“Storytelling is essential. If you’re trying to engage, influence, teach, or inspire others, you should be telling or listening to a story, and encouraging others to tell a story with you.”1
I think most people would agree with this premise – that storytelling is a powerful way to share information and connect with others – but at the same time, very few people would ever self-identify as “a storyteller”.
This is curious, because human beings are quite literally born to tell stories. Our species’ ability to share important information about the world around us has a huge evolutionary benefit and has allowed us to share critical insights across generations and continents.
Anthropological and scientific evidence backs this up. In an article examining how a group of Filipino hunter-gatherers value the skill of storytelling published in The Atlantic, December 5, 2017, Ed Yong says:
“Storytelling is a universal human trait. It emerges spontaneously in childhood, and exists in all cultures thus far studied. It’s also ancient: Some specific stories have roots that stretch back for around 6,000 years.”2
And in 2017 the Harvard Business Review published an article entitled, “The Science Behind the Art of Storytelling” which stated:
“Scientists are discovering that chemicals like cortisol, dopamine and oxytocin are released in the brain when we’re told a story. Why does that matter? If we are trying to make a point stick, cortisol assists with our formulating memories. Dopamine, which helps regulate our emotional responses, keeps us engaged. When it comes to creating deeper connections with others, oxytocin is associated with empathy, an important element in building, deepening or maintaining good relationships.”3
For 20+ years I have taught storytelling to teens, adults, corporations and conferences using the principles and techniques of Improvisational Comedy (Improv). Unscientifically speaking, I would venture that some 90% of my Improv students walk into the room with some low-level fear – convinced they couldn’t tell a story to save their lives.
An hour later, they find they were quite mistaken. Not only can they create and tell stories easily and naturally, they also find it fun and energizing, quite in contrast to their expectations coming in. All it takes is some coaching to point them in the right direction and a willingness to give it a shot.
“But why should I care?” you ask. “I seem to be getting along just fine in life without being a master storyteller!”
Answering that question in detail will be the subject of future posts and discussions, but for now I will leave you with a thought from Allie Decker of HubSpot that nicely identifies one important, universally-applicable reason why you should care:
“In a world divided by a multitude of things, stories bring people together and create a sense of community. Despite our language, religion, political preferences, or ethnicity, stories connect us through the way we feel and respond to them. Stories make us human.”4
- “The Science Behind the Art of Storytelling” by Lani Peterson. Harvard Business Review, November 14, 2017
- “The Desirability of Storytellers” by Ed Yong. The Atlantic, December 5, 2017
- “The Science Behind the Art of Storytelling” by Lani Peterson. Harvard Business Review, November 14, 2017
- “The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling” by Allie Decker, Hubspot. July 1, 2022 blog post, orig. published in November, 2020 and updated in 2022
