We are made of stories. Just as genes form our biological components, memes form our cultural and social self. Memes form both stories and micro narratives. These give life to mono-myths and meta-narratives. Without a story there is no communication at all. And it is not because I or any other person thinks so. It is because our brain loves stories; and there is science to back up this belief. Stories ease cognitive load and make your audience listen by allowing you to use emotions to monitor their attention. The truth is that as a species humans have been sharing stories as a primary method of communication for over 40,000 years. A story sticks in our memory and remains there much longer than say a list of facts or information. In essence, this is due to how our brain processes information, and which areas of the brain “light up” when presented with differing information. Our brain is simply equipped to understand stories and to process information presented as coherent narratives that are made to stick. It is not meant for data processing. That is what computers are for. We are storytellers. That’s a fact you just have to accept.

Piotr Bucki