Why Storytelling Matters

Storytelling, when well-crafted and delivered, is capable of inducing hormones and neurotransmitters as if one is experiencing the story oneself.  How can we use that biological fact to enhance our work in public health, governmental services and healthcare?

Check out this TEDTalk at https://youtu.be/Nj-hdQMa3uA?si=ziw0ibKiW83zaDgy by David J.P. Phillips.  He says all storytelling, by definition is dopamine producing.  Dopamine contributes to focus, motivation and memory.  Other ‘good’ hormones in what Phillips calls an ‘angel’s cocktail’ include oxytocin which contributes to generosity, trust and bonding.  Or endorphins which makes people laugh allowing them to relax, be more focused and creative.  Storytelling creates empathy resulting in the person feeling more human and relaxed, and more bonded to the storyteller.

Phillips also describes a ‘devil’s cocktail’ in which storytelling induces cortisol and adrenaline which causes intolerance, irritability, being uncreative, critical, memory impaired and bad decisions.

Phillips goes on to suggest that we should each enhance our functional storytelling skills by:

• Realizing we each have 3-4 more stories worth telling than we concede.  The issue is we typically have not believed in the value of storytelling.

• Write down your stories and observe which hormones are activated by each story, documenting that on the story card/paper.

• Index your stories by the hormone you wish to induce.  Then when next going into a meeting or presentation, you can pull from your repertoire of stories to significantly enhance the impact you are seeking.

This is powerful! Worth taking the time to ‘learn’ to be a good storyteller.