A Healthy Diet For The Mind

About reading fiction apart from technical things - I believe that fiction writing is important and practical for society as a whole in a way similar to how thought experiments and simulations are important for scientists. Writers of books and TV shows create imaginery worlds in which they set up different scenarios, create problems and propose solutions. Those stories often create discussions, in which people generate and evaluate ideas.<p>For example, many science-fiction fans get involved in lengthy discussions about physics of space travel and social consequences of technology that doesn't exist yet. But it might exist in the future, as it is with ie. Orson Scott Card's writings exploring influence of global information network on society and governments back in 1980-s.<p>I believe the same applies to other genres as well - good stories contain simulations of events that might not be happening right now around us, but one day they might. It's a human way to create solutions before real problems strike hard.

One of the worst things you can do for your mind is watch the eleven o'clock news. Before you head off to bed. Rarely do you see anything positive - it's all about calamities, accidents, and murders. And, of course, X product does something bad.

Can we get a more descriptive title next time? I clicked this link expecting to read about food and diet choices that improved thinking and was incredibly disappointed.

I was thinking about exactly this yesterday - so much of "media matter" is like junk food for the mind. I wondered if we could start an organic movement but for the content industry.

<i>You become the stories you listen to. Be mindful of the diet of ideas you feed your mind.</i><p>This applies not only to your reading list, but also to your own thoughts.

I welcome healthy discussion on the Story's role in shaping, sharpening, and healing minds (especially as we grow up and then grow older). At the very least, it's a big change from the "I have empirical evidence that degrees in English and the people who major in it are absolutely worthless" threads/links that run through HN from time to time.<p>Remember, all, those great characters and classic tales you've ever read and heard/seen are spun by someone who studied the language and the past storytellers just as intently as a software engineer studied the merge and bubble sort.

I agree strongly with the sentiment of the post. My conception of self and world has been shaped in no small part by great works of fiction.<p>That said, I winced a bit at the author's particular use of the nutrition metaphor. The U.S. government's "food pyramid" is one idea that could do with a bit less mass consumption.

Reading fiction shouldn't be brushed aside as something frivolous. When you read a story you live the characters. When you live different characters to acquire the ability to relate to different kinds of people that are not like you. In short you learn to empathize. You become more human.

Anybody got any good sources of material to read?

A little off topic:<p>In the "It Pays To Be Specific" post below the main story, I sure hope the student didn't get an F for the assignment, assuming his submission was otherwise correct.