The Art of Story Am

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The myth of the hero with the thousand faces is based on an idea that we have these eternal archetypes in our head. The human brain evolved to be able to be flexible in the stories that it tells, not to have archetypes. And humans are constantly innovating narrative. These relentlessly recycled narratives just trap us in the same loops over and over again. It's kind of like a self fulfilling prophecy, where you keep telling the same story. If you tell yourself a negative narrative about your life, everything fits into this negative Narrative which is very accurate.

Michael speaks with neuroscientist and literature professor Dr. Angus Fletcher about 25 of the most powerful developments in the history of literature, from ancient Mesopotamia to Elena Ferrante. Fletcher says these literary technologies can alleviate grief, trauma, loneliness, anxiety, numbness, depression, pessimism, and ennui — all while sparking creativity, courage, love, empathy, hope, joy, and positive change. Fletcher is a professor of story science at Ohio State’s Project Narrative, the world’s leading academic think-tank for the study of stories. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.