Story as a Weapon - No. 37
Tue Feb 03 2026
It is impossible to underestimate the role that storytelling has played in shaping communities, cultures, and civilizations throughout history. Before we had written languages, ancestral tribes relied on oral traditions, built around stories that passed down their collective wisdom and history. Our minds are created to learn through story, not just the passing along of information. Some people can become very good at remembering information, but simply transferring knowledge doesn't lead people to discovery. It's through discovery that we really learn. Story gives meaning to information and allows us to internalize truth and wisdom in a way that is impossible in a textbook. Stories stick with us and allow us to remember things that we would likely never remember if they weren't shared within a larger story. There's a reason that Jesus taught using parables. Great teachers throughout all of history have relied on story as the primary tool for guiding and instilling wisdom in the people they lead.
Something tragic has happened to story in the modern world. It has become a commodity to be used and manipulated for profit. Story is no longer the domain of the wiseman; it has become entertainment.
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It is impossible to underestimate the role that storytelling has played in shaping communities, cultures, and civilizations throughout history. Before we had written languages, ancestral tribes relied on oral traditions, built around stories that passed down their collective wisdom and history. Our minds are created to learn through story, not just the passing along of information. Some people can become very good at remembering information, but simply transferring knowledge doesn't lead people to discovery. It's through discovery that we really learn. Story gives meaning to information and allows us to internalize truth and wisdom in a way that is impossible in a textbook. Stories stick with us and allow us to remember things that we would likely never remember if they weren't shared within a larger story. There's a reason that Jesus taught using parables. Great teachers throughout all of history have relied on story as the primary tool for guiding and instilling wisdom in the people they lead. Something tragic has happened to story in the modern world. It has become a commodity to be used and manipulated for profit. Story is no longer the domain of the wiseman; it has become entertainment.