5 Reasons Why Storytelling is Important
Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash
It’s no surprise that lifelong learning is incredibly important to me. I’m a big believer that you will never know everything, but instead of accepting things as they are, I’d prefer to gain as much knowledge as possible. Over the years, I began to prioritize learning as much as I can, which I do both through formal education and informal methods.
There is so much wisdom and knowledge to gain through storytelling that I truly believe it shouldn’t be overlooked. But before I go too far, I first want to acknowledge the significance it holds for Indigenous peoples. For Indigenous peoples, storytelling is an ancient and intimate tradition used to pass down history, legends, and family remembrances. These stories hold incredible value as they act as an integral component of their worldview. They hold true and are passed down by the elders [source: Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada]. While talking about storytelling today, I believe it is very important to honour and respect the cultural significance storytelling holds throughout various cultures.
There is so much to gain through storytelling: we can gain knowledge, perspective, enlightenment, and understanding about something that we may not have experienced ourselves. We hear stories from our grandparents about a world that is so different than our own. We hear stories from folks who have been through war and destruction as a cry for humans to do better. We hear stories of happiness, love, and miracles happening all around the world. Storytelling connects us, teaches us, and strengthens our relationships. To dive into this a little further, allow me to share 5 reasons why storytelling is important.
Also read: What You Need to Know About Lifelong Learning
5 Reasons Why Storytelling is Important
1. IT’S A FORM OF EDUCATION
My dad would pick me up on Friday nights while I was in college, and we’d make the 2-hour drive back home. We’d talk the entire time to pass the time, and he would tell me stories to share his wisdom. I probably didn’t realize this at the time, but I gained more through these stories than I could possibly explain. Storytelling is immersive and allows you to absorb knowledge from someone in ways that you can’t access by simply reading facts from a book. Listen to the stories people tell you. Listen to their experiences, to their wins, and to their losses.
2. IT CREATES EMPATHY
Not only do we gain education through storytelling, but we gain empathy, too. Storytelling can portray emotion, which can not only help us connect with the information, but it can also help us retain it, too. It can be difficult (or downright impossible) to fully grasp an event or a time outside of our own reality. However, through storytelling, we can hear and absorb the emotion attached to the message, making it easier to retain the information.
3. IT PROMOTES CREATIVITY
NASA conducted a longitudinal study to test the creative potential of children as they age. Tracking the same group throughout, they found that 98% percent of children aged 4 and 5 scored at the creative genius level, but by their adulthood, only 2% were [source: Inc]. Over time, most of us lose our creativity. Actively engaging someone in a story that’s factual and authentic is incredibly special and takes creativity.
4. IT STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIPS
Along with promoting empathy and creativity, storytelling is a form of education that can help us strengthen relationships. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that everybody experiences life the same way as we do, but that’s simply not the case. Stories expose us to different experiences, which helps us to understand different situations or perspectives. And when we can understand somebody’s situation or perspective a little better, we may find our relationship strengthens.
5. IT PROVIDES YOU WITH ACCESS TO INFORMATION YOU OTHERWISE WOULDN’T HAVE
Storytelling unlocks information that we may not have otherwise had access to. The information we have available to us daily is often limited to our own inherent bias. Meaning, we can’t search out new information if we don’t know we need to do it in the first place. Storytelling unlocks access to new information that we otherwise wouldn’t have. The more we listen to other people’s experiences, the better we can do in the world.