Everywhere we look, there are stories. Stories—real or historical, true or false—bombard us from every media outlet, every entertainment device, every personal conversation. And if that weren’t enough, our own life is a story. A story we’re stuck in the middle of, standing half-terrified with a dozen hanging threads and puzzling over the right way to weave them together.
Like every story, the story of the world is made up not of mathematical formulas and scientific laws, but of character-molding decisions made moment by moment. History has never, can never, be satisfactorily explained by a closed circle of law or random chaos. It’s a story whose pages are full of the thrill of the unknown and the purpose of an author.
This is why humans love stories, why we tell stories to each other, and run to hear the best stories told over and over. We’re caught in the middle of a story, so of course, we want to understand better what a story is. How does a story work out—how can tragedy turn into triumph, how can hurt mold a hero?
A story tells us more about our world than any textbook: it penetrates to our unspoken, sometimes unacknowledged sense that things are going somewhere, that life is exciting, that we are adventure-bound. Yes, adventure-bound, even sitting here in a cubicle with the smell of stale coffee wafting, where our day jobs are mundane and repetitive.
Stories tell us, too, about the storyteller. The wildest fiction in the world shows more truly who the storyteller is than the most detailed resume. A story reveals what is most important to a person: their dreams, aspirations, and beliefs. A story weaves together past and present, and its tendrils reach into the future, unifying a personality across wildly different experiences.
Humans have lived many times and in many places with little to no knowledge of science and mathematics. But go where you will, you will never find a person without a story and a love for stories.
Story, not science, is what unites and explains the world.
Story, not science, spreads enthusiasm and joy.
Story, not science, gives us courage and calls us upward.
Each of us has a story to tell, shaped by the life we’ve lived and the person we are. That story may be a direct retelling of the events we’ve been a part of, or it may be a fictional tale that illustrates a truth that’s captivated us. Regardless, your story has the potential to delight, encourage, and inspire. So enjoy stories, share stories, and live the best story you can imagine.
"Stories shape history—the great story of humanity."