Since the Ryan Review of 2016, Army has been dedicated to responding to an era of accelerated warfare by developing an intellectual edge. That is, we are seeking to outsmart potential adversaries by fostering cognitive excellence among our members. The author of the Ryan Review, MAJGEN (retired) Mick Ryan, has frequently pointed to the reading of science fiction as one way of fostering critical thought about war and the future, while nurturing a variety of intellectual virtues. The Cove, likewise, has had articles that encourage the reading of fiction and non-fiction in order to promote ‘intellectual curiosity and [provide] the basis for a smart, young workforce to engage with and debate the issues shaping the future of war and warfare’.
We seek to develop this line of thought further, by suggesting that the reading of literary fiction can hone those cognitive, emotional, and relational virtues that are integral to the development of an intellectual edge. ‘Literary fiction’ is sometimes contrasted with ‘genre fiction’, and refers to fiction that has a serious purpose, exploring something of what it means to be human. Below, we will briefly discuss the research that suggests that investing time in this sort of fiction can develop skills associated with an intellectual edge. We will then discuss ways in which some specific literary novels have developed our own minds.
What does the research say?
In recent years emotional intelligence has become a highly sought after prize by employers in all fields, and Army is no exception to this rule. Emotional intelligence, or EQ, refers to our ability to identify our own emotions as well as the emotions of others. But how do we improve our EQ? The research suggests that reading fiction is a powerful answer.
When you pick up a fiction novel you dive into the world of another character. Each time you practise this fictional immersion you flex your cognitive muscles, growing your ability to empathise over time (Bal and Martijin 2013, p. 1). The fiction novel is the gym for EQ where you get to practise your empathy, problem-solving skills, rational judgement and creativity all through the low-stakes environment of another person’s fictional story (Jarvis 2021, p. 754). In the fiction space the author doesn’t need to stick to facts, meaning they have the ability to elicit an emotional response from their readership more than non-fiction authors (Bal and Martijin 2013, p. 2).
For the reader looking to increase their EQ, there are two major benefits of being emotionally transported into the world of a fictional character.
- The reader is offered the opportunity to authentically try on the experience of another (Bal and Matijin 2013, p. 3).
- The reader can learn to navigate their own world through the actions that take place in the low stakes fictional space (Jarvis 2021, p. 747).
The beauty of fiction is that the experience you gain from each novel will be personal and varied. Below are some “game changing” insights we’ve acquired from fiction texts that grew our minds and EQ.
LT Wetherspoon’s Game Changing Novel
I never met my great-grandfather, but the pride with which my grandfather speaks of him has always had a profound impact on me. Growing up my Pa would tell stories of his father, particularly honing in on his service during the Second World War which culminated in his internment at and survival of the Changi Prisoner of War Camp. I saw the photos of the emaciated men who returned from Changi after the war, but I really struggled to empathise with the story of my great-grandfather. His experience was so far removed from anything I had ever experienced myself. That personal perspective changed when I picked up Richard Flanagan’s novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North (2013).
Flanagan’s novel follows the journey of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian surgeon struggling to keep himself and his men alive in a POW camp on the Thai-Burma railway in 1943. Flanagan’s ability to portray the emotions that are attached to starvation, watching your mates die and the impending threat of beatings from your captors are enabled by the fiction medium.
Each time I stepped into the perspective of Dorrigo Evans, I was able to empathise more closely with the experience of my great-grandfather. While I have always been immensely proud of his legacy, this novel ensured that every time I put on my uniform I remember more vividly the sacrifice that he and so many others have made under the same rising sun. In turn, I’m certain this novel made me a better officer as I remember that those who I am honoured to serve with have or potentially will have similar emotional experiences as those I met in the fictional world of Dorrigo Evans.
In an era of accelerated warfare, the nature of the battlespace is changing quickly, but the human experience will remain largely the same. Fictional texts like Flanagan’s are crucial in ensuring we are all armed with an empathetic understanding of what those around us might potentially be going through.
Two Game Changers for LT Malcolm
Crime and Punishment, my favourite work by the nineteenth century Russian author Dostoevsky, throws the reader into a web of moral quandaries: what makes murder wrong? Can a person be ‘good’ even though they consistently do bad things? When is someone deserving of restitution? Can there be forgiveness without justice? As a reader, I couldn’t help but put the book down at numerous points to consider how I would answer these sorts of questions. In the ordinary day-to-day experience of our working lives, we might not have many opportunities for this sort of deep reflection on morality, but literary fiction can bring it to the fore.
It also gives colour and vividness to some of our Defence values: when I think of courage, it seems quite abstract – but when I think of Raskolnikov owning up to his crime, I see strength of character in full HD, and I’m inspired to chase after that virtue. In Russian literature I also encounter a culture that jars with me at certain points – the people presented in stories by Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gogol and Turgenev are more passionate than me, more earnestly connected to their motherland, more introspective, and more willing to express their emotions. It’s a reminder that not all people are like me, and not all cultures are the same. I once brought these features up with a Russian person, and she replied, ‘Now you’re beginning to understand us!’ This sort of intercultural awareness will certainly be increasingly important in Army’s future.
When I visited Japan in 2019, I was advised by a local that there were three things I needed to do in order to understand Japan. I forget the first two, but the third was to read Murakami! I have read and enjoyed a number of Murakami’s novels, and one that sticks in my memory is Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki. Aside from the benefits of having a window into another culture, this book allowed me to explore the stunting restrictions suffered by the individual who shuns mateship and refuses help. It provides a concrete, memorable picture of tragic isolation that doesn’t just inform my awareness but strikes my emotions and provokes a deep reaction.
I also find that Murakami has a way of requiring cognitive effort from his readers. He leaves significant blanks in his stories, requiring readers to creatively discern patterns and connections beneath the surface of the text. This is a key element of critical thinking and I’ve found that reading several Murakami books has sharpened my ability in this area. I’ll put the book down and ask: ‘Why does he interweave these unrelated stories? Perhaps they’re not so unrelated as I first thought… What might the connections be?’ – and it proceeds from there. I’ve noticed that as I become more adept at interpreting literature, I see payoff in other areas too: I become quicker to understand complex information, and to make connections between different sources. These sorts of benefits increase a lot if I talk to others about fiction too, comparing our interpretations of the same books.
Conclusion
In an era of accelerated warfare, picking up a fiction text is an easy way to ensure you are flexing your emotional intelligence and improving your intellectual edge. The next time you’re ready to pick up a book, why not try on the experience of a fictional character? You’ll be learning about this world as well as the fictional one.
