When something matters, truly matters, we teach and learn it through a story. The tales of children, told by adults, lay the foundations for the adults those children become. The stories of our families define us, the stories of our generation challenge us, and the stories of humanity humble us. We are, all of us, storytellers. Some of us just do not know it consciously, but all of us do it, everyday. Every major philosophical, spiritual, or temporal leader has taught us through the use of stories. To put it another way, if it was good enough for Jesus, Lincoln and Buddha, don't you think it might be good enough for you too?
Think about the stories of your childhood, and how you live your life today - see the connection? Sit down and talk with someone for some time about the stories they were told as children, you will learn a great deal about them through those simple stories.
I was thinking the other day about storytelling and what makes for a good story. I'm not talking about the formula of a good story, although many would suggest that using the ABDCE format works pretty well in most instances. A famous writer herself, Anne Lamott, shares this idea in her wonderful book "Bird by Bird." In a nutshell the formula is Action + Background + Development + Climax = Ending. I also enjoyed her comments about how the purpose of drama is to hold our interest by using the formula of setup, build up, and pay off. If you are interested in her ideas you should check her book out, it is well worth reading.
I am talking instead about those emotional learning points, those sign posts of what it means to be human, and how those resonate in stories. It is a lot like obscenity, you know it when you see it - here are some things I look for:
Connection - when I emotionally feel something internally because of the story that I am reading or watching, particularly if it causes me to feel something that I equate to a core value. I think that those values are not unique, each of us is connected to them to the degree in which we share in the human experience.
Duality - Darkness/Light, Good Evil. Just as a candle cannot be bright unless it is placed in darkness, light is best scene through its relationship with the dark. This story is particularly compelling when the light and dark reside together within a single person.
The story behind the story - is there a greater good that is implicated, implicitly and otherwise, by the story? Most human beings long to belong to something greater than themselves, something more - does the story call us to that in some way, even if it is just by example? What is really being taught - and how well?
Finally, can the ultimate lesson be understood and applied contextually, regardless of the reader's internal beliefs or point of view?
Each of us tell the story of our life every day, do you like the one you are telling? Now the answer to that question is one worth discussing.
