Have you ever finished a novel and found yourself thinking about a character long after you closed the book?
Perhaps the character made a decision you initially disagreed with. As the story unfolded, you learned about their fears, relationships, memories and motivations. By the end, you may have understood why they behaved the way they did, even if you did not agree with their choices.
This is one of the interesting benefits of reading fiction. Stories allow us to spend time inside perspectives that may be very different from our own. Over time, this can encourage us to think beyond our immediate assumptions and become more curious about what other people may be experiencing.
Can Reading Fiction Help You Understand Other People Better?
Reading fiction can support perspective-taking by exposing readers to different characters, experiences, emotions and points of view.
A story gives you access to information about a character that you might not have in an everyday interaction. You may know what they are thinking, what they fear, what they have experienced and why they interpret a situation in a particular way.
Real relationships rarely give us that much information.
When someone behaves differently from what we expect, we often fill in the gaps ourselves. Fiction can encourage a different habit: pause, become curious and consider another perspective before reaching a conclusion.
Research has explored associations between reading literary fiction and social-cognitive abilities, including the ability to understand other people’s mental states. However, findings are not completely consistent, and reading fiction should not be treated as a guaranteed way to improve empathy or social skills.
Why Can Fiction Change the Way We Look at People?
One of the important psychological processes involved is perspective-taking.
Perspective-taking means trying to understand a situation from another person’s point of view.
Fiction gives you access to different perspectives
A novel may place you inside the thoughts of a character who is lonely, angry, uncertain, ambitious, grieving or afraid.
Instead of simply observing behaviour, you get context.
This can remind us that behaviour is often more complicated than it appears from the outside.
Stories encourage emotional curiosity
When you read about a character’s internal experience, you may naturally ask:
- Why did they react that way?
- What are they afraid of?
- What do they actually want?
- What might they be misunderstanding?
- What experiences shaped their response?
These questions can become useful outside books too.
Fiction can challenge assumptions
A character may initially appear selfish, difficult or unlikeable. Later, the story may reveal circumstances that change your interpretation.
That does not mean every behaviour should be excused. Instead, it demonstrates an important distinction between understanding someone’s behaviour and approving of it.
What Can Get in the Way of Understanding Other People?
Reading fiction alone does not automatically make someone more understanding. Our existing habits can influence how we interpret both stories and real-life interactions.
Judging too quickly
In everyday life, we often make quick assumptions about why someone behaved a certain way.
A colleague who does not respond may be considered rude. A friend who cancels plans may seem uninterested. A family member who becomes quiet may appear angry.
There may be information we simply do not have.
Assuming your interpretation is the only interpretation
Two people can experience the same conversation differently.
If we automatically treat our interpretation as fact, there is little room for curiosity or communication.
Reading without reflecting
You can read hundreds of stories without consciously considering what they reveal about people.
The potential benefit comes not only from consuming a story but also from noticing perspectives, motivations and emotional complexity.
How Can You Use Fiction to Understand People Better?
You do not need to turn reading into an academic exercise. A few simple habits can make reading more reflective.
Pay attention to characters you disagree with
When a character frustrates you, ask yourself:
What information does this character have that I do not?
This does not mean agreeing with them. It simply creates space for a broader interpretation.
Notice the difference between intention and impact
A character may intend to help someone but end up hurting them.
Similarly, people in our own lives can have positive intentions while still causing disappointment or frustration.
Considering both intention and impact can make interpersonal conversations more nuanced.
Read outside your usual experience
Try stories featuring characters from different generations, cultures, professions, family structures or social circumstances.
The goal is not to assume that one fictional character represents an entire group. It is to become comfortable encountering perspectives that differ from your own.
Discuss books with other people
A book discussion can reveal how differently people interpret the same character.
This can be particularly useful because it demonstrates that perspective is not always fixed or obvious.
When Can Difficulty Understanding Others Become a Bigger Concern?
Everyone misunderstands people sometimes. Human relationships involve incomplete information, different expectations and emotional reactions.
It may become more concerning when interpersonal difficulties are persistent and begin affecting everyday life.
For example, a person may frequently:
- Assume negative intentions from others
- Struggle to consider alternative perspectives
- Experience repeated relationship conflicts
- Withdraw from social interactions
- Feel misunderstood by almost everyone
- Find it difficult to communicate emotions
- Become highly distressed by ordinary disagreements
These experiences do not automatically indicate a psychological condition. They may, however, be worth exploring if they repeatedly interfere with relationships, work or overall wellbeing.
