When you have thoughts, including your inner monologue and what you say aloud to other people, they are entirely made up of words and phrases and ideas. If you

When you have thoughts, including your inner monologue and what you say aloud to other people, they are entirely made up of words and phrases and ideas. If you had never been inculcated by a culture of people, you would have no complex thoughts at all because you wouldn’t have any language to hang them on. Reading books is a really great way to develop empathy by understanding how others think, and also broadens your arsenal of useful thoughts for navigating the world. “A dog can look forward to seeing his master. But can he look forward to seeing his master next Wednesday?”