It seems to be that every time we turn on the television, thumb through the newspaper and talk amongst our friends, there is always a frightening situation in the world to discuss. Mass shootings, fascist politicians, wars, and terrorism haunt our thoughts and we all wonder if this world is falling apart. Regardless of our people’s protests, speeches, articles, and movies that press for peace, violence still rages on, almost seeming to get worse. A recognizable solution to end violence is education. The more humans that are knowledgeable of different cultures, perspectives, religion, race, etc., the more empathetic, understanding, and open-minded they become. I am sure that our world would rapidly change if every person had a college degree. Though this is an unlikely vision because education costs money and is a privilege, it is not impossible to advocate for every person who knows how to read to do so on a regular basis.

In an article titled Can Reading Make You Happier? by Ceridwen Dovey, she discusses the scientific reasoning as to why reading regularly benefits people all-around. Dovey begins the article by saying that she went to a bibliotherapist, a therapist who prescribes books as a method of healing by assigning novels that resonate with the patient. Bibliotherapy is also a popular therapy amongst veterans and inmates due to the fact that reading fiction makes people more empathetic and understanding. Neurologists have discovered that when somebody reads, their minds are brought into a meditative state, hence regular readers are less stressed and have higher-self esteem than non-readers. Neurologists have also discovered that when a person reads, an area of the brain is activated that allows the reader to feel as if they are going though the experience themselves, which leads me to hypothesize that reading helps people empathize with different perspectives and experiences that they have not encountered in real life.

Unfortunately, higher education is expensive and sometimes inaccessible for some, but that should not thwart people from learning. Though literacy is a privilege, majority of people are able to read and should practice keeping their nose in a book regularly. Courses in college primarily consist of reading materials and discussion in the first place; therefore quality education can be obtained without attending university if one constantly reads. One does not need to take a history course in college to learn about different Chinese dynasties. One does not need to take a sociology course in college to learn about the inequalities of the races. Reading books is a free access to education where one can learn about any desired subject. As Dovey explained, reading alleviates prejudice because it allows the reader to be in someone else’s shoes. Readers experience new worlds, situations, and perspectives that they are unfamiliar to, helping them empathize and understand foreign ideas.

By having every single person educate themselves through daily reading, it would immensely help global cooperation and peace. This goal is not impossible. We must begin by targeting younger generations and advocate for the replacement of television and social media for reading. Social media consumption contributes to mindlessness and promotes self-obsessiveness. If novels changed young people to feel greater empathy and passion for humanity, it would be a great foundation to help the rest of the world do the same. The violence and injustice we have faced in the world comes from ignorant people who do not understand the other.

The Orlando shooting at Pulse might not have happened if the shooter understood homosexuality. American women might have been able to vote before 1919 if men understood that gender does not hinder intelligence. Police brutality might lessen if officers understand that the lethal violence black people possess is all in their heads. Education through reading has the power to change how our people think and will push us closer to world peace. The way for this to all begin is by everyone picking up that ignored book on their nightstands, dusting off the crisp pages, and letting their minds become someone else for a day.