{"id":748,"date":"2023-09-21T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T09:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thoughts.futurepresent.agency\/?p=748"},"modified":"2024-04-12T15:58:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T14:58:14","slug":"the-science-behind-presentation-storytelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thoughts.futurepresent.agency\/news\/the-science-behind-presentation-storytelling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Science Behind Presentation Storytelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever wondered why some decks drift away on the flotsam of your brain brine the moment the final slide fades to black, and some presentations manage to carve their messaging directly onto the pristine pages of your long-term memory? That’s the science of storytelling<\/strong>, yo.<\/p>\n

The science of storytelling<\/h2>\n

As humans, we’re hard-wired for storytelling. Stories foster connection and help us to meaningfully share our human wisdom. (We go into that in more detail about that here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

If you look at the bigger picture, you can see that storytelling is perhaps one of the crucial components facilitating our evolution into the humans we are today.<\/p>\n

Our ancestors used stories to teach and collaborate effectively, to guide younger generations into becoming valuable members of society, and share wisdom between tribes. Dive into this article<\/a> from Jeffrey Kluger to learn more about the true evolutionary benefits of becoming an expert storyteller.<\/p>\n

An interesting thought experiment, led by some clever people attempting to understand why humans are so unequivocally compelled to create and enjoy stories, is Literary Darwinism<\/a>. Read this brief overview to learn more. (Feel free to skip down to the next section if you couldn\u2019t give two figs about weird literary theories.)<\/p>\n

What is Literary Darwinism?<\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s a little story for you.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, a group of scholars, deeply fascinated by evolution, pondered its connection with literature. They hypothesised that stories, like species, evolve and adapt over time.<\/em><\/p>\n

While they eagerly attempted to share their findings, **tense music plays** Critics had something to say about all this. <\/em><\/p>\n

The Critics argued that Literary Darwinism reduces literature to a deterministic and mechanistic process that ignores the agency and creativity of authors throughout history. The Literary Darwinists defended their theory, insisting that it wasn\u2019t prescriptive and formulaic but rather a handy lens to see how literature has functioned in the world. <\/em><\/p>\n

Everybody continued to argue and will probably continue to argue forever and ever because the thing they\u2019re arguing about can never be \u201cproven\u201d one way or the other. The end.<\/em><\/p>\n

Seriously, though. We think Literary Darwinism is a fascinating avenue of mental musing. Here’s the foundational belief<\/a>:<\/p>\n\"<\/span>

All knowledge about human behaviour, including the products of the human imagination, can and should be subsumed within the evolutionary perspective<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Put simply, Literary Darwinism is studying how evolution and human nature have influenced the development and interpretation of literature.<\/p>\n

You might wonder what this has to do with presentations. Admittedly, it’s not instantly applicable, it’s just yet another big of proof, as if one were needed, that the most crucial aspect of nailing your next deck is to get the story right<\/strong>. Because stories are the backbone of human connection. They’re what boost the emotion within your presentation, which drives engagement. Learn to the science of storytelling in your deck and you\u2019ll begin to reap the benefits immediately.<\/p>\n

Emotional connection is priceless<\/h2>\n

Emotions drive human connection. And emotions are how your audience are making all their decisions. (Even the ones that look purely rational.)<\/p>\n

Told consistently, accessibly and empathetically, presentation stories do more than entertain. They:<\/p>\n