6 ms·

What storytelling does to our brains

175 points by joeyespo 14y ago

NathanKP 14y ago
Our brain learns to ignore certain overused words and phrases that are used to make stories awesome This applies tremendously in marketing, and is one of the reasons why marketing speak has to change constantly. Otherwise people start ignoring the cliché ad speak.
- joe_the_user 14y ago
  If only the author used this insight to look at the "what X does to our brains" framework that he organized his post with.
eggoa 14y ago
So, we're vulnerable to persuasion by storytelling. Try to stay skeptical when someone tells you a compelling story.
- bennesvig 14y ago
  Also pay attention to the story that you tell yourself. We often create elaborate stories to justify to ourselves why we can't do something.
iyulaev 14y ago
Tyler Cowen has a great TEDx talk (from a while back!) that hits many of the same points, in an arguably clearer way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoEEDKwzNBw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoEEDKwzNBw
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
- namank 14y ago
  User vs. the designer. Audience vs. the singer. Critic vs. the creator.
R_Edward 14y ago
Try for example to reduce the number adjectives or complicated nouns in a presentation or article and exchange them with more simple, yet heartfelt language. But... what if one has developed a rich vocabulary, and truly does feel those more complicated sentence structures and Five-dollar words from the heart? Is it better to dumb down my storytelling language so the listener can more rapidly assimilate the message, if by doing so, it is no longer my linguistic passion that ignites the tale?
- DigitalJack 14y ago
  If the point is to communicate then yes, doing something that helps the listener more rapidly assimilate the message is the right thing to do. If the point is for you to express yourself in the way that ignites your passion, whether or not anyone else cares or understands, then the answer is no, do not compromise your desires.
- alexknowshtml 14y ago
  Are you writing for you, or for your reader? Which do you think matters more? Also, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_prose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_prose
  - R_Edward 14y ago
    Not writing; speaking. Now it's not as if I deliberately employ sesquipedalian graphology for the express purpose of obfuscation. But I've spent a lifetime developing a rich, meaty vocabulary, and I'll be damned if I'm going to talk like a public high school sophomore with a sub-20 ACT score. Just sayin'.
    - samspot 14y ago
      You may have built up a huge arsenal of words, but it is still important to choose the ones that best get your point across to your intended audience, whether simple or complex. The real challenge is being understood, not using awesome words, and there are plenty of circumstances where the simple words will not be sufficient for what you are trying to do.
joe_the_user 14y ago
OK, we know language is good communication medium for dealing with humans, hopefully. Metaphor, drama, sensory-rich descriptions and so-forth are good tools for the language. These may or may not work well put together into a story. And consider, a "hook" like "what X does to your brain" indeed combines interest-in-your-favorite-person-yourself and the crunchy authority of science. Those can work well till they get old and start to sound thin, formulaic and manipulative. My next blog post will be: "What crude simplifications do to ours brains"
runevault 14y ago
There's actually a book on writing that came out somewhat recently that talks about this topic in great detail. Was an interesting read from a writer perspective as well as general thoughts on how storytelling impacts people. If you're interested you can search for Wired for Story.
- rooster8 14y ago
  Thanks for sharing. I've been looking for a book like this for a few weeks.
klutometis 14y ago
I decided to abandon bullet-based decks a few years ago for images and narratives (even when dealing with programming), followed by a live-coding demonstration; anecdotally, the response to talks I've given in this format has been great. Years later, people will spontaneously write and reminisce about such and such a talk on e.g. extending Roxygen. This is, incidentally, the same format as my daughter's bed-time stories; coincidence?
justjimmy 14y ago
"Make others come up with your idea. / The next time you struggle with getting people on board with your projects and ideas, simply tell them a story, where the outcome is that doing what you had in mind, is the best thing to do." Sounds like Inception!
- rheide 14y ago
  I have a friend who does this to me occasionally. It pisses me off. Just get to the point, man! ;) When you know the magic trick, and when you can see the motivation while the story is being told, it's a lot less impressive.
  - pycassa 14y ago
    well, story telling has its place and timing. If all he does is telling stories people. It becomes annoying, unless he is really good at it.
- eungyu 14y ago
  Indeed! Better quote from the article would be: storytelling is the only way to plant ideas into other people’s minds. This is way easier than recursively going into someone's dream, only to meet your ex-wife as base condition.
samspot 14y ago
When I read this I realized that ministers have been using this tactic effectively for hundreds of years (if not more--I have only read from people from the last 400 years or so). I think this component is what is missing in my own presentations. I have never liked telling stories but maybe it is time to learn a new tactic.
- MartinCron 14y ago
  Even if you look at Jesus as a secular historical figure (Thomas Jefferson-style) it's pretty clear that he was a master storyteller.
seanlinehan 14y ago
About a year ago I starting becoming incredibly interested in making ideas spread. I decided to read books on how to present myself and my ideas in a way that builds my own credibility, trustworthiness, and helps people to take on my ideas. If you are interested in these things, I highly recommend Made to Stick by the Heath Brothers [1]. It focuses on the SUCCESs framework: S - Short U - Unexpected C - Credible C - Concrete E - Emotional S - Stories They elaborate in excellent detail on each of these ideas and the acronym that they coined is a perfect example. In terms of building your own credibility, I suggest reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. [2] This book is instrumental in understanding the basic concepts that can have a material impact on your life. I think that Autobiography of Ben Franklin [3] teaches a few key lessons in the use of diffidence that harmonizes well with Carnegie's ideas. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287 http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/140... [2] http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034 http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/06... [3] http://www.classicly.com/download-autobiography-of-benjamin-franklin-pdf http://www.classicly.com/download-autobiography-of-benjamin-...
bhntr3 14y ago
http://www.amazon.com/Wired-Story-Writers-Science-Sentence/dp/1607742454/ http://www.amazon.com/Wired-Story-Writers-Science-Sentence/d... Wired for Story is a great book about the science of story. I think it applies to a lot more than writing.
- DenisM 14y ago
  Bought the book on your recommendation. Thanks.
ekianjo 14y ago
Don't you like it when a blog post about storytelling finishes with the obligatory 5 lines on "oh by the way, we want comments to make it seem like our blog is hugely popular. tell us your comments on the subject!" Looks like they forgot to tell the story of why comments would enhance their content. Fail.
- tobydownton 14y ago
  Wow. The first comment on HN in a long while that made we wish for a down arrow.
- QuantumGood 14y ago
  Bloggers who want engagement often make the request for comments appear very cliched. It's a key spot for improvement in many blogs, and your point "tell the story of why comments would enhance [this] content" seems like a good direction to give to bloggers. Do you have an example of this done well?
pattisapu 14y ago
"Picture Work" http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41505/41505-h/41505-h.htm http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41505/41505-h/41505-h.htm
charleshaanel 14y ago
" Not only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain, that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too." It's good to be reminded of this...