When Can Therapy Help With Relationship and Communication Difficulties?
If difficulties understanding others are part of a broader pattern of relationship conflict, anxiety, emotional distress or social withdrawal, therapy can provide an opportunity to explore those patterns.
Individual therapy can offer a private setting to understand your own emotional responses, assumptions, communication style and relationship patterns.
For people who experience difficulties within a shared relationship or social setting, group therapy can provide opportunities to observe communication, receive feedback and learn from interactions with others, when clinically appropriate.
Therapy is not about teaching someone to agree with everyone. It can instead help a person become more aware of their own reactions while developing healthier ways of communicating and responding.
What I Observe as a Psychologist
As a psychologist, I find the most interesting aspect of perspective-taking is that understanding another person does not require us to agree with them.
We can recognise that someone is frightened without agreeing with the way they responded to that fear. We can understand someone’s disappointment without accepting hurtful behaviour.
Fiction can create a safe space to practise this distinction.
When we follow a character through their thoughts and experiences, we are reminded that people are rarely defined by one action or one moment. The same principle can be useful in relationships.
Instead of immediately asking, “Why would they behave like this?”, we can sometimes ask, “What might I not be seeing?”
That small shift from judgement to curiosity can change the quality of a conversation.
Tanu Choksi (Psychologist)
What Can You Practise While Reading?
Try these simple exercises during your next novel:
- Choose one character you disagree with and identify three possible reasons behind their behaviour.
- Separate behaviour from identity: describe what a character did rather than labelling who they are.
- Notice emotional triggers: observe which characters make you angry, uncomfortable or defensive.
- Consider multiple perspectives: ask how another character might describe the same event.
- Connect thoughtfully to real life: consider whether you make similar assumptions about people around you.
- Discuss your interpretation: ask another reader why they understood the character differently.
The objective is not to analyse every interaction. It is to become more comfortable with the idea that another person’s internal experience may differ from what you initially assume.
Key Takeaways
- One of the potential benefits of reading fiction is exposure to different perspectives and emotional experiences.
- Fiction can encourage perspective-taking by showing readers the thoughts and motivations behind characters’ behaviour.
- Understanding someone does not mean agreeing with their actions.
- Reading alone does not guarantee greater empathy or better relationships.
- Reflecting on characters and discussing different interpretations can make reading more meaningful.
- Persistent difficulties with relationships or communication may benefit from professional support.
- Individual therapy or appropriately structured group therapy can provide space to explore interpersonal patterns.
Understanding Begins With Curiosity
We cannot know everything another person is thinking or feeling.
Sometimes we respond to what we see without knowing the story behind it. Fiction reminds us that there is often more happening beneath the surface than we initially realise.
Perhaps that is one of the quiet benefits of reading fiction. It gives us opportunities to step outside our own perspective, encounter unfamiliar experiences and become curious about lives that are not our own.
And that curiosity can be valuable beyond the pages of a book.
When You Need Help Understanding Yourself and Others
If repeated misunderstandings, conflicts or emotional reactions are affecting your relationships, exploring these patterns with a psychologist can help.
Individual therapy can provide a confidential space to understand your own thoughts, emotions and relationship patterns, while group therapy, when suitable, can offer opportunities to learn through guided interpersonal experiences.
Seeking psychological support does not mean that something is fundamentally wrong with you. Sometimes it simply means you want to understand yourself and your relationships more clearly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the benefits of reading fiction for emotional understanding?
A. Reading fiction exposes you to characters with different experiences, emotions and perspectives. Reflecting on these perspectives may encourage curiosity about how other people think and feel.
Q2. Can reading fiction make you more empathetic?
A. Some research has found associations between literary fiction and aspects of social cognition, but findings are mixed. Reading fiction should not be considered a guaranteed method for increasing empathy.
Q3. How does fiction help with perspective-taking?
A. Fiction often provides access to a character’s thoughts, emotions, experiences and motivations. This can encourage readers to consider situations from a perspective different from their own.
Q4. Can therapy help me understand other people better?
A. Therapy can help you explore your own assumptions, emotional reactions and communication patterns. Individual therapy may be useful for personal concerns, while group therapy can provide guided opportunities to understand interpersonal dynamics.
Q5. Is reading fiction a substitute for therapy?
A. No. Reading can be a meaningful personal activity, but it is not a substitute for professional psychological support when persistent emotional or relationship difficulties are affecting everyday life.
