Love and Knowledge
As someone who reads a lot, I’ve long taken to heart this word of warning from John Wesley: “Beware you be not swallowed up in books: an ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.”
It’s a good reminder for those of us who may be tempted to scorn those who don’t share our love of books but who may – with or without our noticing it – outdo us in doing good to others.
Yes to all of that.
Even so, it does seem there may be a link between reading and virtue, at least some of the time. A recent study by Kingston University in London found that good reading habits can be linked to greater levels of kindness and empathy.
”Exposure to fiction relates to a range of empathetic abilities,” the researchers write, adding that those who read romance novels (not my typical go-tos, I gotta admit) are especially empathetic. So, a reluctant hats off to all of you Redeeming Love fans out there.