The Importance of Storytelling

“Man is in his actions and practice, as well as in his fictions, essentially a story-telling animal.” 

Storytelling is key to maintaining mental connectivity, especially at times when one is disconnected with their set plans and the realistic unraveling of their dreams. When life does not coincide in accordance with one’s plans, one is devastated and derailed from their train of thought, and processing, thus it is in one’s nature to connect to a story in order to be placed back onto their rails, and to sometimes branch out into a turnout, revealing a totally new path.

Despite the turnout path being completely new, however, one then remains on track because other than remaining derailed and confused, one is, despite not continuing on the path they were so steadily on, placed on a different journey, one that is somewhat decided by the viewing or exposure to a story being told, which at some stage had connected with one. Take for example a couple in love. After a fight, they separate, and the male had planned to have had sexual acts with the female before their separation. Because he can no longer possibly do this unless of course they had gotten back together, and because, assuming, he is saddened from this, he cannot face physical contact with another female in the event of having this happen again. So, he turns to the viewing of pornography. One may view it as a learning mechanism, or as compensation for a loved one not being near – however, in this case, one may also view it in order to insert themselves in the place of one of the actors in the pornography in order to acquire a sense of the sexual act being performed, without having undertaken it due to their circumstance. Immersion thus occurs, mentally and not physically, even though immersion in any of those two possible ways still remains immersion, per se; thus the male has experienced something rather unlikely, realistically, in the sphere of storytelling, and has thrived as a story-telling animal.

Humans, through connectivity, enjoy relationships. They tend to befriend those with similar interests, aspects or beliefs. In doing this, they are bettering themselves and the person they connect with, for both persons acquire arousal of their interests. This is the same way with stories. People generally watch movies that arouse their interests, such as an ex-military man watching a movie about war, or a woman experiencing a divorce watching a movie about murderous revenge. Similarly, a Catholic person who attends a mass is arousing their beliefs, and a person that loves cooking who attends a cooking class is arousing aspects of their personalities. All of these accumulate to the betterment of the individual through connectivity. Stories, though, strengthen the link between the person and their interests, and sometimes allow people, especially teenagers, to feel as though they are doing things that are otherwise frowned upon.

Within teenagers and gaming, for example, is a big connection, for those teenagers interested in gaming live out an aspect of their lives through what games they play. Shooting games may release and relieve children from forms of anger, because without physically harming people, they harm metaphysical beings or monsters, thus metaphorically ridding themselves of their anger. Adventure games can transport the player into the realm of which their metaphysical character is situated in. With enough focus, the player may live out their adventurous aspects of their personality through the game being played. Games are, in themselves, are metaphysical scenarios in which interested teenagers can thrive.

Reading can also provide metaphysical grounds that allow one’s psyche to thrive. From nursery rhymes to fairytales or fiction books, reading allows the opening of one’s mind and the placement of it into a fictitious realm where the author leads the events, unlike dreams where the opposite may happen.  Readers tend to get carried away in the story at hand, and they may find themselves fancying the main character. Reading may place persons in hypothetical situations without the persons having to leave their home, or the comfort of their sofa.

Connectivity is ensured when it comes to multiple forms of storytelling, or story-thriving, so long as the person who is attempting to connect with the story by using their interests as key connectors. Mental agitation can be lessened in the duration of a connectivity, due to one’s mind being at ease, briefly existing in something that is in the likeness of one’s forms of amusement. Amusement comforts the mind, thus living through an act of a story every so often comforts the person, and their mind.