Revised Philosophy 2 - Cat Pagano

Everyone loves a good story. Bundled up by the fire listening to spooky tales of haunted barns and of ghosts. Curled up across from grandparents as they share memories from their younger years, how they fell in love, where they were when the war broke out. Even just a casual catch up with your best friend at a coffee shop to discuss the events of last weekend. Stories are for telling. Stories are for listening. Stories can serve many purposes: to entertain, to learn, to express. While picture books encapsulate the eyes of children with caricatures of lions and vibrant forestry, Star Wars novels amuse the world-wide science fiction enthusiasts.  People may laugh, people may cry but regardless, they are brought together by the power of a story. A narrative from Albert Einstein’s biography is referenced in a college-level mathematics lecture in order to further explain the complex course material. From the experiences – past or present – of others, our own lives can be influenced. Through storytelling as well, we are given the opportunity to express ourselves. Whether it be the expression of ideas, feelings, or political standpoints, we are allowed to be free and open with each other.

Personally, I believe that while powerful told alone, stories are even more significant when weaved together. Our parents have told us for years that we should not believe everything that we hear. Why? One side of a story standing on its own cannot necessarily be perceived as true and is often times manipulated. That is why scientists do not make conclusions after proceeding with only one experiment. The more tests, the better the results. By conglomerating the tales of many people, the message and morals of the overall story become dynamic. Often times, the context is what ties stories together. On other occasions, though, they are brought together in order to make a statement, to address an idea or a concept. An idea that is supported from multiple angles is arguably more powerful than an idea that is supported from only one perspective. As Martin Luther King once said, “there is power in unity and there is power in numbers.”

By communicating our thoughts, we improve the wide-spread knowledge and progress towards the future. In a very ordinary and simple way, stories have the ability to connect people: they entertain us, they teach us, and they allow us to express ourselves and our opinions. When joined together, stories become collaborative and truthful. I guess you could say that storytelling has been and still is a pretty significant part of humanity.