Why do we need stories?

Many times I have been asking myself this. Why do we like to hear (or watch) a good story? Is it because we are curious to see what happens in the end? But you have to be interested in the story before that, otherwise you wouldn’t care. Is it because we like to be ‘surprised’, ‘scared’, is it because we like to ‘safely’ live the adventures the hero goes through and feel the excitement without risking? Is it because we ‘learn’ from all this? Absolutely. I could go on and on. Self-explanatory you may say. True. But all the above although convincing, made me feel somehow bad! Do we only like stories because we want to ‘peep’ into other lives? Just sneak into somebodies passions, live them in his shoes and sneak out before the end titles? I started searching and reading other people’s views about it. Some research, too. Some said ‘stories is the life’s currency’. They last more than the dollar or the euro last, and they make money forever. Some said ‘we like stories because through them we can extend human limits’ What I find most important, and although not entirely my thought, is the one I value most is: ‘Storytelling creates a community’. When we listen to stories, we do not feel alone! We are part of the story, we identify with the characters, but also connect with the person/s next to you. Think about it. Storytelling needs at least two, to exist: you need a ‘teller’ and a ‘listener’. Even if this could be the same person! There is a reason why writers are lone wolfs. They have a community inside their stories. Some say that life has no ‘rehearsal time’. You just act, time passes with every breath, and there is no turning back. Sometimes, we feel we can try things and if they do not work out we can do them once again, a different way. Well, storytelling is just that: it gives you the luxury to ‘live’ many lives in very short time, experiment, see what works and what not – if the story is plausible. I love stories. I make stories all the time. Inside my books, mostly inside my music… Every note, every rhythmic and harmonic structure, every movement is a scene change, it tells part of the story, it holds the community as a group, moving them all together to the next page, the next second… Why do we like stories? It is because while we write our own story, it is very difficult to comprehend it, (because we are part of it) and by experiencing other stories, we make some sense of it. We make some sense of our own life, we test it to see if it’s worth it! But all life is worth it! Every life story is important. And if you want to add some adrenaline, some romance, some excitement of any kind, all you have to do is ‘step into another story’s universe’ and it’s done. Your life is richer, more meaningful!