Story Is the Key to Survival

Story is the Key to Survival

Stories have been around for as long as humans can remember, whether it be through myths, folklore, or biblical references. Stories can help us in being fully alive. It is in our instincts that we use story to survive, without story mentally we wouldn’t make it through life. The gift of story is something we as humans need to survive.

Stories allow us to be alive not only physically but spiritually as well. “To be a person is to have a story to tell” (1). If a person were to go through life without sharing their own story it would be like they weren’t even there, they would disappear. You would know nothing about them or who they are and they would quickly fade into the background. “We are a narrative species. We exist by story telling” (Rosenblatt 247). Through story telling whether its how your day went or an autobiography we are able to see the true spirit of a person. Seeing someone’s true spirit in this way is a beautiful and necessary experience for survival in today’s world. If these experiences didn’t occur a person could begin to feel lost and unwanted in society.

We use story to survive spiritually but it is an instinct of ours to use story for survival. “Children acquire language in order to tell stories that are already in them” (Rosenblatt 248). The types of stories that are inside children waiting to come out are ones of discovery and emotion. It is extremely important for these stories to get expressed otherwise they could go on to develop with many difficulties. “We have no clear idea of why we reach out to one another with these, perishable chains of words” (Rosenblatt 249). It is pure instinct to tell and share our stories we have a need within ourselves to reach out to others through story. If we have a bad day it is instinctual that we will reach out through telling our story for support. This helps us to survive and get through everyday of out lives.

It is in our instinct