Why do we tell stories? Hunter-gatherers shed light on the evolutionary roots of fiction
Daniel Smiththeconversation.com
Why do we tell stories? Hunter-gatherers shed light on the evolutionary roots of fiction
It’s testament to the powers of the storytelling brain that many psychologists argue that human language evolved in the first place in order to tell tales about each other.
Will Storr • The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better
Being a domesticated species, we’re most interested of all in the cause and effect of other people. We’re endlessly curious about them. What are they thinking? What are they plotting? Who do they love? Who do they hate? What are their secrets? What matters to them? Why does it matter? Are they an ally? Are they a threat? Why did they do that
... See moreWill Storr • The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better
storytelling is a powerful means of fostering social cooperation and teaching social norms, and it pays valuable dividends to the storytellers themselves, improving their chances of being chosen as social partners, receiving community support and even having healthy offspring.