Why Stories Work

As humans, our ability to communicate in diverse, complex ways is one of our great differentiators as a species on this planet.

One of the oldest, and most effective ways that we communicate is through stories.

Facts, figures and details can be easily forgotten. But stories have a special ability to live on in our minds, spanning generations and enduring for thousands of years.

Think about your own experiences; have you ever recounted a story, and realized you don’t remember all the exact details, but you were able to remember the gist? You were able to remember the main point, you were able to remember the main idea, and more than anything, you were able to remember the feeling behind the tale.

It’s there in the feeling, that make stories so compelling, so memorable, and so impactful.

Because stories are so reliant on emotion and imagery, they are able to create a much more immersive experience in our mind, by activating our imagination. And when we engage these areas of our brain, we create stronger, more vivid associations, that stay with us much longer.

This is how stories can evolve, change, and adapt; but ultimately survive. It’s not in the details that make a story great. It’s in the feeling. So while the intent of the story is to convey a message – it’s in the imagery and in the feeling that allow that message to be received and remembered.

I’m Philip Agnello and thank you so much for watching.