175 points by joeyespo 14y ago

Our brain learns to ignore certain overused words and phrases that are used to make stories awesome This applies tremendously in marketing, and is one of the reasons why marketing speak has to change constantly. Otherwise people start ignoring the cliché ad speak.

joe_the_user 14y ago
If only the author used this insight to look at the "what X does to our brains" framework that he organized his post with.

eggoa 14y ago

So, we're vulnerable to persuasion by storytelling. Try to stay skeptical when someone tells you a compelling story.

bennesvig 14y ago
Also pay attention to the story that you tell yourself. We often create elaborate stories to justify to ourselves why we can't do something.

iyulaev 14y ago

Tyler Cowen has a great TEDx talk (from a while back!) that hits many of the same points, in an arguably clearer way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoEEDKwzNBw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoEEDKwzNBw

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

namank 14y ago
User vs. the designer. Audience vs. the singer. Critic vs. the creator.

R_Edward 14y ago

Try for example to reduce the number adjectives or complicated nouns in a presentation or article and exchange them with more simple, yet heartfelt language. But... what if one has developed a rich vocabulary, and truly does feel those more complicated sentence structures and Five-dollar words from the heart? Is it better to dumb down my storytelling language so the listener can more rapidly assimilate the message, if by doing so, it is no longer my linguistic passion that ignites the tale?

DigitalJack 14y ago
If the point is to communicate then yes, doing something that helps the listener more rapidly assimilate the message is the right thing to do. If the point is for you to express yourself in the way that ignites your passion, whether or not anyone else cares or understands, then the answer is no, do not compromise your desires.
alexknowshtml 14y ago
Are you writing for you, or for your reader? Which do you think matters more? Also, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_prose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_prose
- R_Edward 14y ago
  Not writing; speaking. Now it's not as if I deliberately employ sesquipedalian graphology for the express purpose of obfuscation. But I've spent a lifetime developing a rich, meaty vocabulary, and I'll be damned if I'm going to talk like a public high school sophomore with a sub-20 ACT score. Just sayin'.
  - samspot 14y ago
    You may have built up a huge arsenal of words, but it is still important to choose the ones that best get your point across to your intended audience, whether simple or complex. The real challenge is being understood, not using awesome words, and there are plenty of circumstances where the simple words will not be sufficient for what you are trying to do.

