Why Reading Fiction Will Change The Way You Think

Here are my thoughts on why reading fiction will change the way you think. I discuss what I've learnt so far during my reading challenge, the benefits of reading fiction, and share some of my favourite novels in the past 3 months! 📚 Enjoy :)
0:00 - Introduction
1:12 - How Fiction is Changing the Way I Think
3:05 - The Benefits of Reading Fiction
5:02 - Some of My Favourite Novels
8:09 - Conclusion
📚 BOOKS I RECOMMENDED:
Where The Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens) - amzn.to/3h8eSsp
Boy Swallows Universe (Trent Dalton) - amzn.to/314JmGj
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) - amzn.to/3aBovNS
📑 STUDIES REFERENCED:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21126...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26158...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29481...
psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-5...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
👉🏼 Follow my journey on Goodreads: / sebastianpirie
👨🏼‍⚕️ WHO AM I?
I'm a 2nd-year medical student at the University of Sydney in Australia. I share some study/productivity tips, vlog my experiences in medical school, and capture any other interesting aspects of my life. If you enjoyed this video, please like, comment and subscribe, or follow me on my social media links below!
🔔 Hit that notification bell!
📸 Instagram - / sebastianpirie
🦜 Twitter - / sebastianpirie
🎒 GEAR I USE:
Camera - amzn.to/2IXfOjU
Microphone - amzn.to/2TVY9PU
Tripod - amzn.to/2xEULAf
Variable ND Filter - amzn.to/33C6lIB
Headphones - amzn.to/2TW6W4p
Kindle - amzn.to/2IVuArr
Backpack - amzn.to/2WtCCj8
iPad Case - amzn.to/3a1x1Vc
Wireless Mouse - amzn.to/2xNfsu0
Wireless Keyboard - amzn.to/2QqcTEx
Samsung 34" Monitor - amzn.to/2TWVmGc
Amazon Echo Dot - amzn.to/39XsDqw
Studio Lighting - amzn.to/2Qr5tRo
Stethoscope - amzn.to/2vtmMKo
Oxford Clinical Handbook of Medicine - amzn.to/391XfWm
USMLE Step 1 Textbook - amzn.to/2Wiqa5Y
Nanoleaf Rhythm Smarter Kit - amzn.to/2Uil86C
📫 CONTACT ME: If you have any questions, feel free to do so by leaving a comment on any of my KZbin videos, or by following me on Instagram @sebastianpirie and sending me a DM from there.
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase an item through these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the channel!
🍐 Remember to SUBSCRIBE and join the squad (it's free). Stay sharp!

[@SebastianPirie]

👋🏼 Hi guys, hope this video gave you some motivation to pick up a new book! 📚 After spending hours looking through the scientific evidence, I'm convinced that fiction is more than just an interesting story or fancy vocabulary. Compelling novels get us to think about the world from a fresh perspective, and if you have any recommendations, please comment them down below! Keep safe and healthy, and I'll see you next week! ✌🏼

[@siddhishah2222]

I read this book just some while ago.. it's a thriller, a good one at that. The name is "The passenger" by Lisa Lutz. It's a real cool read tbh.

[@hermelaamare7648]

I read "someone like you" and "you were my crush" by durjoy datta.. Read it it's pretty good

[@aryaa7028]

I love the book Circe by Madeline Miller, it's a greek myth retold from a brilliant new perspective, and written quite beautifully. The same author has also written Song of Achilles which is a book that...haunted me for quite some time. Both are worth the read!

[@veryconfused9768]

thank you, i like reading fiction but always felt guilty as everyone says read real life stories or subjects. reallly thank you.

[@juniorqindes8335]

Keep the word “scientific” out of your mouth. This is corrilation not causation. I can just as easily use this argument for the “video games and tv make you violent” point.

[@mateoignaciomontanocatacor8786]

"Use what you learned from another world, so that you can make yours a better place" -quote invented by me as that's how I see good fiction stories

[@seashells0]

i love this quote bro, you're so inspirational frr :)

[@anupamsingh1056]

That was deep. Really liked the way you interpreted this.

[@ShiftyTrillx]

🙌🏿🔥

[@batatahigh382]

"Use what you learned from another world, so that you can make yours a better place" ~38 MONTAÑO CATACORA Mateo Ignacio

[@indviduation]

Give me an example of how fiction solved a personal problem?

