Reading Cures Cynicism

It's easy to be a cynic. Spend ten minutes online and it's nearly unavoidable. Naked self-interest is everywhere.

Getting outside and offline helps. Talking to friends, family, and neighbors helps. There's kindness and compassion everywhere for those with the eyes to see.

Reading helps, too. It puts us in the heads of others, characters struggling against unjust worlds and impossible odds. It reveals the complexity of the human spirit, its capacity for both good and evil.

The right book at the right time can fill our hearts anew and restore our sense of wonder.