The Art of Storytelling

Ever wondered why most people are interested in reading fiction, stories, philosophy, and comics? Why not self-help? Why not some business and finance books?

The study shows that over 80% of readers worldwide are fiction readers.

See, Stupid people like me have a bookshelf that has 80% of self-help and philosophy books. I think people like me are… exceptions.

But,

Most Readers are story-hunters; people are in a constant search for good stories, a book like 'A Little Life' that makes you cry on an airplane, a book like "Harry Potter" to spark conversations, and many more.

Humans crave stories; one man's success story becomes the motivation for another man. Just like the story of Marcus Aurelius influenced mine.

But ever wondered why stories? Why do we sapiens (wise humans) tend to believe a story more quickly than facts or logic? Why do professional content writers tend to modify their writings in the form of stories?

The one-line answer to this is, "Stories trigger emotions."

Honestly, I could end this blog right here.
We already have the answer. Duh.

But that would be boring.

So instead, I’ll explain stories… through a story.

Think about it.

Stories might be the most powerful invention of human beings.
They connect strangers and build trust faster than logic ever could.

(Though to be fair, stories aren’t exactly a modern invention. Gods used them too. That’s why the morals they told centuries ago are still remembered through books.)

In fact, many of the biggest forces shaping our lives are basically stories.

Money.
Religion.
God.
Corporations.

All stories.

Confused?

Let me explain.

Let me give you an example (in story format), imagine a green sheet of paper (or any color) having an image of some renowned individual from history, with some symbols and numbers, which, in simple words, is referred to as Money can connect or win the trust of two unknown humans faster than anything.

You can buy gifts (symbol of love), pleasure (best word I found; prostitutes), loyalty (guards or any form of security) from a paper that has no intrinsic weight of its own besides the common beliefs in humans' minds (which is called a narrative story i guess….)

Another great example is A question.

Why do I believe more in Hinduism than other religions? because I admire and get influenced by the story of lord Krishna and Arjuna. SIMPLE!

Stories shape belief.

Stories shape identity.

And stories shape civilizations.

Stories are in our genes; our brains are made up in a way that imagination is faster than calculation. (Try not to think about the bird, too late, you did. )

Humans think in images and narratives, not spreadsheets.

And people have known this for a very long time.

Even during the hunter-gatherer era, tribes had individuals whose job was to memorize information—animal tracks, edible plants, and dangerous territories. But humans aren’t immortal. Knowledge had to be passed down.So they turned information into stories.

Because stories are easier to remember.
And they survive longer.

Numbers were boring and hard to explain, so humans created Economics—a way to turn numbers into stories about markets, growth, and societies.

Content creators sell products using stories.

Marketers build brands using stories.

Politicians win elections using stories.

Even this entire piece you just read…
is a story.

Not a story about storytelling. It's about the point to prove that "Presentation, communication, and stories matter more than the actual data, information, or context."

Once you understand this, you start noticing something unsettling. THE WORLD isn't run by the most accurate information. It's run by the most convincing story.