[@shaheerhassan6066]

“Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.” ― G.K. Chesterton

[@DeidreaDeWitt]

"Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it." - Lloyd Alexander, the author of THE BLACK CAULDRON

[@hobbitonman]

That's a great quote! I enjoy Tolkien's response to the "escape" mentality in his essay On Fairy Stories. He says it is escape but not in the form of someone shirking responsibility but as a person who has been unjustly imprisoned and seeking desperately to escape the 4 walls they are confined in.

[@PeteS_1994]

Exactly i don’t read too much fiction but some fiction i have read is so close to reality that i have had to wonder if the book was based on the authors life but not accurate. In a sense that makes it more true or relatable than some non fiction bonds I’ve read.

[@yourroyalhighness6297]

One way of describing fiction is "the escape from reality".

[@smrpkrl]

which everyone in this hectic world wants

[@ken4975]

@@smrpkrl Not everyone. Some are looking for the reality behind a world of fiction.

[@ricardoislasruiz3186]

I would rather say that it is a way to learn from different realities

[@meanmuggin0384]

this

[@sms1511]

Its not always escapism, fiction has changed the history of some nations like Uleysses and Kafka’s The trial or Metamorphsis or many classics that changed society. Before Dickens wrote about the devastating circumstances in the poor houses and children working in the industrial revolution the society in the UK especially industrialists did not empathise with the workers. Child labour laws was introduced afterwards to protect children working in factories.

[@ahakeemmabof258]

I read fiction mostly to escape reality it's always a little heaven to me, started at a very young age got into trouble then in the school😄 because I do read them every free time instead of reading school works. It's makes me know more about world around me and love how it's makes one see world from other people perspective 🥰🥰

[@Ariel_is_a_dreamer]

I like when books describe things in detail (How the walls looked like, what kid of flowers were in the vase, what kid of furniture was in the room, etc) idk it just makes me feel more present. It makes me appreciate the little things around me. I love poetry. I also like philosophy, and every character has their own in a way.

[@bmasters1981]

And that's why the Murder, She Wrote books "written" by Jessica Fletcher, et al. have been winners with me-- that active senior-citizen mystery writer has been very descriptive about everything relating to everywhere she's been in her books (Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., and so on).

[@RenataPamplona]

I've been a fiction reader my whole life so watching you Discover this world is awesome. Totally gonna follow you on Goodreads

[@gaurilekshmi1810]

You're an inspiration in so many ways! I love that you talk about the importance of personal development and recreation along with academics. Keep it up! ❤

[@SebastianPirie]

🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@Christina-kc4fw]

Such a great opening! I had a similar experience! I come from a scientific background and used to only read non fiction! I was missing out so much! Thanks for making this video!!

[@eafj90]

I love reading! I haven’t had much time for my own reading during semester, but am looking forward to reading more over summer when this semester is over. Requested to follow you on Goodreads 👍🏼

[@user-lz3fs6vt6f]

I've just found this channel and you are already one of my favorite KZbinrs

[@Will88ks]

Excellent summary of the benefits of reading fiction, bravo and let me wish you a large audience for this very good job !

[@medgizem7982]

Loved this video! We read Brave New World in school during our English courses. Definitely have to read Where the crawdads sing, it has been on my reading log for a looong time now 😅

[@TheCurtisdavies]

thank you for this video mate, I too am trying to get into fiction & really feel i’m getting somewhere finally

[@CynthiaCho]

Sebastian is such an inspiration not just for aspiring medical students but in general. Thank you for always giving us such encouraging and engaging content! ❤️

[@SebastianPirie]

Awww thanks Cynthia, you've made my day 😊

[@maxfactor4209]

I don't enjoy fiction at all. It is a waste of time to read some psychopath fetish and fantasy. I read scientific books and learn skills to improve myself and my work and I love it. Currently reading Multivariate Data Analysis by one of the greatest authors in this domain Joseph Hair

[@adamkenny28]

@@maxfactor4209 ok

[@ayeshakhan4426]

@@maxfactor4209 ok

[@ioftendontreplybacktoidiot5251]

@@maxfactor4209 ok

[@initasec]

awesome. thanks for this fresh perspective!

[@Medic_Dave]

Thank you for this nice review! Especially the quotes motivated me to read more fiction.

[@gracegracegraceee]

Omg thank you for this video Sebastian,the editing was amazing ,I hope you make more videos about books. 💙💙

[@TrinxOD]

I really enjoyed this video. Recently, I've been getting back into reading after being in a slump during quarantine and the first book that I picked up was fiction. It reminded me why I enjoyed reading.

