Science of Storytelling

Summary

This script explores how our brains are wired to interpret information through stories, driven by the 'Neural Story Net' and the 'Make Sense Mandate.' It discusses the importance of engaging listeners, transporting them into the narrative, ensuring relevance, and ultimately influencing their attitudes and beliefs. Kendall Haven's research is highlighted, offering four concepts crucial for effective storytelling that resonates with the audience.

Takeaways

• 🧠 **Storytelling is Hardwired**: Our brains are naturally inclined to interpret information in story structures due to over 100,000 years of evolution.
• 🧬 **Neural Story Net**: A specific part of the brain, the Neural Story Net, is responsible for applying story-like structures to make sense of information.
• 🌐 **Make Sense Mandate**: The brain's requirement for information to make sense before it can be understood and learned.
• 🔗 **Assumptions in Storytelling**: People tend to make assumptions to connect disjointed information, as demonstrated by the three-sentence story example.
• 📉 **Disengagement Risk**: If a story is too disjointed, the brain may disengage, leading to a lack of attention or understanding.
• 📢 **Engagement**: The first step to influencing an audience is getting them engaged, which can be achieved through various physical cues.
• 🚍 **Transportation**: Storytellers should aim to transport their audience into the narrative to build trust and help them visualize the story.
• 🔄 **Relevance**: The content of a story must be relevant to the audience to ensure they connect with it and do not reject the message.
• 📈 **Influence**: The ultimate goal of storytelling is to influence the audience's behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge.
• 📚 **Crafting Stories**: Effective storytelling requires a structure that ensures engagement, transportation, relevance, and influence.

Q & A

What is the main idea of the story told by Dillon?

The main idea is to demonstrate how our brains naturally interpret and make connections between disjointed pieces of information to create a coherent story.

What is the 'Neural Story Net' mentioned in the script?

The 'Neural Story Net' is a part of the brain responsible for applying story-like structures to the information we receive, helping us make sense of it.

What is the 'Make Sense Mandate'?

The 'Make Sense Mandate' is a principle stating that our brains require information to make sense before we can understand and learn from it.

How does the Neural Story Net manipulate information to make it make sense?

The Neural Story Net makes assumptions and creates connections between pieces of information to form a coherent narrative, even if the original information is disjointed or lacks explicit connections.

Why is it important for communicators to understand the Neural Story Net?

Understanding the Neural Story Net helps communicators craft messages that are more likely to be understood and retained by their audience, as it aligns with how our brains naturally process information.

What are the four major concepts identified by Kendall Haven that govern how well a message is delivered?

The four major concepts are engagement, transportation, relevance, and influence.

How does engagement play a role in storytelling?

Engagement is the first step to influencing an audience. It involves physically showing up and maintaining the audience's focus and attention.

What is transportation in the context of storytelling?

Transportation is the process of helping listeners visualize and contextualize the story, which can build trust and make the narrative more immersive.

Why is relevance important when crafting a story for an audience?

Relevance ensures that the content connects with the audience on a personal level, making them more likely to accept and engage with the message.

How does influence differ from behavior change in storytelling?

Influence in storytelling is not just about changing behavior but also about altering attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge to create a deeper impact on the audience.

What can happen if the information being communicated is too disjointed or disorganized?

If information is too disjointed or disorganized, the brain may disengage, leading to a lack of attention or understanding, and potentially causing the audience to tune out or distract themselves.