joe_the_user 14y ago

OK, we know language is good communication medium for dealing with humans, hopefully. Metaphor, drama, sensory-rich descriptions and so-forth are good tools for the language. These may or may not work well put together into a story. And consider, a "hook" like "what X does to your brain" indeed combines interest-in-your-favorite-person-yourself and the crunchy authority of science. Those can work well till they get old and start to sound thin, formulaic and manipulative. My next blog post will be: "What crude simplifications do to ours brains"

runevault 14y ago

There's actually a book on writing that came out somewhat recently that talks about this topic in great detail. Was an interesting read from a writer perspective as well as general thoughts on how storytelling impacts people. If you're interested you can search for Wired for Story.

rooster8 14y ago
Thanks for sharing. I've been looking for a book like this for a few weeks.

klutometis 14y ago

I decided to abandon bullet-based decks a few years ago for images and narratives (even when dealing with programming), followed by a live-coding demonstration; anecdotally, the response to talks I've given in this format has been great. Years later, people will spontaneously write and reminisce about such and such a talk on e.g. extending Roxygen. This is, incidentally, the same format as my daughter's bed-time stories; coincidence?

justjimmy 14y ago

"Make others come up with your idea. / The next time you struggle with getting people on board with your projects and ideas, simply tell them a story, where the outcome is that doing what you had in mind, is the best thing to do." Sounds like Inception!

rheide 14y ago
I have a friend who does this to me occasionally. It pisses me off. Just get to the point, man! ;) When you know the magic trick, and when you can see the motivation while the story is being told, it's a lot less impressive.
- pycassa 14y ago
  well, story telling has its place and timing. If all he does is telling stories people. It becomes annoying, unless he is really good at it.
eungyu 14y ago
Indeed! Better quote from the article would be: storytelling is the only way to plant ideas into other people’s minds. This is way easier than recursively going into someone's dream, only to meet your ex-wife as base condition.

samspot 14y ago

When I read this I realized that ministers have been using this tactic effectively for hundreds of years (if not more--I have only read from people from the last 400 years or so). I think this component is what is missing in my own presentations. I have never liked telling stories but maybe it is time to learn a new tactic.

MartinCron 14y ago
Even if you look at Jesus as a secular historical figure (Thomas Jefferson-style) it's pretty clear that he was a master storyteller.

seanlinehan 14y ago

About a year ago I starting becoming incredibly interested in making ideas spread. I decided to read books on how to present myself and my ideas in a way that builds my own credibility, trustworthiness, and helps people to take on my ideas. If you are interested in these things, I highly recommend Made to Stick by the Heath Brothers [1]. It focuses on the SUCCESs framework: S - Short U - Unexpected C - Credible C - Concrete E - Emotional S - Stories They elaborate in excellent detail on each of these ideas and the acronym that they coined is a perfect example. In terms of building your own credibility, I suggest reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. [2] This book is instrumental in understanding the basic concepts that can have a material impact on your life. I think that Autobiography of Ben Franklin [3] teaches a few key lessons in the use of diffidence that harmonizes well with Carnegie's ideas. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287 http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/140... [2] http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034 http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/06... [3] http://www.classicly.com/download-autobiography-of-benjamin-franklin-pdf http://www.classicly.com/download-autobiography-of-benjamin-...

bhntr3 14y ago

http://www.amazon.com/Wired-Story-Writers-Science-Sentence/dp/1607742454/ http://www.amazon.com/Wired-Story-Writers-Science-Sentence/d... Wired for Story is a great book about the science of story. I think it applies to a lot more than writing.

DenisM 14y ago
Bought the book on your recommendation. Thanks.

ekianjo 14y ago

Don't you like it when a blog post about storytelling finishes with the obligatory 5 lines on "oh by the way, we want comments to make it seem like our blog is hugely popular. tell us your comments on the subject!" Looks like they forgot to tell the story of why comments would enhance their content. Fail.

tobydownton 14y ago
Wow. The first comment on HN in a long while that made we wish for a down arrow.
QuantumGood 14y ago
Bloggers who want engagement often make the request for comments appear very cliched. It's a key spot for improvement in many blogs, and your point "tell the story of why comments would enhance [this] content" seems like a good direction to give to bloggers. Do you have an example of this done well?

pattisapu 14y ago

"Picture Work" http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41505/41505-h/41505-h.htm http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41505/41505-h/41505-h.htm

charleshaanel 14y ago

" Not only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain, that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too." It's good to be reminded of this...