"We, human beings, are fundamentally narrative creatures. We all need a story to live, our brains are wired to make sense of our world and ourselves through stories. Friedrich Nietzsche said, " He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how". Stories attempt to answer our why questions. Earliest cave paintings and the latest Pixar movie are a testament to our enduring fascination with stories. We will continue to be captivated by them even through the times of AI."
"Jordan Peterson says, " It is the near-simultaneous discovery by literary critics, researchers into robotics and artificial intelligence, cognitive scientists and neuropsychologists alike that we do and even must perceive reality through a story. Or more accurately, they discovered that a story is a portrayal of the structure through which we perceive reality." Our world is too complex to navigate without direction and purpose. To help us make sense of our reality, we create narratives that help filter and focus on what matters."
Humans are fundamentally narrative creatures whose brains construct stories to make sense of the world and the self. Having a meaningful "why" enables endurance through hardship. Stories range from cave paintings to modern films and persist despite technological change. Perception of reality operates through narrative structure, providing direction and purpose and helping filter complexity. Real-life, fictional, business, and ideological stories evolve into enduring meta-narratives that shape identity, belonging, significance, and transcendence. Cultural archetypes like the American Dream and rags-to-riches exemplify powerful meta-narratives across political, cultural, ethnic, historical, and religious domains.
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