Humans are Hard Wired for Stories
Posted: Thursday, July 22, 2010
by Ronda Del Boccio
http://ProfitableStorytelling.com
Maybe you have not thought of it this way before, but you are hard-wired for stories. I will show you.
When you see something weird or funny, what do you do the first chance you have? You tell a friend or your spouse, or even a stranger. You cannot wait to tell someone all about it.
People who have lived through extreme difficulties or tragedies find comfort and healing by coming together to share stories. It helps you feel less alone and afraid.
Which brings me to this truth: the only thing a person likes more than hearing or reading a story is telling one.
Whether you realize it or not, you have loved stories all your life. Maybe you preferred tales of King Arthur 's knights or maybe true experiences of real life heroes. Either way, you cannot help but crave a good "yarn."
You are hard-wired for stories. This tradition extends all the way back through time and history. Think back to what it must have been like at the dawn of humanity.
Imagine you are one of the first humans. Earlier, you were out looking for food when you had a close encounter with a huge saber-toothed tiger that almost ate you for lunch. The first thing you do is tell the rest of your clan about it.
You are hard-wired for stories both hearing them and telling them. Your brain even goes into a more receptive alpha state when listening to a story.
Remember your childhood. Perhaps at some point you felt you were too grown up to enjoy grandpa's stories or your favorite fairytales, yet secretly you loved them still.
Every great spiritual tradition has creation myths and sacred stories passed along for generations. You will also find folk tales all over the world with similar themes. And don't forget those cautionary fables and tales that teach children what dire consequences befall those who misbehave.
Instead of seeing someone from a different spiritual path, religion, cultural or ethnic background as alien or someone not like yourself, practice the art of openness
What are your most treasured tales? Respond to the journal activities in the special online environment.
This is an excerpt from The Peace Seed: Personal and Global Transformation through Storytelling, (c) 2010 by Ronda Del Boccio
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)Given that we probably all come from the same place and have the same aim, it's absolutely extraordinary that we all have so many different stories. Like snowflakes...
Yea, stories seem to turn the world into one big newspaper except without all the formalities and press. A story is told, it's heard, there's feedback and most of all it's about your own life. You share a part of yourself with others telling stories, believe it or not.
You got me!!! I', hard wired for stories. My grandpa's, my son's, every person I met and of course mine's. There's a good thing about story telling and story reading. No one is left out of imagination. A bit of flavour added to every day's life! Thanks for the article.
I would agree with you, most people love to tell stories, it is rather natural
How true your words are. Thank you, enjoyed this very much. Jill
Thanks for writing this. I will store this article amongst all the other 'hard wired' things in my brain.
Is that why we love to write online and talk about our stories and share our hearts? Thanks for your insights!
Greetings -Some of my favorites are Aesop's Fables. The moral of the story content appeals deeply to me.
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