Stories have the power to create identity, build community, and change minds

Stories don’t just entertain. Recent studies reveal the power of immersive narratives to shape identity. Shared stories can also create a sense of belonging. And when personal differences divide, stories can build bridges of empathy and understanding to bring people together. ⁱ

Even the stories we share with each other about our day are powerful tools. One researcher reports how stories can connect families, strengthen relationships, and help us make sense of and cope with chaos and suffering. Redemptive stories are especially effective in fostering mental health.

And when you want to persuade someone, a story packs more punch than a facts-only message. Recent research shows stories can be effective in getting people to change their minds—and even alter how they feel and what they do. Stories change people—for better or for worse. ⁱⁱ

i.   CEO and leadership writer Max DePree wrote in his book Leadership Is an Art about the central importance of tribal storytellers. I’ll bet you know one. Maybe you could be one.

ii.   When my wife Nancy went to church as a little girl, she noticed how quiet and attentive everyone got when the preacher would ‘tell a story.’ Don’t preachers notice this? she wondered. Why don’t they tell stories more often? Maybe that’s part of why the greatest Teacher who ever lived told so many stories.