If You Loved Reading Books As A Kid, You're Likely To Have 11 Rare Traits Other People Envy
Yulai Studio | Shutterstock If you were a kid who loved reading, you can probably remember the peace you felt when you found a comfy place to read a good book. No matter what was going on around you, a book could transport you to somewhere peaceful or exciting or magical.
Kids who love reading often feel like they have a friend with them anywhere they go, inside their books, entertaining and comforting them whenever needed. But reading is more than just a source of comfort or fun. It also helps you develop so many valuable traits, ones that you've likely carried into adulthood and never realized were partly due to your love of reading.
If you loved reading books as a kid, you're likely to have 11 rare traits other people envy
1. A willingness to change your mind
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People who loved reading as kids are willing to question their own assumptions and change their minds if sufficient evidence is presented. It's not surprising when you understand why. After all, if you spend every day reading about other people's perspectives, exploring the "whys" and the "hows" of different characters, you're conditioned to see the world through a wider lens.
Because of this, people who love reading unconsciously think about their own assumptions and, additionally, their reality. They question why they think the way they do, and how their way of thinking is influenced by others.
They're also gifted with the objectivity to know when their perspective is the right one, which is a crucial skill, too!
2. The ability to see all possibilities
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People who spent their childhood reading have an uncanny ability to see all of the possibilities in most situations. If you were a total book kid, you lived in magical worlds like Narnia and could see Hogwarts in your mind's eye. You probably also read non-fiction, and were able to transport yourself to the Dark Ages in Europe or to a rainforest you've never visited in real life.
Reading sparks creativity in them, allowing readers to look at situations from different perspectives and imagine many more possibilities. These perspectives give them the chance to broaden their horizons, which is an amazing superpower to have.
3. Healthy ways to escape reality
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We all want to escape reality from time to time, and nobody understands this feeling better than a bookworm. According to research from Mindlab at University of Sussex, reading reduces stress, and not just a little bit. Participants were able to reduce stress by reading for only six minutes, an effect that carries on much longer once they're done.
People who loved reading books as kids often have a healthy escape from daily stressors built-in. You can carry a book in their bag or even read on your tablet. This allows you to take just a few minutes to detach in a way that doesn't become a physical dependence. No wonder other people envy you!
4. Profound self-awareness
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Nobody is more self-aware than an active reader, especially if they grew up reading books, too. After all, books require various levels of profound self-reflection in order to truly relate with characters or understand concepts.
People who read regularly use what they know to better themselves, making them incredibly self-aware. In addition, they have lots of practice imaginging someone else's experience and figuring out how they fit in that narrative.
If you relate to this, you probably developed a self-awareness that works together with empathy for others. This magic combination makes you a wonderful friend and thoughtful conversation partner, too.
5. Real-world empathy
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According to a study from the University of Toronto, bookworms have better social skills and are more empathetic. Due to the different narratives they read, bookworms are better able to see others' viewpoints. According to study authors, "Comprehending characters in a narrative fiction appears to parallel the comprehension of peers in the actual world."
If you're a big fiction reader, or you loved these types of books as a kid, you likely have this ability to see the world from another standpoint and are better able to empathize with others. This is a beautiful trait, and yet another reason to encourage children and teens to read fiction!
6. A sharp memory
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One of the best parts about being an active reader as a kid, and continuing into adulthood is how it helps you build a strong memory. According to a report by National University, reading helps to improve concentration and your memory.
Being a reader also helps as you as you age. In fact, one study determined that "Frequent reading activities were associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline for older adults at all levels of education in the long term."
This all works because reading helps strengthen connections in the brain, stimulating and exercising it in the process.
7. High emotional intelligence
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Have you ever noticed that people who read a lot as children seem to have a gift of understanding emotions, both theirs and others? There's a good reason for this.
According to a report in Scientific American, "researchers at The New School in New York City have found evidence that literary fiction improves a reader’s capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling."
The researchers tested a number of different types of material, and found that this type of fiction.
"When study participants read non-fiction or nothing, their results were unimpressive. When they read excerpts of genre fiction, such as Danielle Steel’s The Sins of the Mother, their test results were dually insignificant. However, when they read literary fiction, such as The Round House by Louise Erdrich, their test results improved markedly—and, by implication, so did their capacity for empathy."
It's likely you weren't reading Erdrich as a kid, but you may have loved other books that were beautifully written with sweeping settings and complex emotional portrayals. This likely helped you build emotional intelligence you're using even today.
Even if you didn't read this type of literature as a kid, you can always start now. You never know how it might change your perspectives.
8. Unique problem-solving skills
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If you were an active reader as a kid you're in luck! People who grew up reading and have taken that hobby into adulthood have been found to be incredible at solving problems. Because of their diverse way of thinking, they have an easier time seeing different perspectives and possibilities.
Active readers get down to the core of an issue and use their emotional intelligence to empathize with those around them. All of this combined makes them the ultimate problem-solvers.
9. A life-long love of learning
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Active readers, especially ones who started in childhod, know that there is always more to learn. Because of this, they are constantly expanding their knowledge on a variety of topics.
Most active readers have a thirst for knowledge, and arguably need it to keep their minds stimulated and in check. When they read, they keep an open mind, taking in new perspectives and opinions. This piques an interest in learning, and they often seek out new topics to explore and new skills they can practice.
10. Patience
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Think about how long it takes to get through a book. How many pauses do you take while reading? How many cliff-hangers have you endured in all of the books you've read?
Likely, you've experienced putting a book down to attend to more important matters, like chores or paying bills. This takes patience, and it's an excellent way to practice this virtue for children who are avid readers.
But this is why it should come as no surprise that active readers have incredible patience. After all, they practiced it every day growing up and continue to do so!
11. An extensive vocabulary
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People who read a lot growing up usually have an extensive and colorful vocabulary. By exploring various genres, these bookworms picked up a wide range of words, incorporating those terms into their daily conversations. If you read books that created fantasy worlds, you learned how to adapt to new vocabularies and think in new ways.
In fact, one study found that above average readers had significantly higher rates of vocabulary growth compared to average readers, noting that the differences accumulated over time. It's no wonder why people who were avid readers growing up have such a diverse vocabulary.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, and family topics.
