I Read 300+ Fiction Books And This Is What I Discovered...

Let's discuss if reading fiction is a waste of time and whether there are any benefits to reading fiction!

Join the Viking Clan and get access to the Viking Book Club⚔️
🢚Get 5% off at The Broken Binding using the code LIBRARYOFAVIKING7
🢚 Get 5% off at Inkstone Books using the code VIKINGOFFER5

Other links!

Contact me? (Review requests allowed but not likely to get reply)

0:00 - Intro
1:11 Why non fiction is great
2:07 - Lessons from fiction
2:13 - Stress reduction
2:57 -Sleep improvement
3:28 - Enhance vocabulary
4:20 - Creativity
5:36 - Improved focus
6:44 - Emotional intelligence
7:29 - Life lessons
8:42 - Analytical skills
9:42 - Summary

[hannahbrennan]

Nothing that gives you joy is a waste of time.

[SwagDragon]

Crafting narrative is one of the most important forms of art in the world. Passing down stories, emotions, and lessons through words is how we teach the next generation. And in order for those things to stay with us, they need character, agency, conflict, and power. Fiction gives all of that. It teaches you empathy. It pulls you out of your own point of view and makes you see another. Fiction can save lives and change others.

[PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Excellent video, Johan! There are so many great reasons to read fiction: developing empathy, relaxing, learning about different times and places, working out real word issues in fictional worlds, experiencing catharsis, improving your critical thinking and focus, being entertained, and many more. Also, nice cameo for The Prophet of Edan and Return to Edan!

[astevenswrites]

I just love a good story... Sometimes that's reading, sometimes it's a movie or a TV show, and other times a video game. As a creative myself, I am a consumer of others' creativity. It not only fills my cup and recharges me, but it provides a means through which I can enhance my own creativity. I lost my way for many years and let myself solely become a consumer. However, this past year I've found the resolve to do both input and output. All that aside, THANK YOU for touching on this topic and I appreciate all you said about it. As with all things, balance is key.

[Aigra]

The funny thing about non fiction books that are not considered "time wasting" is, that a lot of them are a big waste of time and resources. Especially in the self improvement genre, there are so many books that sell you one or two ideas that can easily be condensed to a blog post or a youtube essay without losing anything important. The rest of these books is filled with empty words, repetition, unnecessary quotes and anecdotal "evidence" that prove nothing at all.

Also, I think toxic productivity culture is so much more problematic than "wasting time".

[safinan]

For me reading is hobby also gets you out of this world for a bit….. just gives u happiness. Thanks for the video 📼🎥📽️

[vledermaus]

I only started reading fiction books again about 2 years ago and while I am someone who never wasted much time on social media, I do less so now. I bring a book everywhere now and read when commuting instead of looking at my phone like everyone else does. I also read more at home and watch less Youtube and Twitch as well es wasting time on other websites because those never felt satisfying anyway. And like you said, it's also really nice to improve English skills, especially intonation and cadence because I like to read out loud when I'm at home.

[nataliethompson]

Great subject! Whether in response to criticism or not, just knowing that what I enjoy is good for me is comforting!

[Talking_Story]

Dude I would have never guessed English was not your first language! Awesome as always.

[cynthiafialka]

I do read some non-fiction but I prefer to let a story transport me. And I do read historical fiction so I learn about things. I remember as a very young girl the teacher going over “vocabulary words” with us. She had us “guess” the meaning first. I knew a lot of the words because I was an avid reader even back then.

[TimeTravelReads]

It's not that fiction is always a waste of time. It's just that with the way things are in the world, it's really important to read history, for all of the same reasons you're citing, plus more. I wish people would read history along with whatever fiction they're reading.

[chestersnap]

You could also read both. My fiction addiction supports my non-fiction reading to give me something light to switch too when the nonfiction gets too heavy. I also will add lighter books if the fiction is getting too heavy, too. It can be good to have balance

[strangementalitypaperYT]

I'm showing this to my ninth graders. Great video, Johann!

[hugoantunesartwithblender]

Great video. I tjink we dont have to justify why we read fiction. Even if was just a pleasurable activitie witouth the other advantages.
About stress, i think is what saved me from burnout on my previous really stressfull job.

After stress i think one huge advantage if fiction was critical thinking. In books i meet so much people, in so many morality spectrums and believes, that i can choose my one. A litle but like in my life that i born in a hardcore religious family, but since i was a reader since a kid, really fast i saw another possibilities

[weregretohio]

Someone told me that again not too long ago. I don't get it.

I read nonfiction too, but it tends to not stick with me as long and it's rarely as interesting. It also doesn't inspire. Sometimes people say "you should be reading nonfiction to learn things, " but I really doubt those people are learning much anyway, judging by the way they talk.

Seems like a symptom of western society's ever-increasing movement toward the deprivation of creativity and imagination. If I was left to only read nonfiction, I don't think I would be reading very much. People seem to lack thoughtfulness sometimes - creative works tie back to the media literacy that is increasingly lacking in society. It forces you to think of new things and the way everything works rather than just seeing the facts of someone's life reiterated through a lens or reading instructional manuals or whatnot.

This discussion actually reminds me of another disappointing interaction I had recently discussing video games. Like people couldn't understand why someone might want a story-focused, plot-driven experience instead of an open world filled with aimless mechanics to mess around with. Because I'm immersing myself in someone else's vision rather than doing random things for the sake of doing them.

[asdisskagen]

It seems to me that anyone "judging" you for reading fiction is feeling inadequate and needing to find something to feel superior about; reading is for more than just acquiring knowledge, it is about the enjoyment of the act. I have a very demanding, intellectually stressful job and reading fantasy & science fiction is a way for me to decompress and let my brain relax.

[cmmosher]

This quote from Bradbury sums it up me

"Fiction gives us empathy: It puts us inside the minds of other people, gives us the gift of seeing through their eyes. Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over."

[Henry-jpmc]

I played Fifa for 30 years and still think it's time well spent

Nowadays I love to read Fantasy and scifi because there is nothing interesting on TV.

[ananddoijode]

I never knew English was not your first language. It's impressive how much command you have over your 3rd language.

[thomassease]

Loved the video. Just subscribed and starting poppy war tonight based on your recommendations from previous videos 😎