Philosophy of Storytelling

Humans are dependent on storytelling. It is a tool that we use everyday, and it is a tool that has multiple purposes. Stories are used as a means of learning, relating, and expressing oneself in a manner that provides deeper connection. Stories allow us to explain the more nuanced aspects of whatever it is we want to convey. They add layers and feelings that individual words by themselves cannot express. They allow people to reach the same emotional and mental ground. You could tell someone you are happy, but the word happy could be received and perceived in a way that doesn’t do the feeling you are experiencing justice. A single word can hardly be used to express the complex nature of human thought. A story on the other hand can depict everything you went through to achieve that happiness. The hardships you faced, and relief of overcoming them. The story gives context and allows the listener or reader to fully grasp and comprehend the feeling or emotion you wish to share. Stories teach us lessons. They are a means of teaching children ideas and notions that are hard to perceive with young minds. They lay the foundation for cultures and societies. Stories tell us our past and they are used to predict our futures. Stories are also a way to convey one’s thoughts and emotions into something meaningful or entertaining. Stories can distract us from our ailments or give us hope to preserver through them. They allow us to sympathize and relate to people across the globe and across time. They unite us. They give us strength. They make us human.