What Happens to our Audiences Brain When We Tell a Story
You’ll never reach your full potential as a communicator unless you learn to tell compelling stories.
I know, it’s a pretty strong statement, but hang in there with me, I have the science to back it up.
Dale Carnegie, one of the greatest speakers in world history, once observed how, “The great truths of the world have often been couched in fascinating stories.” Watch a TED Talk and you’ll see some of the best communicators taking their cue from Carnegie as they hold their audience spellbound with compelling stories and illustrations. And few have done it better than lawyer and justice advocate, Brian Stevenson, who in 2012 gave an eighteen minute TED Talk which when he finished earned the distinction of having the longest standing ovation in the organizations history. What made his presentation so inspiring?
If we were to analyze Stevenson’s talk through Aristotle’s triad of Greek rhetoric- logos (content), ethos (credibility) and pathos (emotional appeal/passion)- we would see that ten percent of his message would fall in the logos bucket, twenty-five percent in ethos and an overwhelming sixty-five percent of his message was spent telling stories. Stories for Stevenson is not just something for the stage, it’s also an important resource he has used in his legal work as he has argued many cases successfully before the Supreme Court and across courtrooms in America. When asked how much of his effectiveness did he credit to telling stories around such sensitive subjects as race, poverty and prison reform, Brian responded, “Almost all of it. There are so many presumptions that will condemn the clients I care about, so my task is to overcome the narratives that have evolved. Almost all of what we’re trying to do turns on effective communication. You need data, facts, and analysis to challenge people, but you also need narrative to get people comfortable enough to care about the community that you are advocating for. Your audience needs to be willing to go with you on a journey” (Talk like TED, Carmine Gallo, page 45).
I got it, Bryan, you may say, but what is it about stories that are so impactful?
Dr. Uri Hasson is a psychology professor at Princeton. He and his colleagues have researched extensively what happens to our brains when we hear stories. He and his team noticed how our brains are most active when a story is told. His conclusion is that when the speaker tells the story there is a “brain-to-brain coupling” which takes place between the communicator and listener. Or to put it another way, there is a “mind meld” which happens between audience and speaker. What this means is that the most powerful weapon we have in winning people to our arguments is a good old fashion story.
Now I know the preachers reading this may object. Let’s just give people the truth of the Bible, you say. I agree, but did you know the largest genre of Scripture is narrative, or what we may call story. And then there’s Jesus. Most of his teaching utilized stories, visual aids and illustrations to persuade his audience. In fact, Jesus told so many stories, there’s a whole genre within his teaching known as parables. And let’s not forget the greatest story ever told- the gospel of Jesus Christ- which is about humanity’s sin, God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. This story is so foundational to the human experience that it’s been argued for centuries how every other story somehow points to this story. There’s no such thing as setting the stage for a pastor’s audience to receive the message of the gospel, without telling the story of the gospel.
Stories aren’t just something nice or optional we do as communicators, they’re essential. And while I’m not advocating for sixty-five percent of our messages to be composed of them (Like Brian Stevenson’s TED Talk), I do hope you will lean into narratives as a means of persuading your audience. Andrew Stanton, writer of Toy Story says, “We all love stories. We’re born for them. Stories affirm who we are. We all want affirmations that our lives have meaning. And nothing does a greater affirmation than when we connect through stories. It can cross the barriers of time, past, present and future, and allow us to experience the similarities between ourselves and through others, real and imagined” (TED, February 2012).
Speaking of stories, my next book, Grace to Overcome, is a devotional filled with thirty-one of what I believe to be some of the most compelling stories ever told. If you’re looking to step your story game up, preorder here.
