"Literature gives us opportunities to see into the lives of others. That gift can be the key to understanding ourselves."

Question

"Literature gives us opportunities to see into the lives of others. That gift can be the key to understanding ourselves."

What this quotating mean?

Answer 1

Since we can not be everywhere and meet everyone, though reading we have the opportunity to experience many more events, meet many more people. We learn vicariously through those events and people. The more we learn about others and through others, the more we experience and therefore, learn about ourselves. Reading is, in my opinion, the door to the wider world.

Answer 2

In what ways will I learn [more] about myself? Sorry for such dumb-sounding question, but my lack of ability to understand literature and arts is keeping me away from making sense out of this quote.

Answer 3

We don't always look at ourselves with "honest" eyes. Through literature, we can see ourselves in other people and therefore learn more about ourselves.

If I see someone in a book do something, often I will say, "that sounds like me". When I see what happens to them, then I can see what might be something that might happen to me. In books I can see that generosity will breed kindness, that ignorance causes problems. Therefore I can apply these things to my life.

Answer 4

This quote suggests that literature provides us with the chance to gain insights into the lives of others. By immersing ourselves in different stories and perspectives, we can better understand different human experiences and, in turn, learn more about ourselves and our own lives. Literature acts as a key that unlocks knowledge about both the external world and our internal selves. Essentially, this quote implies that reading literature can offer valuable lessons about empathy, self-reflection, and personal growth.