The other day I spent some time with friends who are studying the Enneagram. It is a complicated system of learning about yourself and others through the study of nine personality types. If you don’t know about it here are two links: Enneagram.com and Enneagraminstitute.com. One of the woman, who is a self-described 5, was talking about how small talk is so draining to her. She said if she was never going to see these people again, who cares about their stories. I perked up and said, “I do,” (I am a 7 on the enneagram.)

One of my favorite things is talking with someone I don’t know and discovering something fascinating about them. Even the most unappealing person can have some interest that is a surprise: they are an expert on local bees or they collect antique door knobs or they once were on an Olympic synchronized swimming team.

If you love to hear stories as much as I do, you will enjoy this Great Questions List from StoryCorps. I find it very easy to engage people in conversation if I listen to what they are saying and ask appropriate questions. They enjoy telling their story and I enjoy hearing what they have to say so it is a satisfying exchange.

If this is hard for you and you want to try it, check out the StoryCorps questions and make up your own list and then go find some strangers to listen to.

Are there benefits to using storytelling? It may be hard to tell as there is so much noise and conversation these days about “storytelling” in nearly every aspect of our lives, businesses and communities. While every story-use niche has some specific benefits, here are just a few of many general truths about story and storytelling.

1. Emotional connection – Storytelling is like opening a window into the minds of the listeners. Stories provide a chance to experience a variety of emotions without the risk of those emotions themselves. For small children emotions like wonder or fear or courage can be tested out in their minds as they listen(in safety) to a story. Adults may remember the feelings of emotions which can trigger memories or create resolve as a result of hearing stories. For youth and young adults, the experience of hearing stories can awaken portions of emotional lives that may have lain dormant or have not yet been explored.

2. Understanding Others – Well-told stories can help us to learn about other cultures, ideas and ways of thinking. They can provide opportunities to know how past generations responded to challenges. They can also let us know how new generations are encountering and dealing with similar opportunities or the brand-new challenges they face. Stories can help non-profit organizations connect the lives of those they serve to those that support the organization. With children and teens, storytelling provides the soil wherein empathy for others takes root and grows.

3. Growing Intimacy – 
People are thirsty to know that they are seen and heard in our overstimulated society. The rampant growth of “reality” TV shows certainly proves this. When personal and life stories are shared, there’s a chance to know that “I am not alone.” Unlike most reality TV shows, we hope the tellers of personal tales are reflecting on how they have grown and changed and are not just presenting tawdry tales for simple shock value.

As a professional storyteller, I know my audience is experiencing one of the above benefits as they listen to my serious or funny stories. I see their breathing change, their attention focus and their foreheads wrinkle or relax. So much is happening in our shared experience. The benefits of storytelling are many.

Thanks to Sean Buvala for permission to reprint this article.

Sean Buvala is the national director of Storyteller.net, celebrating their 15th year of online service. “We are older than Google,” he likes to tell people. He is also an author of several books on storytelling for business and family. You can find his books on Amazon.com or visit his website at www.seantells.com.

I was intrigued by the title of this series of books, Stories With Holes by Nathan Levy so I wanted to know more. These are educational books for children (of all ages) that present puzzles that the reader (or listener) has to discover on their own. These logic stories “stimulate pupil critical and creative thinking skills.”

I think that there are a lot of books and stories that would benefit from asking more of the reader (or listener). When the audience has to do some of the work, they become more engaged. Instead of moralizing at the audience, the speaker would benefit from presenting strong characters, vibrant places and interesting conflicts and then invite the listener along on the trip.

According to Amazon, Levy’s “unique Stories with Holes series continues to be proclaimed the most popular activity used in gifted, special education and regular classrooms by hundreds of educators. . . . . As a former school principal, company president, parent of four daughters and management trainer, Nathan’s ability to transfer knowledge and strategies to audiences through humorous, thought provoking stories assures that participants leave with a plethora of new ways to approach their future endeavors.”