A Quote by Jonathan Gottschall

Fiction seems to be more effective at changing beliefs than nonfiction, which is designed to persuade through argument and evidence. Studies show that when we read nonfiction, we read with our shields up. We are critical and skeptical. But when we are absorbed in a story, we drop our intellectual guard. We are moved emotionally, and this seems to make us rubbery and easy to shape.

Jonathan Gottschall

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Argument Beliefs Changing Critical Designed Drop Easy Effective Emotionally Evidence Fiction Guard Intellectual Make More Moved Nonfiction Our Persuade Read Seems Shape Shields Show Skeptical Story Studies Than Through Up Us Which

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Jonathan Gottschall
Born: September 20, 1972

Until recently we’ve only been able to speculate about story's persuasive effects. But over the last several decades psychology has begun a serious study of how story affects the human mind. Results repeatedly show that our attitudes, fears, hopes, and values are strongly influenced by story. In fact, fiction seems to be more effective at changing beliefs than writing that is specifically designed to persuade through argument and evidence.

Jonathan Gottschall

We are critical and skeptical. But when we are absorbed in a story, we drop our intellectual guard.

Jonathan Gottschall

I don't read much nonfiction because the nonfiction I do read always seems to be so badly written. What I enjoy about fiction - the great gift of fiction - is that it gives language an opportunity to happen.

Stanley Elkin

I find now I'm reading a lot more nonfiction, simply because every time I read fiction, I think I can write it better. But every time I read nonfiction, I learn things.

Chris Claremont

I read nonfiction. There's very little fiction that I enjoy enough to spend my time reading. I am generally a nonfiction guy.

Peter Morgan

People seem to read so much more nonfiction than fiction, and so it always gives me great pleasure to introduce a friend or family member to a novel I believe they'll cherish but might not otherwise have thought to pick up and read.

Chris Bohjalian

Generally, I read nonfiction. There's very little fiction that I enjoy enough to spend my time reading. I am generally a nonfiction guy.

Peter Morgan

Generally, I read nonfiction. Theres very little fiction that I enjoy enough to spend my time reading. I am generally a nonfiction guy.

Peter Morgan

I tend to read more nonfiction, really, because when I'm writing I don't like to read other fiction.

Irvine Welsh

People seem to want to read more nonfiction than fiction.

Bonnie Jo Campbell

I tend not to read fiction - I'll read one novel a year during the summer - but I do read a lot of nonfiction.

David Lammy

In the best nonfiction, it seems to me, you're always made aware that you are being engaged with a supple mind at work. The story line or plot in nonfiction consists of the twists and turns of a thought process working itself out.

Phillip Lopate

Prose gets divided up into fiction and nonfiction and short fiction and long fiction and autobiographical nonfiction and so on. Poetry can do any of those things except with the added definition of intensified formal pressure.

Robert Hass

I've always been a person that thinks nonfiction is more interesting than fiction, I love to read presidential biographies.

Martha MacCallum

All fiction, if it's successful, is going to appeal to the emotions. Emotion is really what fiction is all about. That's not to say fiction can't be thoughtful, or present some interesting or provocative ideas to make us think. But if you want to present an intellectual argument, nonfiction is a better tool. You can drive a nail with a shoe but a hammer is a better tool for that. But fiction is about emotional resonance, about making us feel things on a primal and visceral level.

George R. R. Martin

I hardly read fiction; I mostly read nonfiction. I like to examine material things.

Bennett Miller

A Quote by Jonathan Gottschall

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