"We owe it to each other to tell stories." -Neil Gaiman
Stories are important. In fact, they are the single most unique aspect of the human race. We use stories to pass along concepts that are to abstract or unbelievable to be said straight out, they are examples. All stories are examples, examples of good and bad, examples of foolishness and bravery, examples of what is human and what is inhuman. We use stories to teach our children who they are and what they stand for, in this way we preserve our beliefs. Likewise, stories can be used to incite change or to inspire thought. Stories are the fabric of philosophy. Where scientists consider the outcomes of experiments and use logic to determine a deeper meaning, philosophers examine stories and use logic to find a deeper meaning. Stories are a fundamental part of human language and understanding. Ask yourself how something works. Your answer is a story. An example: How does a seed become a tree? First, the seed is carried from it's parent tree. It lands in a suitable patch of dirt with plenty of water and sunlight. It puts down roots. It becomes a sprout and it's baby leaves unfurl. It grows bigger and stronger. Eventually, it is a sapling. Still more it grows stretching ever upward and outward, reaching for the nurishing sunlight, plunging down and out in search of fertile soil. Soon, it is a tree. And that is the story of how a tree grows from a seed.
Tales about humans or human-like beings are the most common type of story and we tell these stories in many ways. Ancient man no doubt told stories primarily by word of mouth. Imagine a group of hardened people. They are wearing clothing made from hide and they are gathered around a roaring fire. One of them begins to speak. He is smaller than the other men. His hair is long and matted. His beard is scraggely and has food in it. His voice, however, is strong and clear and it is with a sense of personal pride that he tells his stories. Truly, the stories are not his alone. They belong to his people and they resonate with triumphs long past. He tells the achievements of the ancestors and extols the virtues of their ways. The people gathered around the fire sit in rapt attention as the stories flow around and through them. There is pride in their souls and a spirit of oneness in the air. The winter is cold, and long, and hard. Rival tribes encroach upon their territory and often shed blood. Mother nature takes from them their loved ones and their friends but they will persevere like their ancestors did. The storyteller knows this, and though he never says it aloud he knows that only his stories can give them the strength they need.
Tales about humans or human-like beings are the most common type of story and we tell these stories in many ways. Ancient man no doubt told stories primarily by word of mouth. Imagine a group of hardened people. They are wearing clothing made from hide and they are gathered around a roaring fire. One of them begins to speak. He is smaller than the other men. His hair is long and matted. His beard is scraggely and has food in it. His voice, however, is strong and clear and it is with a sense of personal pride that he tells his stories. Truly, the stories are not his alone. They belong to his people and they resonate with triumphs long past. He tells the achievements of the ancestors and extols the virtues of their ways. The people gathered around the fire sit in rapt attention as the stories flow around and through them. There is pride in their souls and a spirit of oneness in the air. The winter is cold, and long, and hard. Rival tribes encroach upon their territory and often shed blood. Mother nature takes from them their loved ones and their friends but they will persevere like their ancestors did. The storyteller knows this, and though he never says it aloud he knows that only his stories can give them the strength they need.