"When we deny our stories and disengage from tough emotions, they don't go away; instead, they own us, they define us. Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending—to rise strong, recognize our story, and rumble with the truth until we get to a place where we think, Yes. This is what happened. This is my truth. And I will choose how this story ends."
― Brené Brown, Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution
In Brené Brown's book on the importance of vulnerability and storytelling, she writes that storytelling can empower you; it can help you find your voice, your resilience, and the future that you're trying to create. As a storyteller, I share with you two powerful reasons why storytelling is crucial in this day and age–ranging from providing a blueprint for others who may be on a similar journey, to finding the common truths shared by humans such as finding hope and resilience after experiencing tragedy.
What is Storytelling?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, storytelling is "the activity of writing, telling, or reading stories." Specifically, storytelling is the ability and experience of sharing and taking part in another person's account of life, their imagination, or other aspects of meaning-making. What this means is that storytelling is both an individual and communal act; it matters because we have something that we want to share with another.
I wrote my memoir, Trauterose: Growing Up in Postwar Munich to document and share my story of my life as an orphan growing up in post World War II and after the Holocaust in Germany. Like many other authors, I share my journey of growth, healing, and transformation, but what makes my memoir unique is how it plays with the concept of storytelling. As readers follow my journey, they also learn about the history of Germany, the lives of various people of that period such as the SS officer whom I lived with as a child and teenager after losing my parents, and my experiences learning a new language and culture after moving to the United States. My story is one of hope, resilience, and bravery after a life of many changes and transitions.
Two Key Benefits of Storytellers
Storytelling and those who share their stories, storytellers, are beneficial to their readers, the world, and the future that we aim to create. Storytellers offer readers a new perspective on life and new, tried and tested tools to navigate the challenges of life.
1. Storytellers provide their readers and the world with new insights
When we share our stories, we provide our readers and the world with new insights. For example, in my memoir, I share my journey of learning English and adapting the culture of the United States after immigrating from Germany. My journey helps my readers understand that learning a new language and culture may be challenging, but it can also be motivating, leading me to pursue a PhD in English philology. For my readers, I share insight into how not to be discouraged by the hurdles we face, but to instead see them as challenges that we can live up to.
Storytellers offer readers insights that have been tried and tested–in fact, they have been tested by the author, themselves! Books, and in particular, memoirs, help readers see what has worked for the storyteller. Whether that's learning to find peace after experiencing loss or how to navigate being a teen in a new environment, readers can see for themselves and learn from those who share their stories.
2. Storytellers enhance their readers' empathy
According to Roman Krznaric, reading and especially reading other people's stories can help enhance readers' empathy. In Krznaric's book, Empathy: Why It Matters, and How to Get It, he writes, "empathy is the art of stepping imaginatively into the shoes of another person, understanding their feelings and perspectives, and using that to understanding to guide your actions." Like many other researchers, he believes that stories, sharing, and reading our and other people's stories can help improve listeners' and readers' empathy since it allows them to experience another person's perspective. In fact, many researchers like Krznaric actively encourage reading books or listening to other people's stories so that we can be more empathetic.
Storytelling Is Powerful!
In Trauterose: Growing Up in Postwar Munich, I encourage readers to find the hidden gems, as well as the obvious insights that I provide into life and the human condition. That is because I believe that storytelling is powerful and can be used to change our lives and the world. When we listen to or read another person's story, we are actively engaging in problem-solving, empathy-building, and learning of new insights on how to navigate various aspects of our world and imagination.