If you’ve fallen in love with a reader, you’re just in luck.
It seems bookworms come out on top when it comes to bagging the perfect partner – thanks to increased skills in empathy and ‘theory of mind’.
So what’s the whimsical connection between readers and romance?
According to Gregory Currie, a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto, people who invest their time in reading show greater levels of empathy and ‘theory of mind’ – otherwise known as the ability to hold opinions, beliefs and interests apart from their own.
If you’re wondering how racing through the latest page-turner will help you seal a loving commitment, readers are recognised as developing a habit of putting themselves in other people’s positions – which sometimes means using their levels of empathy to see things from other people’s perspective.
As well as making you a more considerate partner, it could make you more understanding during times of unrest or confusion in the relationship (or when trying to rationalise that row).
Psychologist David Comer Kidd explains:
“Their [readers] ability to connect with characters they haven’t met makes their understanding of the people around them much easier.”
So next time you’re being accused of ignoring them while tucking into your bedtime book, feel free to pass the tablet (and this article) their way.
It might help get them in on the act, which apparently wouldn’t be a bad thing.
