Why Should We Tell Stories?

Storytelling is still underestimated because its key purposes are not stressed.

If you have boarded commercial buses in Lagos, Nigeria, you should relate with the kinds of stories that people share in traffic.

These stories are coloured with variety — co-workers hating on the human resource manager, women complaining about stubborn children, passengers haggling with the conductor and angry louts hitting on the vehicle.

Sometimes, you are too tired to listen, but your mind forces you to eavesdrop because those who engage in these conversations often do so in high pitches.

Most times, one person does the talking and everyone else listens.

I recall that once, I was on a bus heading to Ketu from Oshodi. A middle-aged man was seated next to me. He had a product to sell to the passengers. It was a drug he claimed to cure both ‘madness’ and HIV.

At first, I thought that I was having a migraine. But I almost died when I heard him add that the drug could cure virtually all ailments, except death.

No! No! Come again, somebody!

A drug that cured psychiatric issues, HIV and all ailments?

So,why did my great-grandfather die? Why do people die today, everyday? Is it that they have not heard about this wonder drug?

I even thought about confronting him, but the guts to do so died when I noticed a few passengers handing out cash in exchange of the concoction, wrapped in a little black cellophane bag.

I also thought that the rest of us who refused to purchase this drugs were wise. My assumption failed again when his narrative took a different dimension.

He had gone as far as combining half-baked stories from basic medical science courses and breaking it down for the laymen in the bus.

Then, he started adding stories on cancers, diabetes and hypertension.

It was at this point that he sold off the entire product.

I acknowledge that these passengers took very big risks with their lives by purchasing that unrefined omnipotent drug.

However, I did not overlook the fact that the dealer would not have sold them off if he did not understand or use compelling narratives to win their hearts.

Purposeful, persuasive and powerful stories have calls-to-action that align with specific aims and objectives for sharing them.

Otherwise, the narrative is likened to a driver speeding consistently on the road to nowhere, the wrong direction.

Stories are used for various reasons. A knowledge of these key purposes of storytelling, with the desired results, will also enable you harness this tool wisely.

We Tell/Listen To Stories:

• Because it is natural to humans Human beings are natural storytellers. It is in our nature to tell stories. Everything around us has a story behind it. That is why we tend to form facts, figures, or events that are not even stories, into stories.

• To connect with and engage our listeners

People want to be so involved that their hearts, minds, feelings and pocket are in the direction of the speaker. Do you now know why they say that business is about 80% attraction and 20% sales?

• To educate and inspire or persuade people to take action.

We tell stories to plant ideas, thoughts and emotions in the listener so that they take actions, roles and responsibilities that leads them to a greater cause.

• Stories enable us to learn from people’s experiences.

We also learn about people’s culture, trials and triumphs; how to solve problems and differences between evil and good. Storytelling is like genetics where narratives from historical events are passed down from one generation to another.

• To entertain

The world is so hard now, that we ought to laugh harder. Stories are told to relieve stress.

• To create lasting impressions.

Stories that illustrate are easily memorized by listeners and are less likely to be forgotten. Stories teach in a different way. It makes facts, data, charts and graphs easily understandable, memorable and shareable.

When we dig deep, we will discover that there are many reasons for which stories are told. Why do you want to tell stories? What other key purposes of storytelling can you think of? Feel free to let me know by leaving a feedback.

You can also learn more by joining the storytelling community.