper book, or an audiobook. The point here is to increase and improve your reading habits. Over time, you will further develop your emotional intelligence.