How Does Reading Shape Our Identity?

Jan 14

By Kimberly Huynh

The impact of reading on our identity is often overlooked. Nevertheless, an increasing amount of research is showing that reading extensively shapes our identities. For instance, reading gives us access to a variety of perspectives and stories, enabling us to experience lives that are different from our own. Reading opens up countless opportunities. As we immerse ourselves in each book, we add to our identity. Not only about the words on those pages, but also about how they can change the way we see, feel, act, and think about the world.

As we read, we are stepping into the shoes of different characters, experiencing their emotions, and challenges. These stories teach us valuable lessons that shape how we can react to situations in our own lives and how we deal with future challenges. Reading enables us the opportunity to imagine ourselves in new environments, acting as the main character in our favorite books and for once, being able to live the life of someone we admire or relate to. Even if it’s not in another universe, the feelings and actions of those characters inspire us. They motivate us as individuals to want to continue to shape our identities, driving us to pursue dreams or values similarly to those favorite book characters we read about.

Books can be envisioned as both windows and mirrors. When we recognize aspects of ourselves in fictional characters or stories, they can serve as mirrors, capturing our own challenges and experiences. On the contrary, they can also act as windows, providing possibilities to encounter new concepts, worlds, and ways of imagining that expand our perspectives and affect how we view the world and ourselves.

Reading ultimately shapes who we are in addition to providing entertainment and serving as an escape. Every book we let ourselves read serves as an outline to help us manage our feelings, ideas, and choices. Providing us the opportunity to explore new aspects of ourselves, pushing us, and motivating us to pursue our dreams. Reading regularly affects how we perceive the world and our place in it, whether through empathy, new ideas, role models, or other sources. Having said that, we are not only discovering new worlds but also developing our identities and becoming the people we were destined to be with each page we turn.