20 Mar Three reasons why it’s important to share stories

Have you ever found that when you share a story about yourself to someone, they too will share a story?

According to research by M. Mahdi Roghanizad and Vanessa Bohns (2017), opening up to someone relies heavily on trust, which activates empathy.

Establishing trust creates a safe environment for people to share stories about themselves with you, however deep they may go. We have found that when you establish this ‘safe environment’ for people, the following three things can happen to us:

1. We are able to learn

Hearing the stories of friends, family or others means we can learn from their experiences (good or bad), also known as ‘word-of-mouth’. This type of story sharing can give us amazing insight into taking action and experiencing something that we may never have heard about.

2. We can be inspired

Opening someone up to share their stories can inspire us in return. This can motivate us to take action and do something productive, whether it be something completely new or something we have been thinking about it.

3. We form a deeper connection

Sharing stories is the only way we can connect as humans. Learning more about someone and their story enables us to understand them on a different level and hence form a deeper connection.

So next time you are having a conversation with someone, be confident to share a story about yourself, it will start to create a ‘safe environment’ for others to share stories with you, connecting you both on a deeper level.

Warmest regards, 
My Word