A study by Dan Johnson showed that reading fiction significantly increased empathy towards others, especially people initially perceived as "outsiders". The more absorbed in the story the readers were, "...the more empathetic they behaved in real life."
Story is the high-speed connection to empathy. When the brain expands that all-important understanding of other brains, especially through story, the heart must follow.
So beware; the study and practice of storytelling will change you. It will plug you in to realities beyond your own, and the information will go viral within you. It will make life more rewarding, more heart-rending, and more complicated.
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