I’ve noticed a decline in my ability to read people lately and understand social situations. Might it be because it’s been a long time since I read anything other than non-fiction and throw-away mysteries?

New York Times “Well” Blog highlights a great study today:

For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend a Little Chekhov

This thoughtful article is the closest thing I have seen recently in the “War on Humanities” debate to a defense for the choice as a reasonable, personal that really resonates with me.

Of course, it does not go into the reasons why, as a culture, we NEED people who choose to spend their lives reading, analyzing culture, writing, trying to understand humanity, creating art, creating context. But no article needs to make all the arguments at once.

“Anyone saying humanities Ph.D.s are a terrible bet is already buying into the cultural paradigm that affects the students’ decision to enter the program in the first place: that a tenured job is so desirable that not getting one equals failure.”

In Defense of Humanities, Heather Horn , The Atlantic