The power of storytelling
Since we are still warming up to writing again, this will be very short but also give an idea of how the section Unscripted conversations came about.
“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.”
We've always been storytellers. I recall receiving a business card, and at the back of it, there was a replica of a cave painting from thousands, maybe millions of years ago. This is the mythos that tells us who we are and gives us these examples and archetypes that we play out over and over again. It's the story of a hunt, and it reminds me that stories since time began, are the most powerful ways for humans to connect with each other to share information, to learn about the life, and to learn from each other and learn about each other.
It's not the zeros and the ones of the digital revolution but the oohs and ahs of a good story that offers the best chance of compelling listeners to act on behalf of a worthy goal. That's because while logic may get people to think, emotion gets them to act. And stories are the best way to connect emotionally with an audience. We're hardwired for stories. We dream in stories. Human minds yield helplessly to the suction of a story. We know that in our everyday lives, we're sucked in when bestie says, "the most amazing thing happened to me today". This likely will stay around for the story. Regardless of your age, listening to a story can mentally transport you to another time and place, which everyone can benefit from now. The delightful feeling of being swept away into a story world is well-known.
As you become completely absorbed, you forget about your surroundings. Sometimes you may experience physical reactions such as sweating palms, increased blinking, fluttering or skipping of the heart, shifting facial expressions, and muscle reactions above your eyebrows. These are all signs that you are fully engaged in the story.
Initially, when I started this blog, I genuinely had no real idea what the long-term plan was, but I got to it anyway. Along the journey, Unscripted Conversations came about, and I realised that through these different narratives, we have a little storyteller in us. Building stories is not only an act of creativity; it also makes you more creative.
