Books

7 Ways Dating A Reader Makes You A Better Person

by Amy Sachs

If there's one thing people who love reading know, there's always time for books.

As my boyfriend — and anyone dating a self-declared book-lover — understands, there are times when people who devote their lives to the written word can get a little annoying. You know, those moments when you're saying, "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting ready," and instead spend an hour reading. Or those (frequent) times you "stop in" to a bookstore, promising to know what you want, and get completely distracted, and yet another hour goes by. We have our quirks, but, hey, who doesn't? In general — although I might be a little biased here — readers are good people.

As it happens, I think dating a reader will probably make you a better person in the end. At the very least, it'll make you more patient. It'll definitely teach you about the power of books, and the way they make people thoughtful and empathetic. Here are seven ways dating someone who reads will make you a better person.

You'll Become More Thoughtful

Readers spend a lot of time imagining lives they don't live, locked in the minds of other people. They're used to spending a lot of time getting to know a fictional person: just imagine how long they'll spend getting to know you! What you like, who you are, what gifts would be just perfect for you. Dating a reader will show you how to be just as thoughtful, which can only be a good thing.

You'll Learn To Love A Night Spent In

We all know that laying around watching Netflix is the perfect way to relax, but it can be just as magical to lay around and finish that book everyone's been talking about, too. An evening in with your favorite person is the best way to spend time together, and learning what (if anything) they like to read will help you get to know them even better. Couples who relax together, stay together. That's how that saying goes, right?

You'll Learn Things You Never Knew... Or Never Wanted To Know

Readers accumulate so many random facts, and, believe me, they will share them with you. Little tidbits here and there from whatever they happen to be reading at the time. After a while those things will stick. You'll be spouting random facts and gaining knowledge left and right. Before you know it, you'll be the indispensable person at trivia night, every time.

You'll Discover Your Inner Child

Children's books are some of the best around, first of all. It's not uncommon for books you read as a kid to stick with you long into adulthood — we all have childhood classics still on our shelves — so it's always good to remember the messages in them. Revisiting books you read as a kid with someone you're seeing now is a great way to bond, and could show you a whole new side of them! Not to mention that reaching into those old bookshelves and looking back at what you loved (not so) long ago is a great way to unleash your inner child.

You'll Become More Patient

You're bound to learn patience through your partner's endless trips to the bookstore that take hours, or when she tells you to "Wait another hour — I just have to finish this book!" But maybe their other patient habits — the wait for the next in their favorite series to come out, the wait for their beloved authors to write more books — may rub off on you, too. Hang around with your bookish partner long enough, and you're sure to be mellowing out with the rest of us!

You'll Be Reminded To Appreciate The Little Things

"The little things add up to big things" is a well worn cliché, for sure, but the message still rings true. Bookish people can be kept entertained by life's big adventures, and by the adventures that quietly wait for them within the pages of books. Appreciating the big things along with the little things is important in general, but especially in relationships! Readers will show you this cliché in action, and give it new meaning.

You'll Expand Your Horizons

Don't have the money to travel just yet? No problem! Chances are the bookworm you're dating has an endless list of remedies to than problem. Just take long, romantic walk through their library. There are worlds and worlds inside of books, and you don't even need to leave your couch! You'll bond with your partner over new places, both real and fictional. It's a great way to learn more about the world — and your better half! Who needs a beach, anyway.

Image: Megan Trace/Flickr; Giphy (7)