[@pikachuchu1234]

I love Where The Crawdads Sing! Glad to see others appreciating it :) Keep up the great content! 🙏

[@SebastianPirie]

It was an amazing read 🍃

[@johls5894]

Somehow, even just listening to you motivates me a lot. So much so that when I do school works, I sometimes just play your vids on the background as though you're my subconscious egging me on to finish my tasks lol. this was amazing content as always, Sebastian!! thanks a lot

[@rukky.sshonubi4797]

Omg! I hit a jackpot discovering this channel🥰🥰🥰

[@DrSyl]

Loved the quotes!

[@NicholasLashway]

Great video! Love the editing

[@ayaelallam2696]

Ohh thank you a lot for the inspirational video😍😍🙏🏽🙏🏽I would try to challenge me too. Greetings from Barcelonaa🌸🌸🌸 I cant wait to watch the next video🙆🏻‍♀️🙆🏻‍♀️

[@raghaabhinayam4022]

I recently discovered you and can I please say how hopelessly in love I’m with you and your videos?! I’m grateful

[@cheapthrills2815]

The fact that you read ''The Fault in Our Stars'' makes me so happy

[@Anjalisingh-gr6ir]

Thank you so much...I wanted something like this😃

[@jehanirfan5175]

I love this!! Always felt a bit sillier than my friends who were reading enlightening self-help books or educational memoirs of events and people in comparison, but there's really nothing like a good story! Starting medical school this year and just found your channel, awesome vid and I've subscribed! ❤️

[@kap849]

And I wanted to look smarter than those silly people who read fiction. I read my first fiction that I truly enjoyed two weeks ago and I have purchased a bunch of fiction books since. I feel like I have so much to catch up on with fiction books and I wish I had started earlier!

[@rujulababar6211]

You never fail to impress me bro. Keep up the good work

[@shankarniware979]

Hey brother, Your study with me session's are helping me a lot... Will you please take these sessions 2-3 times a week.. so that studying will also be my habit..🤭 Thank you so much, for everything..🤩 Regards from India 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@toothologygirl6935]

I really love your content, It's amazing how on youtube you could stumble on people from different parts of the world, (also your channel was one of the channels that inspired me to start my own). Keep it up :D

[@csimruthaa3745]

U r kinda inspirational and motivating and creating a comfortable vibe😊

[@lilydelacour]

As a English Literature student I totally agree with what you say. I think you can learn so much from books, and especially fictional ones. :-) Just out of interest I have a short question: Most of the time when I talk to guys at my university and we talk about books I realize that they only, or at least most of the time, read non-fiction books. When I talk to women it‘s often the opposite. As I said, it‘s only based on my personal experience. But do some of you noticed something similar? :-) Also when I see KZbinrs uploading videos like „Why you should read more fiction“ or „Why I started reading more fiction and not only non-fiction anymore“ it‘s mostly men.🙈 My brother is actually one of the few men I know who enjoys reading fiction much more compared to non-fiction books. (Not as if I‘m judging that one is better than the other one obviously. There are just different. And I was just curious.) 😅

[@snowbird7254]

thats an interesting observation! my brother also reads fiction instead of non-fiction (when he reads that is lol)

[@laks.4057]

Oh my. How much I love him😭 (Especially more after he mentioned those quotes for the novels)❤

[@SebastianPirie]

I absolutely love the White Fang quote 👌🏼

[@nabila5551]

Hi sebastian, thank you so much for the books recommendation 😘😊❤

[@sheneltyortiz7772]

This is sooo amazing!! I try to explain this to my folks since they believe that I’m “wasting” my time by reading fiction and should stick to non-fiction but I try to explain that it’s way more! They just don’t get it :/

[@siyinghuang8764]

You inspire me so much Sebastian, keep it up!!

[@timiahvather2511]

When his intro is the literal reason I read fiction... Because I relate to the characters and they give me new outlook

[@turtlerabbit2692]

I mostly read non-fiction books, however Sebastian’s video make me want to read more fiction. Great vid as always Sebastian!

[@SebastianPirie]

Yay! Keep us updated on what fiction books you pick up 📚

[@sharmilinongthmbam7775]

I loveeee your channel ♡

[@ikramsakoura3750]

I love your channel 💚💚💚

[@caroleross1500]

Thank you so much for your video. I read Brave New World when I was in my twenties ( I'm 49 now) . I barely remember it but thanks to your video I think I will reread it. I also have "where the crawdads sings lying on my bookshelf for the past year. That will be my next book to read as soon as I finish the one I'm reading. A book i will highly recommend is the kite runner by Khaled Hosseini. A beautiful and moving story about a frienship between two boys in Afghanistan in the seventies. It gots everything : frienship,Afgan culture, racism, religion, the consequences of war, but also love and forgiveness. That books really tore me apart emotionally! Thanks for the video again and good luck with your study !

