In the 19 30 s and in the early forties, the russians were our allies. In effect, there were films alike a east of eden and steinsteinbeck's novels about poor people. And then in the 19 fifties, they were no longer acceptable. You know, regan telling this story about rugged individuals. It's mor morning in america,. you know, in that commercial showing people getting up early and going to work.
Humans are storytelling animals. Stories are what make our societies possible. Countless books celebrate their virtues. But Jonathan Gottschall, an expert on the science of stories, argues that there is a dark side to storytelling we can no longer ignore. Storytelling, the very tradition that built human civilization, may be the thing that destroys it.
In The Story Paradox, Gottschall explores how a broad consortium of psychologists, communications specialists, neuroscientists, and literary quants are using the scientific method to study how stories affect our brains.
In this conversation based on his new book, Gottschall reveals why our biggest asset has become our greatest threat, and what, if anything, can be done. It is a call to stop asking, “How we can change the world through stories?” and start asking, “How can we save the world from stories?”