Less Info, More Stories
Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution -- more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to.~Lisa CronStory this. Story that. Story, story, story.
The word "story" gets thrown around so much that it’s practically a buzzword now. Everyone acknowledges its importance, but few actually break down why stories are so powerful. What is it about them that transcends time, cultures, and platforms?
To be clear, I’m not going to teach you how to craft the "perfect" story in this article. I won’t dive into a history lesson on the role stories played in preserving knowledge across generations (if you’re curious about that, Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens is a great place to start).
What I am going to do is share my personal reflections on why stories have such a profound and lasting effect on our memory, emotions, and, ultimately, our ability to resonate with others. And maybe, by the end, you’ll see why telling your own story is the most powerful tool you have — not just as an artist, but as a communicator.
Information Is Easily Forgotten
Let’s start with a simple truth: we forget information.
I’m sure the vast majority of you reading this graduated high school. You spent years immersed in subjects like math, science, literature, history, and foreign languages. You studied for tests, passed exams, maybe even excelled in some of these subjects.
But here’s the million-dollar question:
What do you actually remember from those years?
Take a second. Go back to your 10th-grade classes.
What specific lessons do you recall learning? What facts or equations stuck with you?
If you're like most people, you probably drew a blank. Sure, there might be a few tidbits here and there, but the bulk of that information? It’s long gone. Despite your diploma — a certificate that says you’re proficient in all those subjects — the reality is most of that knowledge faded not long after graduation.
Now, this isn’t to say that you didn’t learn anything or that your education was meaningless. What it does point to is a simple fact: information, no matter how well it’s taught, is easily forgotten.
So, let me ask you a second question:
Can you recall a story from 10th grade?
Maybe something funny that happened in class. Or that one time you nailed a perfect performance in a school play, or maybe the day your friend pulled a prank that the entire class still talks about.
Chances are, you remember it vividly. You might even be able to describe where you were sitting, what you were wearing, who else was involved, and how you felt in that moment.
Why is that? Why is it so much easier to remember a story — a random event that happened years ago — but not the facts you spent hours studying for? This points to a crucial insight about how humans process information: we aren’t wired to retain abstract facts and figures.
We’re wired for narratives.
Narratives in Memory
Let me give you a real-world example: religion.
Take the Bible, the most printed and widely read book in history. It’s not a textbook filled with dry instructions or bullet points.
It’s a collection of stories— parables, allegories, and narratives. These stories convey values, lessons, and beliefs that have endured for millennia.
What’s fascinating is that many religious teachings are based on concepts you can’t see or scientifically prove. Yet people across the world hold these stories close to their hearts because they speak to something deeper. They’re memorable, they’re emotional, and they tap into universal human experiences.
That’s the power of storytelling. It takes abstract ideas — things we might otherwise forget or overlook — and grounds them in the lived experience of the characters. Suddenly, those ideas aren’t just intellectual exercises. They’re felt. They’re understood on a personal, emotional level.
And this isn’t limited to religion.
The best marketers, public speakers, and writers all use this same technique. They don’t try to sell you on the technical specifications or the raw data. They sell you a story. A narrative that you can see yourself in, that you can feel.
People may process information, but they don’t retain it unless it’s embedded in a narrative.
Why Stories Stick
Let’s dive deeper into why stories are so effective at sticking with us.
When we encounter raw information — say, the formula for calculating the area of a circle — our brain processes it logically. But unless we constantly use it or review it, it slips into the background of our memory, eventually fading altogether.
In contrast, when we experience or hear a story, our brain processes it emotionally and visually. We don’t just understand the facts; we see them. We feel them. That’s why you can recall a childhood story with rich detail, even if it happened decades ago.
There’s also a neurological component to this. When we engage with a story, multiple areas of our brain light up. The sensory cortex, motor cortex, and parts of the brain that process emotions all get involved. Essentially, we are "living" the story in our mind as we hear or read it.
This is why the most compelling teachers, artists, and creatives are also great storytellers. They don’t just dump information on you.
They take you on a journey.
They make you feel the lesson, the moral, or the insight.
Skimming for "The Good Parts"
This also explains why speed-reading through a book or skimming for "useful information" rarely leads to long-term retention.
People often skim for what they think is "important" — the key takeaways or actionable advice. But without the context of the story, those facts fall flat. They don’t stick because they’re disconnected from emotion, imagery, or personal experience.
In contrast, when you read a book from start to finish, you engage with the entire narrative. You become immersed in the world of the story, and the information presented within that world has a much higher chance of sticking. What some dismiss as "fluff" — the anecdotes, the metaphors, the personal reflections — is actually the glue that holds the message together.
This applies to studying too! For the students reading this article:
Ever crammed for a calculus exam? Jotting down the formulas needed to solve the practice questions in the book and fishing for key information that you’ll need to pass the exam the following morning? It might have helped you pass the exam, but If I asked you to solve a problem that involves filling a 10 gallon tank with water at a constant rate just 2 years after graduation, would you be able to solve it?
I know I couldn’t, at least not without a math textbook near me or a few Google searches.
This doesn’t mean that I never learned how to do it, rather the information was forgotten.
Interestingly enough, I personally found that history class had the highest probability of information retention. I’m not talking about recalling specific dates or laws that were passed, but rather a general understanding of events that took place. Take World War II for example - perhaps the most studied and well documented global event in modern history. I can personally recall significant battles like the Normandy Invasion, Attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Manhattan Project well. The interesting part is that I wasn’t even alive when the war took place.
I attribute this not to digesting a bunch of information, but rather an exploration of the stories within the time period. Hearing stories from soldiers, from civilians, watching movies that depict the battles, and documentary footage all help me understand and remember how the conflict played out.
It is the amalgamation of these stories through media and text, the interviews with first hand witnesses, and the aftermath of global politics that allow the information of World War II to ingrain itself in my long-term memory.
This information was delivered to me through stories.
Applying This to Your Own Work
So, how does this apply to you as an artist, creator, or business owner?
Simple: tell stories. Share your experiences, your struggles, your wins, and your failures. Whether you’re selling a product, teaching a lesson, or simply sharing your thoughts — anchor them in narrative.
We live in an age where information is everywhere. Everyone’s regurgitating the same tips, strategies, and advice they picked up from someone else. But the content that resonates, the content that lasts, is always embedded in a story.
The beauty of storytelling is that no one else has your experiences. No one can tell your story the way you can. And that’s your advantage. Your ability to connect with others, to communicate information that matters, lies in how well you can craft and share those stories.
In a future article, I’ll break down what makes a great story — the characters, the conflict, the tension, the resolution.
Admittedly, I’m still learning what makes a good story.
But if there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s this: the information we forget is endless. But the stories we tell? They’re what live on.
Thanks for reading.
-P