What makes true stories so powerful? Why should everyone share stories about their lives?
Matthew Dicks is a champion oral storyteller and the author of Storyworthy. According to Dicks, there are more benefits to telling stories than just entertainment. Storytelling can boost your career, allow for personal growth, and facilitate intimacy.
Here’s why storytelling matters and the benefits you can gain from sharing your experiences.
The Importance of Storytelling
Are you wondering why storytelling matters? When Matthew Dicks talks about stories, he’s referring to people’s firsthand accounts of important events in their lives. According to Dicks, these are more powerful than fictional stories because they create genuine connections between the storyteller and the audience. Personal stories require vulnerability, honesty, and authenticity from the storyteller, which allows the audience to feel that they know the person better by the end of the story.
(Shortform note: Dicks’s assertion that personal narratives are more powerful than fictional stories may have scientific backing. Researchers have found that fiction and nonfiction spark distinct patterns of brain activation: Stories we think are true activate parts of the brain that model actions, consequences, and the passage of time, while fictional stories activate brain networks related to mind-wandering and daydreaming. This suggests that personal narratives may be easier for listeners to pay attention to, internalize, and relate to—they see the events as part of the real world they live in, so they listen more attentively.)
Dicks emphasizes that everyone has the capacity to tell stories about their lives—and more importantly, everyone should share their stories for the following three reasons:
1) Storytelling can bolster your career: Most professions require you to present ideas, persuade others, or build relationships. Developing storytelling skills helps you communicate better so you can achieve these ends and makes your ideas more memorable and impactful.
(Shortform note: Storytelling has such a strong emotional impact that some people may use it to manipulate others in their line of work. For example, a multi-level marketer might tell misleading stories to convince others to join their pyramid scheme. In Unleash the Power of Storytelling, Rob Biesenbach argues that it’s thus important to use stories responsibly so that they don’t harm your audience. Additionally, according to Ann Handley in Everybody Writes, you should avoid telling misleading stories because they can damage your reputation and, consequently, your career. Later in this guide, we’ll dive deeper into Dicks’s tips for telling honest stories.)
2) Storytelling gives you greater insight into your experiences: Stories are a chance to process and understand your life more deeply. Identifying meaningful moments and how they’ve shaped you enhances your self-awareness and sense of personal growth.
(Shortform note: Some philosophers espouse the theory of narrative identity, which holds that we understand ourselves through the stories we tell about our lives. By crafting and reflecting on these narratives, we give coherence to our experiences and find meaning in the events that shape us. This is why experts stress the importance of narrative therapy for trauma survivors. When survivors tell stories about their worst experiences, they can integrate difficult memories into their overall life story and empower themselves to move forward. However, some critics argue that life is too complex to fit into a neat narrative, so we shouldn’t think of our lives as stories.)
3) Storytelling facilitates intimacy: When you share your stories with friends and partners, they can see who you truly are—and they’re likely to open up to you in return. Such opportunities for mutual vulnerability can fortify all your relationships. (Shortform note: Research suggests that when people share stories with each other, their brain waves synchronize. This explains why storytelling helps you build strong connections—you’re not just learning more about one another, but also experiencing a shared psychological journey.)
