Storytelling is a communication tool that pre-dates writing, and most likely does so by many thousands of years. Another pretty safe assumption is that storytelling has been around since humans started to communicate using language. Given that we’ve been using storytelling for so long is it any wonder that it is highly effective in seeding memories which last. When we hear a vivid story about something, more often than not, it lodges itself in our memory and whilst we might not remember every detail, we do remember the important information.
In pre-history, before the dawn of safety signage, noticeboards and e-learning it would have been stories which were used to inform and educate family and communities about hazards which could injure or kill. A new danger nearby, such as a predatory animal, would have been the subject of a story. We know that communities used fabricated stories of monsters or demons to keep their people away from dangerous places, with great success.
When we are told a story, we feel real emotions and find imagery in our minds to visualise the story. Stories trigger responses in our brain which mirror those which would be triggered if we were living the event for real. Our brains even release the same chemicals, including dopamine, cortisol and oxytocin as if the events were real. This makes stories a powerful tool for learning. A story engages and educates us in a unique way. When we try to process information which has been presented in a bland manner it just doesn’t sink in the way a story does. Remember your best school-teacher? I’m going to guess they were a story-teller.
The importance of stories to us can be seen in the way we respond to receiving information. If we are given snippets of information about something which has happened then we start to create our own narrative. How often have you had the experience of receiving partial information about something, and then found yourself shocked when you find out what actually happened because you had created your own story for how the event unfolded? This is especially true when we hear pieces of information about someone being hurt or injured. Trying to put a storyline around the details we have is instinctive.
Communicating hazards is a vital part of safety management. We try to communicate hazard information in a way that it can be remembered. Storytelling is the best tool in our toolkit.
