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15 Reasons Why Storytelling Is Important?

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Story Telling is the most wonderful method of teaching. This traditional approach to teaching can be traced back to our ancestors thousands of years ago when they sat around the campfire hearing stories, myths and legends passed down from generation to generation.

 Even today, storytelling has its relevance, as it’s an effective way for humans to learn about various aspects of life, from social conventions to moral values. Now, here are reasons why storytelling is important.

15 Benefits Of Storytelling For Human Life

The act of storytelling is synonymous with wisdom, reminding us that to share our lives is to embrace the notion that we rely on one another for survival. Our ancestors were forced to comply with this belief, and over time certain ways of communicating have been created for people from different backgrounds to understand one another.

Story Telling has been the most successful method of communication, since it addresses our needs for entertainment and education, along with bringing people from different cultures together.

1. Storytelling Gives Us A Voice

  Story Telling is the oldest form of communication, with some researchers arguing that its origins can be traced back to cave drawings. Our ancestors used stories as a means of communicating ideas through simple pictures and symbols.

Today, we use words to communicate ideas and give them masterfully crafted shapes into stories. Storytelling is used as a means of self-expression for many people, especially those who are not comfortable with the standard forms of communication.

By becoming comfortable with storytelling, you can better understand others and communicate your ideas effectively. You can also be taught how to become a captivating storyteller.

Why Storytelling Is Important

2. Storytelling Provides Insight Into Other Cultures & Religions

Even though there are many differences between various cultures around the world, human beings have certain commonalities, such as the desire to create stories. By listening to different stories from around the world, you can teach yourself about other cultures & ways of life.

3. Storytelling Promotes Empathy

  When children hear real-life stories (particularly those that are told in vivid details), they feel like they are part of the story. When they feel empathy towards the characters in the story, they develop an understanding of other human beings’ feelings & emotions.

They also learn how to respond, which is an important life skill. A study by Dr. Keith Oatley, a cognitive neuroscientist who focuses on the intersection of literature and psychology, found that reading fiction increases empathy.

4. Storytelling Strengthens Our Minds

  We are surrounded by stories in all forms – movies, TV shows, video games… The more exposure we have to various stories, the more it strengthens our cognitive abilities. Studies have found that students who watched movies about math had improved results in solving maths problems compared to students who did not watch anything.   

Reference Video – The Power Of Storytelling

5. Storytelling Teaches Decision Making & Problem-Solving Skills

This is one of my favorite benefits of Storytelling, as it not only helps develop decision-making and problem-solving skills amongst kids… but adults as well. When you watch a movie or read a story, it’s a form of mental stimulation that can help you think through different situations and understand the consequences before they happen.

It will teach you problem-solving skills and also help you in decision-making.

6. Storytelling Acts Like A Mirror

  By hearing different stories, we can gain better insights into ourselves and readjust our attitudes if necessary. In this way, Story Telling can be a tool for self-improvement and better understanding the things that matter most to you in your life.

By listening to stories about other people’s experiences, we can take a look at our own lives from a different perspective… This is an effective way of learning about yourself and following a path that you truly enjoy.

7. Storytelling Gives Us A Sense Of Personal Identity

  By telling stories about our past experiences, we can reflect on what has happened and determine who we truly are as individuals. The ability to tell someone your story is an important step in becoming comfortable with yourself and accepting the roles you play in the lives of others.

8. Storytelling Promotes Creativity

  Stories make use of our imaginations as we picture various scenes in our heads as we go along with the flow of the story. In this way, storytelling is a form of art that encourages creativity and originality.

9. Storytelling Inspires Adventure

  The best stories from books & movies are always the ones that inspire you to pursue adventure in some way or another, whether it’s a place you want to visit or something you want to achieve in life. For example, after reading the Harry Potter series, millions of readers wanted to go to Hogwarts and attend classes like Harry & his friends did at the school for wizards.   

10. Storytelling Promotes Language Development

When children hear a story, they naturally begin to imitate the language used throughout it. This helps them develop their vocabulary and speech skills in a more natural way than reading from a book or taking other types of classes.

This is also beneficial for older audiences, as it can help polish their personal and public speaking skills.

11. Storytelling Helps To Relax & Enhance Sleep Quality

  When we hear someone tell a story that has a powerful impact on us, our bodies release the hormone oxytocin which helps to establish trust and reduce stress levels. This makes storytelling a great activity for humans, to help them relax before they go to sleep.

12. Storytelling Boosts Emotional Health

  We all have moments of sadness, happiness, anger, disappointment…Using storytelling as a form of expression is an effective way of relieving these emotions that build up inside us. It can be therapeutic for people who have a hard time expressing themselves through words alone.

13. Storytelling Fosters Social Interaction

  Storytelling is a social activity that brings people together, creating an opportunity to bond over the things they have in common and express their unique points of view. In addition, storytelling has been found as one of the best activities for developing social skills among children.

14. Storytelling Provides Insight Into Others’ the Mental States

  One of the greatest benefits of storytelling is that it provides insight into other people’s emotions and how they feel about their experiences. This can be a very valuable tool for therapists, coaches, politicians, relatives… As they can gain greater insights into other people’s beliefs and attitudes by hearing their stories.

15. Storytelling Promotes Group Unity

  In addition to the benefits of storytelling on an individual level, some social aspects help to promote cohesion within a group setting.   Group storytelling is beneficial for team-building activities as it helps members of a team work together to create a well-organized and captivating story.

This helps to build relationships and trust among the members of the team, as they learn how their teammates work, think & behave in different situations.

Importance Of Storytelling – Conclusion

After understanding the importance of storytelling and how it can impact our lives, we should make a conscious effort to practice it more often, whether we’re at home with family & friends, or work as entrepreneurs.

It doesn’t matter if you tell a story correctly or not. What matters is that you can convey an idea effectively, so that the people on the other side understand what you’re trying to say.

References