“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it.”
― Margaret Atwood, author of “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Humans are wired for storytelling. Before the written word, before the printing press, before radio or television or the internet, we preserved our history, our traditions, and our identities as members of a family or tribe or people group with oral stories. Collectively, they were passed down from one generation to the next, not always with perfect accuracy, but with enough continuity to maintain a storyline.
As technology has grown, so has our appetite for stories. Did you know there are more than 5 million podcasts out there? The development of e-books and audiobooks dramatically expanded access for storytellers and their audiences. And 50 years ago who would have imagined watching an entire movie on a Barbie-size flat screen TV, outside, with no wires or antennae? My childhood self daydreamed about the existence of such a thing on hot summer days, zipped into a mosquito tent while my parents cut and baled hay. My legs were still too short to reach the pedals on the pickup or the tractor, so I was left to the mercies of the horseflies and whatever books I could drag along. Finishing the last book, magazine, or comic in my stack was a horrible feeling, because the only thing on the other side was sweaty, hot, miserable boredom.
Whether your love of story draws you to cowboy poetry or the Bronte sisters, there may be a scientific reason why we’re drawn to various kinds of tales, fiction and nonfiction. Modern neuroscience has determined that different kinds of stories trigger the release of brain chemicals like oxytocin, cortisol, endorphins and dopamine, chemicals that are critical to some of our most influential emotions.
The science behind it is fairly new, but preachers, politicians and advertisers have been using stories as a vehicle for herding the masses in a desired direction for centuries. Given what we now know about brain chemistry, the stories we hear (and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves) are more important than ever for our individual and collective mental and emotional well-being.
Feeling low? Instead of reaching for a another drink, watch a funny movie. Feeling lonely? Indulge in a sweeping saga that engages you with the characters on the printed page. Angry and despondent? Disconnect from the shrill and strident voices on social media and see if your mood changes. Change the radio station from talk to the tunes you remember from your teenage years; you might find yourself singing along instead of grinding your teeth in frustration over current events.
And if your current politician, preacher or news program perpetually leaves you agitated and upset, it might be good for your health to change that story, too. If stories color our experience, it would be wise to choose the colors that make life better, not worse. Life’s too short — and too precious — to color it all with an ugly poop-brown crayon.
