The Magic of Storytelling
The psyche needs stories like the body needs blood.
While science and mathematics teach us about what there is in the world, they don’t teach us about why it matters. We need stories for that. We need stories to understand each other, and most importantly, to understand ourselves.
At dinner, you tell your family about how our day went. On Monday mornings, you recount your weekend to your co-workers. On first dates and job interviews, you weave elaborate narratives about your personal history. You refer to myths, folklore, and movie characters to explain how you feel or what you’re facing to your friends. And you form deep bonds with the heroes from childhood stories, like Tom Sawyer, Harry Potter, or The Lorax.
Stories are at the very core of our psyche. But not only that — stories also connect us and remind us that we’re not alone in this world. Whatever you experience, someone has already been there, done that, and felt the exact same way as you.
This is the magic of storytelling: it creates emotional bonds between people who are thousands of miles away, or separated by centuries in time. You can feel the emotions of dead poets, relate to the plight of mythical heroes, or learn from someone who lives on a different continent.
Science may teach us about what there is, but it is only through stories that we learn how to interact with what there is. The art of living is expressed in narratives, not in numbers.
