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Classical literature comprises a vast body of texts that reflect a multitude of human stories, life events and individual perspectives. These works explore various behavioural strategies: how a person acts in a given situation, what emotions they experience, what choices they face, and what motives drive their decisions.
Turning to works of fiction, particularly those about love, allows us to observe the variety of behaviours exhibited when in love. The reader is given the opportunity to experience the protagonist’s emotions ‘from the inside’, which fosters a deeper understanding of other people’s psychology and their actions.
Reading ‘quality’ literature—works that have stood the test of time and are recognised by readers with a developed critical eye—enriches the individual by providing answers to questions that arise in real life. 
Research findings in sociology and cognitive science point to the positive impact of so-called ‘deep reading’ on brain function. During the reading process, cognitive identification with a character occurs: the reader mentally takes on the character’s perspective, which fosters the development of empathy—the ability to understand other people’s emotional states. In particular, research by David Dodell-Feder of the University of Rochester has shown that when reading descriptions of actions (such as playing tennis), the same areas of the brain are activated as when actually performing those actions.

Prolonged and focused ‘deep’ reading helps to develop attention, the ability to understand complex ideas, generate new concepts, analyse multifaceted situations and retain details in one’s memory. In contrast, the superficial absorption of information typical of ‘scrolling’ can, in the short term, negate these abilities.
Thus, reading fulfils not only an informational function, which could be provided, for example, by history textbooks or reference works. It contributes to intellectual development and increased cognitive flexibility. 

It makes a person smarter.

More humane.