Why is it that we love storytelling so much?
It's passed midnight as I'm writing this blog entry, and as much as I'm beat and would like to sleep, my brain is asking for a bedtime story before it surrenders. I can't help but to think about how curious it is that we humans enjoy stories this much, I mean who has not been taken on a journey by a good book, an unforgettable movie or even just a great story told around a fire. Our intense desire for good stories has to be connected to our species survival somehow, but maybe I'll write about that crazy hypothesis on a different night.
I think I'm sure why I enjoy fiction so much, fictional stories in all its diverse vessels and wrappings have always provided me with the ability to escape my reality, and they have always been a way to experience new perspectives, but for me the most attractive aspect of fiction is finding dimensions within the characters that reflect my own personality traits.
I would be lying if I said I've never related to the bad guy in a story, quite the opposite, but that is an experience I would never allow myself to live in real life. The immersion into fiction allows me to sail emotional waters without feeling the dreaded guilt we all strive to avoid. It surprises me to know that there are some authors who think of fictional work is like some sort of treat, with no nutritional value to offer, but I dare to disagree with them.
I am of the idea that through fiction we can learn valuable lessons that apply in real life, and in many cases in a more efficient way. The ability to wrap the moral medicine in a sugar coating using lasers and spaceships might be most effective way of delivering the intellectual pay load for some of us. And the fact that fiction has within itself so many genres ensures that there is something for everyone.
I think our consumption of fictional stories plays a great role in shaping our minds, specially when we are young and more impressionable.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this...
Musically Yours
All images: Pixabay
Life imitates Art more than Art imitates Life.
I love it... simple and to the point ;)
Hello, @meno, I upvoted and resteemed because your story is beautifully written and the pictures expertly chosen. Why do we write stories? How has it helped our survival? I think, firstly, storytelling is about, just as you write above, creating palatable analogies that can carry warnings. I think about the differeneces between men and women. Women were the child-rearers, the socialisers, they gathered nuts and berries, foraging, making people comfortable (generalising here). I believe that the need to communicate - about possible enemies is expressed through warning tales, etc. and can be attributed to the need for a social "chat" - so-called "gossip" would have helped women to become aware of lurking danger so they could telegraph it back to their group. With stories, we all have a beginning, a middle and an end. We each, at various stages of our lives, answer to the call of an embedded biological clock. To what extent are decisions that we make biologically driven? For some people, their heart rules their head; whereas for others, clearly, their lives are mapped out rationally, and they feel no frustration in following that defined path. I like to read people. I can learn so much from the way people interact on this forum, their choice of words and their reactions. I can sense straight away when people have reacted to the comments of others in an overly sensitive way (hopefully not to mine, LOL). I find it absolutely fascinating. I greatly enjoyed reading your post, above. It is beautifully crafted, and though-provoking. I know what you mean, when you talk about guilt. I guess sometimes, we don't realise until it's too late that we will regret our actions, because we forget the emotion that caused us to act the way we did, yet we're left with the consequence, which sometimes lasts so much longer than the emotions that gave rise to the action we later regret. I think this we call guilt, depending on the severity of the action. I like to think that we would feel no guilt if we had no empathy. And even though I sometimes wonder whether the guilt I feel can qualify as empathy, since if I didn't feel sad after something I did or said I later regretted, am I empathetic because I've wounded myself, or because I feel genuine sympathy for the other person? Like, is the pain I feel because I can't believe that I would be guilty of such a misdemeanour (we're talking sins of etiquette here, not crimes that would cause yours truly to appear on a WANTED poster) and therefore, the pain of a wounded ego, or is it pain because I caused another person distress? I will follow you because I like your writing, and psychology of character.
Well @katyclark you should know your comment just made my day, thank you for reading and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I have to say I agree 100% with your thoughts as to why we developed story telling as humans, I had a conversation about just that a few days ago with my better half. I just followed you back and I intend to read some of your past posts as well, its obvious to me we have many things in common (at least psychologically) .. Thanks again and much success to you! Steem on!
Thank you for your kind words, @mena :)
Thank you I like your post. I am interested in philosophy and I too love fiction and when younger, was a bookworm. I learned to read while strap-hanging on a train and never used a bookmark! I could remember the word I left off at every time. Fiction is created through imagination and when people let their imaginations fly, some of the best storytelling emerges. I was asked to "explore my dark side" so I tried a short story and became immersed, and all I could come up with was a murder that was really an accident. However my imagination took hold. I was very interested in the people involved in my story. People who read it like the story. From this I was encouraged to make up a whole screenplay, fortunately by a scriptreader. I may serialise it here, then I would get some useful feedback. I would warn you! It's called "Marcel's Hands". I hope you read a lot and write a lot. Where's yours?
good morning my friend, most definitely I'm interested in reading your screenplay.. do let me know when you start posting... and as always @jvalentine thank you for reading and commenting, I always appreciate you stopping by.
My pleasure. I'll sort it out soon and warn you!
wow! u r a great writer meno... Continue enhancing ur talent, it is so precious. I upvoted and followed u already. Keep writing and inspiring us...
Than you for reading @kyrie1234
i really love reading... Keep it up
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okay friends ... your post tonight is really amazing ......
thank you for reading! all the best
I love reading stories ... They can take you places you have never been or do things you may never get to do in real life...
Exactly, how else could we experience time travel, right? Thanks for reading... much success @rloriaux
Im hoping one day I will get time to write a story on here ... It seems like it could be fun to get everyone involved
I'm sure you will, the hardest part of finishing something is getting started and you are already here. Cheers
Hi @meno, great post, you are right. Fiction is just another way of depicting reality. And it has the power of influencing reality. How many superheroes did we admire when we were little? Isn't a mathbook a fiction too, can we see math, or do we imagine it based on our observations, and then use that knowledge in real life?
Could not agree more my friend, I happen to be one of those kids that never grew up and still reads comics every now and then ;)
Btw I just stumbled upon one of your poems not even 2 minutes ago, I really enjoyed it... Lots of truth packed into simple lines , much success my friend @demostene
Thank you @meno!