Why do we remember best information in the form of stories or the power of Storytelling

In 1748, the British politician and aristocrat John Montagu loved to play cards. And he was very fond of snacking during the game, and it created a certain problem - how to keep the cards at the same time and there?

And then he came up with an idea that solves this problem - to put a piece of ham between two slices of bread. So there was a sandwich - one of the most popular (and tasty) inventions in the western world.

Do you know what the best part? What you are now well remember the story. If the same information was presented in the form of a standard bullet, you are unlikely to remember it so well.

More than 27,000 years ago, when man began to put his first drawings on the cave walls and thus tell tribesmen that had happened to him, storytelling has become the main option information transmission from generation to generation.

And ever since storytelling (storytelling) has become the most effective way to convey information so that it is really well remembered. Why are we so good at remembering information, which are arrayed in the form of stories, and so bad - the bare facts and data in charts, lists, and tables?

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When we listen to stories, our brain works actively

We all love stories, good movies, books, or what we tell friends, trying to explain something, or teach us something new. Why is this happening? Why is our brain is actively respond to stories from the perspective of neuroscience?

In fact, everything is very simple. While viewing the standard, boring presentations with tables, bulleted lists, charts, activates a specific part of the brain. Scientists call it "Broca's area" and "Wernicke's area". This process includes part responsible for processing language, and other parts of the brain that are responsible for our feelings when we are going through the same events. And all this, nothing else happens.

But when someone tells us what delicious food he tried, for example, in Spain, to the internal dialogue of our brain are connected and other parts - the sensory areas of the cortex, as if it were on the move, then it would be joined by parts of the cortex, which are responsible for motor function.

Such metaphors as "the velvet voice of the singer," or "his calloused hands" include parts of the cortex responsible for our sensors. When the study participants read out the sentence "John grabbed object" or "Pablo hit ball "brain scan at this point showed incorporation of the motor cortex, which coordinates movement body.

When we listen to the story, we connect to that all parts of our brain. Moreover, when we tell the story to someone, it helps us to organize information and once again a meaningful look at the overall picture, and the same synchronizes us with our listeners.

For example, one woman told the story in English, and volunteers understand it, and at this point their brain is synchronized with it. When activated it islet (part of the brain), the same portion ignited and the listeners. When the scanner light up its frontal part, the same thing happened with the audience. That is simply telling the story, we can sow ideas, thoughts, and certain emotions in the brain of our listeners.

Telling the story, we force people to experience the same thing. Or at least enable them the same regions of the brain that were active in us when we had all what we tell.

Evolution has provided our brains with all necessary in order to enable us to tell stories. As it is right to use?

We know that our brain is much more active when we listen to the stories. But why exactly is happening? Why history format?

The answer is simple: because our brain is equipped with all the necessary equipment for this purpose. History for us - this is a causal relationship. And that is how our thinking process.

When we hear a story, we have a desire to compare it with the experience that we already had. That is why it works well metaphors in stories. And while we are searching for in their bins memory of this experience, our brain activates the "island" - a site that helps us to find similar experiences pain, joy, disgust, and so on.

This figure is probably best describes what is happening at this moment in our heads:

During the experiment at Yale University John Bargh found that we automatically associate metaphors and events.

During the experiment, participants were required to undergo a preliminary interview, supposedly one of the experimenters. They thought that the experiment itself will begin immediately thereafter. In fact, the experiment began as soon as the experimenter asked participants to help him and hold his cup of coffee, while he will deal with an armful of folders in his hands. At the same time, there were two versions of coffee - hot and iced. Then the participants were read a description of some individuals and those who are holding a cup of hot coffee is usually assessed them as friendly. At the same time the rest of the features remain the same.

That is, until we listen to the story, our brain is busy to be looking for cause-and-effect relationships that we hear with what we have already experienced.

3 ways to use history

If you want to infect others with his idea, tell them the story. Has it ever happened to you when something like that - you told one story, and in a few days you are telling him the same thing with absolute certainty that this is your idea? It is completely natural and at the same time effective way to infect people around them with their ideas and thoughts. According to Uri Hasson of Princeton is - the only way to do so that the listener hears your story or idea as his own experience.

So if you want to infect all your project, instead of the standard presentations tell the story, and move to what your idea - the best that can be done.

Make your story more convincing - tell about themselves (their experiences) or give examples from the experience of experts. When you start to write (or talk) about something, you may come to mind is that your experience may not be enough. What you do can you tell? In such cases it is better to resort to the option "call a friend" and invite your story expert in the field. Or at least give some quotes of people who really know the subject of your article. This is a good way to give a sense of security and reliability and, at the same time, tell an interesting story.

Simple story better convoluted. When we think about the history, we somehow think that the more difficult it will be, the more details and updates, the better. In fact, the simpler the story, the better your chances that it will be remembered. Using simple words or words of medium difficulty - the easiest way to activate the desired areas of the brain from the audience and get them to empathize. For this reason people can not multitask. Try to reduce the number of adjectives and compound nouns and replace them with more simple.

And last... Your brain learns to ignore certain words that are commonly abused in order to make the story unbelievable

In the study, researchers found that some words and phrases lose their strength to the narrative. For example, the phrase "tough day" is used so often that now it's just words and nothing more. They will not be able to give your story the tone that you want them to.

This means that these words simply do not activate the desired area in the frontal cortex of the brain responsible for emotions. So think about what words and phrases you use often and your environment, you often hear, and try not to use them in your next presentation.

In order to convey their ideas and thoughts of the world, that will not be forgotten (in one ear to the other - has taken off) and will be transmitted by word of mouth, we must learn how to tell stories. And tell them well.

Now I understand why my mother is so often repeated phrase, "Well, how can you?! You are listening to me?! In one ear to the other flew! "Maybe for her, I really heard, it was necessary not to repeat a hundred times the same thing, and tell the right story?