the benefits of story telling

• Popular tales do far more than entertain,
• Why does our brain seem to be wired to enjoy stories? And how do the emotional and cognitive effects of a narrative influence our beliefs and real-world decisions?
• We tell stories about other people and for other people
• Stories help us to keep tabs on what is happening in our communities.
• The safe, imaginary world of a story may be a kind of training ground, where we can practice interacting with others and learn the customs and rules of society.
• And stories have a unique power to persuade and motivate, because they appeal to our emotions and capacity for empathy.
• Storytelling is one of the few human traits that are truly universal across culture and through all of known history
• People in societies of all types weave narratives, from oral storytellers in hunter-gatherer tribes to the millions of writers churning out books, television shows and movies.
• the best stories—those retold through generations and translated into other languages—do more than simply present a believable picture.
• These tales captivate their audience, whose emotions can be inextricably tied to those of the story’s characters. Such immersion is a state psychologists call “narrative transport.”
• The power of stories does not stop with their ability to reveal the workings of our minds. Narrative is also a potent persuasive tool, according to Hogan and other researchers, and it has the ability to shape beliefs and change minds.
• Advertisers have long taken advantage of narrative persuasiveness by sprinkling likable characters or funny stories into their commercials

Scientific American Mind - September 18, 2008
The Secrets of Storytelling: Why We Love a Good Yarn
Our love for telling tales reveals the workings of the mind
By Jeremy Hsu