The Art of Storytelling for Business and Beyond: The Human Mind Connection
By: Renata Solórzano
Storytelling is not just a means of communication, but an art form as old as human communication itself. Whether through words or images, humans have been telling stories as far back as our cave dwelling days. The art of storytelling is wholly cross-cultural and transcends time.
Human beings are social animals, hardwired for storytelling and connection. We need connection not only to thrive and for happiness, but for survival (Zak, 2014). Storytelling is an essential communication tool that we employ in order to connect with others, as it plays a pivotal role in human cognition and interaction (Martinez-Conde et. al, 2019). It can enhance our understanding of the world, help build and strengthen interpersonal connections, and allows us to identify with others, products, or concepts (Herskovitz & Crystal, 2010). Narratives also play an important role in neuroscience as they involve many parts of cognition such as language comprehension, social understanding, and memory encoding (Martinez-Conde et. al, 2019). Every story acts as a medium for communication and connection, while playing an important role in social cognition (Hsu, 2010).
Stories are a key tool in learning and relationship building within social groups. Social relationships are commonly built and strengthened through the exchange of anecdotal personal stories. This facilitates bonding and aids in social cohesion, while also working as an avenue through which information and culture can be passed down through generations (Hsu, 2010). Stories enable social learning and can act as social simulators, wherein individuals can hone their social skills (Hsu, 2010; Mar et. al, 2006). Storytelling is also a very effective teaching method that aids in comprehension and information retention, especially when compared to other methods (Schank, 1999; Woodside, 2010). The way stories are coded in memory, makes information presented in a narrative easier to remember than information delivered through a lecture (Schank, 1999; Woodside, 2010; & Zak, 2014). Thus, making narrative a more effective means of awakening emotions and memories, than simply reciting facts and information (Martinez-Conde et. al, 2019).
Storytelling is evocative and triggers our memories and senses. It has the power to build new memories, elicit memory recall, and undoubtedly stir emotions. Storytelling enhances memory encoding and storage by creating contextual indices such as locations, actions, and attitudes, by which a memory can be recalled (Woodside, 2010). These indices act as storage places in our memory bank, much like folders in a filing cabinet. The more indices a story creates, the better able we are to remember and retrieve those memories, which is why storytelling is such an effective teaching tool. Therefore, the more indices a story creates, the more likely we are to remember it and the more comparisons we are able to draw to previous memories and experiences (Schank, 1999; Woodside, 2010). These indices are advantageous because they elicit implicit understanding, awareness, and empathy (Woodside, 2010).
Stories captivate our emotions and imagination through psychological realism. They evoke our emotions through character interactions, which we are able to relate to or project ourselves onto (Hsu, 2010). The stronger the story, the greater ability it has to evoke the feelings within the story in its audience; thereby, playing a significant role in imagination and comprehension, as it allows oneself to be transported into the story itself (Hsu, 2010). Stories also activate our capacity for empathy (Hsu, 2010). They allow us to empathize, visualize, and experience another person’s thoughts and feelings. They drive our senses and imagination to create cognitive representations of the environment and experiences as told within a story. Stories enable us to relate to one another and understand that all humans, regardless of differences, have fundamental needs and aspirations that are either met or unmet (Manney, 2008). Through stories, we can step into another’s shoes and emotionally experience their experiences and feelings. So much so, that the empathy evoked by stories can only be rivaled by direct exposure and intense human touch (Manney, 2008).
In the words of PJ Manney (2008), “Storytelling is both the seductive siren and the safe haven that encourages the connection with the feared ‘other’”. It permits us to take on the perspective of another and bridge the gap, while maintaining emotional boundaries and without having to experience another’s experiences directly. Storytelling is effective in eliciting empathy not only on the individual level, but on a societal level as well. It is the most effective method for creating social empathy and has been the catalyst for socio-cultural liberalization and change (Manney, 2008).
A well-constructed narrative can be very compelling and has the power to persuade and shape attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors (Zak, 2014). Stories resonate most when they illustrate a purpose or overcome a challenge or adversity, because they pull at the heart strings and capture the mind (Zak, 2014). Humans are intrinsically wired to love stories about overcoming adversity because much like the protagonist, we too want to triumph in our own lives.
References
- Herskovitz, S., & Crystal, M. (2010). The essential brand persona: Storytelling and branding. Journal of Business Strategy, 31(3), 21-28. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661011036673
- Hsu, J. (2008) The secrets of storytelling: Our love of telling tales reveals the workings of the mind. Scientific American Mind, 19(4), 46-51. https://0-doi-org.londonmet.ac.uk/10.1038/scientificamericanmind0808-46
- Manney, P. J. (2008). Empathy in the time of technology: How storytelling is the key to empathy. Journal of Evolution & Technology, 19(1). 51-61. https://www.jetpress.org/v19/manney.pdf
- Mar, R. A., Oatley, K., Hirsh, J., de la Paz, J., & Peterson, J. B. (2006). Bookworms versus nerds: Exposure to fiction versus non-fiction, divergent associations with social ability, and the simulations of fictional social worlds. Journal of Research in Personality, 40(5), 694-712. https://0-doi-org.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/10.1016/j.jrp.2005.08.002
- Martinez-Conde, S., Alexander, R. G., Blum, D., Britton, N., Lipska, B. K., Quirk, G. J., Swiss, J. I., Willems, R. M., & Macknik, S. L. (2019). The storytelling brain: How neuroscience stories help bridge the gap between research and society. The Journal of Neuroscience, 39(42), 8285-8290. https://0-doi-org.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1180-19.2019
- Schank, R. C. (1999). Dynamic memory revisited. Cambridge University Press.
- Woodside, A. G. (2010). Brand-consumer storytelling theory and research: Introduction to a Psychology & Marketing special issue. Psychology & Marketing, 27(6), 531-540. https://0-doi-org.emu.londonmet.ac.uk/10.1002/mar.20342
- Zak, P. J. (2014, October 28). Why your brain loves good storytelling. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling
