Why storytelling is such a powerful tool for speakers
The emotionally charged story recounted at the beginning Dr. Paul Zak’s film—of a terminally ill two-year-old named Ben and his father—offers a simple yet remarkable case study in how the human brain responds to effective storytelling.
As part of his study, Dr. Zak, a founding pioneer in the emerging field of neuroeconomics, closely monitored the neural activity of hundreds of people who viewed Ben’s story.
What he discovered is that even the simplest narrative, if it is highly engaging and follows the classic dramatic arc outlined by the German playwright Gustav Freytag, can evoke powerful empathic responses associated with specific neurochemicals, namely cortisol and oxytocin. Those brain responses, in turn, can translate readily into concrete action—in the case of Dr. Zak’s study subjects, generous donations to charity and even monetary gifts to fellow participants.
By contrast, stories that fail to follow the dramatic arc of rising action/climax/denouement—no matter how outwardly happy or pleasant those stories may be—elicit little if any emotional or chemical response, and correspond to a similar absence of action. Dr. Zak’s conclusions hold profound implications for the role of storytelling in a vast range of professional and public milieus.
Sad example, that of Ben. Surely the comment about that poor child elicited an attention-getting introduction.
As you’ve said, story-telling is an important device in public speaking. These along with illustrations using an analogy and a viewpoint or leading question are the most persuasive of all arguments in public speaking. Thanks for sharing.
And it’s sad, Paul, when people don’t bother to put the time into telling stories properly, using the arc that Freytag named. The story is wasted. It’s such a powerful tool, worth doing well.