In a world increasingly referred to in varied shades of dystopic or apocalyptic metaphor (think: dumpster fire to drain the swamp), we need stories more than ever. When technology makes faking facts easy and remarkably convincing, stories teach powerful—much-needed— lessons through metaphor and symbol. Stories remind us of the power of human connection and the disastrous destruction made possible by moments of tyranny, bigotry, and fear. Stories fuel empathy; they subtly instruct readers/listeners in the art of walking along another’s path. Stories change lives.
Not only do stories successfully instruct, humans are hungry for stories. Neuroscientists have proof* that our brains respond to story more robustly than any other form of communication. Want to teach someone a new way of thinking? Brain research clearly shows the best way to convince someone is to imbed a lesson into a story. A string of facts will not change a mind, but a good story will. While the “proof” in the form of brain scans is relatively recent, this is a long-known truth among humanity. If one looks at world religions, arguably patrons of the world’s oldest paradigms, story abounds. Parables and gospels, epic tales and legends: all lesson-rich stories. The fact that these religious tracts and oral stories have survived, generation after generation, demonstrates the power of story to instruct, to mold, to inform, and to inspire.
Politicians and the increasingly polarized news cycle also recognize this fact. Bite-sized stories flood our lives in the form of (generally terrible) news and anecdote. Social media’s algorithms push extremes because they are programmed to respond to patron actions such as emotional response (the increasingly complex “like”), share, and comment. The more extreme, the more responses a post has; the more visible it becomes. In other words, the more extreme a visual or text-based post is on social media, the more likely it is to pop up. As a result, increasingly extreme, and often destabilizing, stories have become the norm for everyday people. Politicians activate their fans with extreme rhetoric and often fictionalized stories punctuated on fear and dichotomy of “us” vs. “them.” Sadly, these stories (of refugees eating pets, for example) take root in the cultural imagination and reinforce narratives about who should and should not live on one’s street. Then, rather than combat fiction with real stories, politicians and thinkers on the other side of political spectrum spout facts (no, there is no evidence of pet-eating), and little changes. Why? Because stories convince humans; facts only reinforce what we already believe. The only people nodding their heads to the litany of facts raised to debunk political lies are the people who saw them as lies from the start. If, instead, we shared stories about the hard-working, family-loving individuals who have recently moved to this country to live a better life and contribute to this country’s prosperity, minds may sway.
Life is much more complicated than a two-hundred character tale or a sound-bite length lead story. Humanity is complex. Characters dynamic. Few individuals or organizations fall neatly under the role of hero or villain. Life is messier than that. Anyone who reads stories knows that truth.
So rather than sharing facts (200,000+ federal employees lost their jobs on Valentine’s Day in the States), share stories. A mother-of-two, Ph.D. ecologist landed her dream job tracking and studying endangered species of plants and animals at U. S. Fish and Wildlife last year. One week shy of completing her year-long probationary period, she and all the other “probationary”—i.e. new in the last year—employees in her agency lost their jobs. Effective immediately. Despite having received excellence award bonuses during her almost-year of work for the federal agency, she was let go for “poor performance.” Words no longer matter and that was the loophole used to terminate all probationary employees in that federal agency. Two hundred thousand** such stories exist. A twenty-something many-year hot shot (temporary-hire) firefighter lost the dream job he landed last year as a river ranger with the Forest Service. Effective immediately. Instability and chaos is the reward of all these individuals who chose to serve the public and work for public lands, public wildlife, public good. Each story, each experience, is a human one; and as a hyper social species, humans respond to other people’s pain. Stories will move people to action, even if it is the simple action of relaying that story to another. Soon a web of stories unfolds and the moment transforms.
Indeed, Humankind: A Hopeful History (2019, English translation published in 2020) by Dutch historian, Rutger Bregman, mounts the argument that Western civilization, particularly post-Enlightenment, has perpetuated a false narrative about human nature. Humans, Rutger Bregman argues, are hardwired to connect with and respond to one another (find a review to Humankind on LitReaderNotes). Our species’ neuro responses to story certainly seem to demonstrate just that.
All in all, the world abounds with disappointment, loss, hardship, and pain; these things are simply part of human experience. Yet love, connection, kindness, redemption, and hope are also flames that burn bright on many a dark night. The stories we tell (and share) are the vehicle of change and growth we choose. So next time sharing some ugly meme disparaging a politician whose actions seem beyond the pale, consider what story that perpetuates. We need to start asking ourselves the hard questions about what we say, share, and perpetuate. Would a different story lead to a better alternative? Without a doubt stories have the power to mold the future (that’s the real reason books are banned). So rather than circle the drain with the industrial news cycle and/or one’s like-minded social media friends/followers, consider picking up a story that inspires connection and resistance. Then pass that story on. Consider sharing human stories rather than facts and numbers. Consider trusting fellow humans to make better choices if they have access to more stories. Human history has witnessed myriad dark times and atrocities, but stories have the power to see us through even the darkest moments. This is, undoubtedly, a time for story-sharing.
*There is lots of recent writing about neuroscience and story. See “Why the Brain Loves Stories” from BrainFacts or “The Neuroscience of Storytelling” from NeuroLeadership Institute for articles. For a deeper dive check out Paul Armstrong’s Stories and the Brain (2020) or his earlier How Literature Plays with the Brain (2013).
** “According to government data maintained by OPM, 220,000 workers had less than a year on the job as of March 2024” (Associated Press, 14 Feb. 2025). See full article at US News and World Report.