[@yusra5450]

thank you so much Sebastian, Best of luck!

[@SebastianPirie]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@amelmel6845]

I love your channel 💓💓💓

[@togetherwithbrenda]

this is so good! i used to read a lot of fiction books too, maybe I'll buy and read books more later on!

[@SebastianPirie]

Definitely! Let us know what books you end up getting :)

[@axb.h49]

You have unbelievable editing skills... keep going man

[@SebastianPirie]

Thanks!!!

[@simplelee92]

I follow these channels to guide me on what to read next.

[@zaidali8408]

Your voice is so soothing

[@misssmritikanaghosh5142]

Wow this is some new concept ! Bingo

[@cmondya4919]

Nice video !

[@GUIDPO]

I love reading fiction! You travel to so many places! I’m hoping to do lots of fiction readings this year on my channel

[@user-ob7xh6jq9d]

I rly liked how you described this

[@sohanmaji4381]

Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth - Albert Camus 🌼

[@aishwaryaraut4105]

This video is everything I ever wanted to express

[@awenisvlogging3194]

I always admired the characters personalities and try to understand why they're behaving that way.

[@versus3780]

Hearing him say " a Medical Student from Australia " always gets me .. Excellent work , Keep going Sebastian !

[@sumathinatarajan8408]

I like that he goes through the comments and likes them.

[@DrLayla-qo4qe]

You're a gr8 person💚 Thx

[@barnaleenayak8041]

U r best and ur videos are world's best video 😻....when u send video I got stress free....

[@sebastianniekerk2966]

It's an absolute honour to share the same name as you. Great work m8, keep it up

[@SebastianPirie]

Mate, it's an honour to share my name with you 👊🏼

[@niyatig974]

Fiction books are a beautiful escape from reality. Also, I've been following your reading journey on goodreads and it's inspired me to read a lot more than what I already do.

[@SebastianPirie]

That's it! Keen to smash out more reading with you #goodreadssquad👏🏼

[@thomasjohntenedero3112]

This is nice man

[@diyalectic52]

Every genre in fiction offers something different for everyone too. Falling in love with different genres gets you to appreciate how complex we are and makes you realize that in almost every facet of life it takes way more than you'd originally think to understand a situation or someone before you make a conclusion. Stories helps me to explore the somewhat darker side of society and individual personalities (thrillers like Gone Girl, We Need to Talk About Kevin), helps me to recognize more of my own values and bringing it more cohesively to the fore (Brave New World, The Fault in Our Stars), or helps me to see people afflicted by trauma, abuse, addiction or loss embark on the journey of healing, all the ways it impacts their lives and the layers of their life they address on their journey, and that the pain, their trauma, their childhood, their addiction doesn't, define the character.

[@justice2027]

The message + the videography

[@MargaritaMagdalena]

I used to dislike fiction until I was 28, then I decided to start reading it again and now I love it. Maybe disliking fiction is an adolescent thing.

[@thiagooliveira6993]

Thank you so mach. I from Brazil .🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@brandondorsey7204]

I appreciate this video. I read 30+ nonfiction books a year and typically view fiction as being strictly for entertainment. Your explanation helped me understand that there can be value in fiction beyond entertainment.

[@Eu_Odeio_Escola]

Wauuu, you are my inspiration. I'm a medical student form Mozambique in Africa. I'm really think about open a channel on KZbin to talk about books I read. YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION. Youhave a big fan😍

[@jeunemiranda5285]

I LOVE WATCHING UR VLOG 😘

[@axb.h49]

Sebastian upload another video of study with me..... they are really inspirational and motivational.... I am really waiting for another one

[@philomenayap367]

I love that you give a scientific perspective to fiction reading. Now I have receipts to show cocky non-fiction and non-readers HAHAHAHAHAH Noted your book recos :) Keep us posted!

[@SebastianPirie]

That's right! You can show them the evidence 😁

[@philomenayap367]

@@SebastianPirie cheeky! I saw your old message 😏 "😂😂😂" is good too. I like to think my comment was pretty funny JK JK AHAHAHAHAHA

[@leeeunyoung5030]

In a way that im convincing myself to write a fiction not through by knowledge but in a way to focus more in emotions. Also, I want to convey the millenals and the old ones they need to move on to help them realize the importance of both fiction or not.

