Are You a Good Mind Reader?

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In his new book, the moral arc, David Walliams argues that one of the many causes of the decline of violence is this increase in ampathy and ability to put ourselves in somebody else's mind. People will look at their dogs and tell you they know what their dogs are thinking or feeling,. And it's almost certainly the case that the dog is not thinking or feeling exactly should think it's feeling. So we just have to be aware of the fact that it's called the pathetic fallacy, which is our reading of our own emotions. But there is a technology that has evolved that isn't shakespeare, that is in austen, and is also found in greek tragedy for

Michael speaks with neuroscientist and literature professor Dr. Angus Fletcher about 25 of the most powerful developments in the history of literature, from ancient Mesopotamia to Elena Ferrante. Fletcher says these literary technologies can alleviate grief, trauma, loneliness, anxiety, numbness, depression, pessimism, and ennui — all while sparking creativity, courage, love, empathy, hope, joy, and positive change. Fletcher is a professor of story science at Ohio State’s Project Narrative, the world’s leading academic think-tank for the study of stories. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.