Literature is a fancy term for ideas. Maybe the last time you really enjoyed a book was as a kid before all the applications, jobs, and family commitments. But, this November is the perfect season to sit back and see how literature is more than literally reading.

We give literature power when we convey and listen to ideas. To break it down:

We see different points of view
Our values, beliefs, and traditions are strengthened or challenged
We are motivated to share our direct action to change the world

So, literature across cultures is pretty dangerous. It holds, “cultural expression, fosters understanding and empathy, stimulates critical thought, molds cultural values, and has the potential to spark social change” (Medium). It can also do the total opposite, changing thoughts for the worse or controversial.

Literature also takes on many forms. In fact, we began telling stories through oral tradition. Tellings evolved over time, even when writing forms like Egyptian hieroglyphs and Sumerian cuneiform developed. The importance of writing is to preserve story and history. Medium continues that “The Gutenberg Press, invented in the 15th century, ushered in a new age, democratizing access to literature”. Traveling provides accessibility to the individual for a “panorama of human experiences”. What followed was global movements of Romanticism, Realism, and Harlem to provide collectives of ideas.

These communities are not over. The digital age is how we change literature today. The previous Twitter (X), became a free thought for asynchronous thought forums. Facebook groups share language around culinary recipes and bonding activities in a city. Each Instagram or Snapchat “Story” is to mark down history as it goes. It’s not to say that long-form content doesn’t exist anymore. We all sit down for podcasts, documentaries (series), and Youtube videos to dive deeper into true crime or world issues. Of course, we still have our good old books to have on hard copy.

Whether we’re writing characters or a LinkedIn post, our culture affects how we add to the literature sphere. CrestingWave Publishing explains that you might notice prioritizing individual feelings if you’re from the West or collective teamwork if you’re from the East. We have a responsibility continuously learn to seek out other cultures and views to challenge our own. Even if you’re not the next Gandhi, you are the next person that can text or post about something that matters.

Genuine trust that acting in your own interest does not necessarily come at the expense of your neighbors can thrive only in the presence of familiarity. (University of Central Florida)

Our next word won’t be to just market to the masses. It’s to find the right words that surpass the “merely decorative”. When you listen and learn, you will find dedicated choices to mark down history and transform the future.

Explore literature from across the world:

Around the World in 32 Books | Penguin Random House

https://www.britannica.com/browse/Literatures-of-the-World

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