There’s a certain kind of book snob we’ve all met—the one who scrunches up their nose when you’re lost in a novel and says, “Why don’t you read something useful?” By useful, they usually mean a business guide, a self-help manual, or a book promising ten ways to hack your morning routine. What they miss, though, is the importance of reading books of every kind—stories that spark imagination, build empathy, and feed the soul in ways no checklist ever could.
But here’s the truth: fiction reading is not a waste of time. It’s not “unproductive.” Escaping into stories doesn’t mean you’re running away from life. More often than not, it means you’re running towards something—empathy, imagination, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.
The Power of Stepping Into Someone Else’s Shoes
When you read fiction, you’re not just tracking a plot—you’re living someone else’s life. Their heartbreaks, their triumphs, their dilemmas. In fact, studies show that reading novels improves empathy, because it teaches us how to imagine perspectives beyond our own.
In a world where compassion feels increasingly rare, that’s hardly “pointless.” If anything, fiction makes us more human.
Escapism Is Not the Enemy
Yes, sometimes books are pure escape—an antidote to bills, deadlines, and doomscrolling. But why is escapism in reading treated as weakness? Nobody shames someone for watching cricket to relax, or for binge-watching Netflix on weekends. So why judge novels differently?
Unlike passive distractions, fiction doesn’t numb you. Escapist reading revives you. It gives your mind space to breathe, wander, and reset.
Fiction Shapes Reality Too
Ironically, the so-called “value-less” stories often shape culture more profoundly than self-help books ever could. Think about how 1984 gave us language to discuss surveillance, or how Harry Potter became a global childhood touchstone.
Stories shape culture and imagination. Even fantasy worlds—dragons, dystopias, or distant galaxies—mirror our reality back to us, asking questions we might otherwise never confront.
The Gentle Reminder
So, the next time someone dismisses novels as a waste of time, remember this: stories are how humanity has always made sense of life—around campfires, in epics, in novels. Reading them is not indulgence. It’s tradition.
Not all value shows up on a résumé. Sometimes it shows up in the way you listen, the way you imagine, the way you care. And fiction, quietly but powerfully, reminds us of the importance of reading books—teaching lessons of empathy, creativity, and humanity that no certificate can measure.