Why Do We Tell Stories?

Of all beings on earth, man is the only creature who tells stories.

Ever since we are born, and all through those years till we reach the end, there is a pressing need to be told tales. Personal tales. Family tales. National tales. Tales of friendship. Of love. Tales of every kind.

Why does that happen? What is the use of a story?

The answer lies in the fact that man is the only being who has the capacity to think not just on the range of the moment but for a great span of time. It is the mark of a highly developed being to project the future on a vast scale. Good stories help in that projection. They grab you with love, and lift to put you on a pedestal from where an uncluttered, long-range vision can be had. In fact, the more developed a person the more prominent the need to indulge in tales.

While a good storyteller opens the universe a little more; a good listener gains the vision to project, and to act, more.

#Tales #Literature #Man #Story #Philosophy