"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."
"The real-life stories that inspire us, the fictional stories that stretch our imagination, business stories that motivate us, and ideological stories that unite or divide us evolve into overarching meta-narratives we inhabit, whether we are aware of it or not. Surprisingly, we are often drawn to the ones that help us cope with our struggles and the wounds we carry. They attempt to provide answers to our deeper human need for identity, belonging, significance, purpose, and transcendence."
Humans construct stories to make sense of the world and the self, answering existential why questions and enabling resilience. Narrative perception filters and focuses attention, giving direction and purpose within complex reality. Cultural expressions from cave paintings to modern films reflect persistent fascination with stories. Individual, fictional, business, and ideological narratives coalesce into meta-narratives that shape identity, belonging, significance, purpose, and transcendence. People often gravitate toward narratives that help them cope with struggles and wounds. Common meta-narratives include promises of prosperity and rags-to-riches journeys that motivate collective and individual action.
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