Reading rewires our brain for happiness, intelligence, empathy, and youth, according to research

Dwayne Betts went to prison at age sixteen for a carjacking. He came out eight years later as a writer. Fourteen of those months were spent in solitary confinement, yet he traveled the world in his mind as he read hundreds of books. While serving time, Dwayne completed a paralegal training course. Afterwards, he got a degree from Yale Law School.

Rakesh runs a second hand book stall in India with only one arm.

When asked if he makes enough, he said,

“People earn so they can spend money on something they want. I’m already surrounded by the one thing I’ve always wanted.”

Although Dwayne and Rakesh have very different stories, they are both testaments to the power of reading. At its most fundamental level, reading can liberate us from our circumstances. At their best, books make us smarter, more empathetic, younger, and happier. I speak from personal experience and also from research...

1. Learning gives us mastery 

Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible." —Barack Obama

According to Self-Determination Theory, human beings are naturally driven to a sense of mastery. We like to feel in control of our lives and know that we can accomplish the things we set our minds to. Learning provides that sense of mastery.

Studying a complex new topic can be stressful in the moment, but a 2009 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies showed that if you push through that short-term discomfort, you end up feeling more competent and autonomous in the longer term. In short, learning new things boosts self-confidence and helps us meet our need for mastery. 

2. Learning leads to flow

"Wherever I am, if I've got a book with me, I have a place I can go and be happy."

— J.K. Rowling

We humans also love to lose ourselves in absorbing activities. Think of how hours can pass in the blink of an eye when you’re engaged in your favorite hobby or a fascinating project. Famed psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi termed that state “flow” and was one of the first to discover just how deeply gratifying people found the sensation.

Learning something you’re genuinely interested in is an ideal way to experience flow -- reading and studying are challenging enough to capture your interest, but also accessible enough not to interrupt you once you get in your groove.

I certainly believe it does. And I hope in all sincerity that my readers and students become more successful by incorporating deliberate learning into their lives. But the truth is I got deeply interested in learning simply because I enjoy it. 

I love the act of it, and I love the meaning I gain from it. It is clear that society and technology are evolving fast, and I get a sense of satisfaction from keeping up with these changes and being part of something bigger than myself. Learning, in short, makes me happy. The fact that it also makes me more successful is an added bonus.  

And here’s the kicker: I’m not just one random nerd who happens to love learning. There is a stack of research showing that curiosity, openness to new things, and the act of learning itself will make just about anyone happier. Learning offers intrinsic rewards over and above whatever insights and advantages you gain from your studies. 

3. Learning keeps us mentally young

"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." —C.S. Lewis

We all know that it’s ‘use it or lose it’ when it comes to muscles, and the same is true of mental strength and agility. Research has shown that openness to new experience is associated with a younger “subjective age.” Or in other words, the younger you act, the younger you feel. Both the young and the young at heart learn continuously. 

Our minds thrive when we feed them new things and start to decline when we shut off the supply of novelty and engagement. 

4. Learning boosts empathy

"Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul."

— Joyce Carol Oates

We’ve all been told that learning “broadens your mind.” That includes broadening the circle of humanity you empathize with. Science shows engaging with great books boosts EQ by nudging us to empathize with the characters we’re reading about. But even just everyday curiosity about the folks next to you on the bus will help you better understand and interact with people from different backgrounds. 

5. Learning and happiness create a positive feedback loop

"Reading is by far the most successful pursuit of happiness." —John Grisham

I’ve saved the best for last. Learning doesn’t just make us happier, being happier also makes us more interested in learning, creating a beneficial cycle where curiosity leads to joy, joy leads to even more curiosity, and round and round again. 

Or as UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center puts it: “Research has shown curiosity to be associated with higher levels of positive emotions, lower levels of anxiety, more satisfaction with life, and greater psychological well-being. Of course, it may be, at least partially, that people who are already happier tend to be more curious, but since novelty makes us feel good, it seems likely that it goes the other direction as well.”   

I don’t learn just to be more successful. I learn in order to plug into that virtuous cycle and it brings me joy every day. Maybe it could bring you happiness too. 

If you want to read my best writing, I recommend reading my articles on Medium. I spend dozens of hours researching and writing each of those articles using the blockbuster approach.