[@faisalmasood-medicalstuden1936]

I could not agree more, Sebastian! Fiction novels allow us to live other lives and experience other perspectives while in the comfort of our own home. Love this take :)

[@baraagharbi4273]

Hi, i'm from Tunisia , i follow your videos it's very interesting thank you. I think that reading fiction improves English also.

[@57.lalkrishna40]

Hey Seb, I just started the habit of reading when I saw your Instagram post of holding 3 books in a lib, that somehow made me think that ' If I'm motivated by a post when I complete the task and upload same way can motivate someone else' Now I completed 2 books but it's not completely fictional and if you are interested go on 1. The Monk Who sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma 2. Atomic Habits by James Clear Btw, thank you for your post :) Stay sharp

[@charleshayden7408]

God bless you man

[@djihanemel3600]

A love your vidéos 💙💙🤩🤩

[@_rksvab4302]

Recommend Five Feet Apart!🙈 and thank you for your sharing🙆🏻‍♀️

[@SebastianPirie]

Thanks for the suggestion! Adding it to my reading list now :)

[@flowerrrr17]

Great vid, reading fiction also makes you a better emphatic physician, to practice narrative medicine

[@koswam9871]

Your analysis of what you've learned is just amazing! Plus research skills are just WOW!

[@BibosToys]

i've been trying to tell my stem friends (i guess im a part of that i do maths) to read fictional books! thanks mate imma send em this vid

[@arifbakhsh2518]

I think I have never consciously read a novel in my life. Thanks for expanding my horizon, son!

[@raiden1606]

I love fantasy! It's awesome. Have you read mistborn era one? One of the best fantasy series in my opinion. It's the series that made me fall in love with fantasy.

[@agustinamei6691]

Literature is an art. I have the opposite struggle: I can not read non fiction... I recommend you to read Stefan Zweig's books. He is one of the greatest writers ever.

[@kordellfarmer9706]

Who is that? And which book u recommend

[@MoamalMS]

I like reading and writing, for now i write a short story "four hours to Explosion", i start writing because i believe i can show many different places and characters and storys for readers.

[@NightieOwl]

I recently began reading as a habit back in December 2020, and in February I finished "Brave New World", and I completely recommend it to anyone who wants to read a futuristic dystopian as well as a classic

[@RM-bx7xw]

saw dan brown's masterpiece and i never clicked this fast 😂😂❤️

[@ascia158]

for the last 10 years of my life most of my readings was nonfiction because some how i felt guilty of reading fiction but now i believe that fiction books is actuly as good as nonfiction books ..even better .i've always liked reading fiction but i used to read only rommance novels. last year i decided to read thriler novels and i liked all the books i read. the problem with me is that i stick too long reading one genre and i am afraid to explore things. i am really struggling this year to read because of social media and all that. but this year 2022 i'll be better manging my reading time and put it as a priority.

[@yuzi6904]

I started reading back when I was in middle school, and it was the fault in our stars! up until now I can never forget how that particular book by John Green changed my life! It is true I guess that you'll need one book to get captivated in reading.

[@evapark1518]

What book was it?

[@youssefamr6223]

So how many pages do u read in a day? By the way your videos are amazing.

[@victorwall3027]

Do you know brazilian literature? If you are interested, read Posthumous Memories of Bras Cuba of Machado de Assis (bigger brazilian writer). It's so good fiction and was published to 'Penguin Books' for the english-speaking countries. ✨

[@kensingtonchubbs6191]

Hey Sebastian I saw you linked a USMLE textbook in your description! Are you planning to take step 1?

[@SebastianPirie]

I'm not, but I find the USMLE textbook an excellent resource for general revision

[@dianapichardo9794]

Hey! You should read Homo Deus, I really recomend it. Love yogur videos, saludos desde México 🇲🇽🖤

[@eltondesa4152]

Hi, love ur voice

[@nhuinh633]

Your voice 's so smooth...aww What do you do?

[@peachysoulstudy]

❤❤❤

[@hemapareek1085]

Hey, Sebastian please make a video about MCAT

[@strykeplaysmcjohnpickhypix1205]

Nonfiction good for logical improvements, fiction good for emotional improvements

[@kordellfarmer9706]

Boss way of putting it good sir