A Sense of Connection

“Do you want a place to sit, A3?”

“I do not require seating.”

“Suit yourself. We have some time to kill; how about we play a game or trade stories?”

“Stories? The word is not in my database, explain.”

“You don’t know stories? You’d think a being that records everything would know what a story is. A story is a recount of events either real or fictional.”

“What does ‘trade stories’ mean? Is it currency?”

“No, it’s a thing we humans do when we’re bored or getting to know each other. I tell you a story, and once I’m done, you tell me a story.”

“And what purpose does this serve? It seems fruitless to trade recounts of adventures to a party that was not there to witness these adventures.”

“It isn’t fruitless; stories can serve multiple purposes depending on who they are being told to, the context of the story, and the list goes on.”

“Please explain further. The purpose of these ‘stories’ is still lost on me.”

“Okay, if I told you a story about how my car broke down and it took several hours to get someone to come out and fix it, that is serving the purpose of venting my frustration.”

“What purpose does it serve the listener? The moment your vehicle broke down has passed; it serves me no purpose to listen as I cannot provide adequate assistance for a solution to your problems.”

“The purpose of that story wasn’t to find a solution; it was to vent about the frustration it caused. Usually you would then tell me a story similar to mine, either a story of something of yours breaking down, or something that caused similar frustration.”

“Why would I do that? Your vehicle breaking down happened recently; why would I recollect a past instance of frustration for you now?”

“To connect to me and my story. As humans, we use stories to connect to people, to show that we have a similar, if not slightly different, understanding of their feelings.”

“I see, if I were to tell you a story of my frustration when the code to my database was changed without my knowledge and took more than a day to fix, would that suffice?”

“Yes! You are telling me a story that is equaling my frustrating situation as a way of telling me you understand me. I would then ask you questions to further understand your story, and we’d go from there.”

“Why would it be necessary to ask me questions? What more information would you require? My issue has long since been fixed and does not require anymore attention, as it wouldn’t be necessary.”

“Telling stories is an icebreaker to further conversation and understanding. It is how we deliver information about ourselves to others in hopes of being relatable and mutual understanding. Questions push the conversation along, and the stories act as a foundation to build on.”

“I believe I understand now. You also mentioned stories can be fictional; what would be the purpose of telling a stranger a lie instead of a recount of actual events?”

“Not all fictional stories are lies. Fictional stories, or fairytales, are imaginary events that are meant to entertain, inspire, or teach.”

“So these stories each serve a purpose as well?”

“Yes, a fictional story can serve a lot of purposes, including the ones that we mentioned with the non-fictional stories. Throughout the entirety of our history, humans have told stories, fictional or otherwise, to build community and to connect.”

“How do fictional stories fit into this equation?”

“The first purpose of a fictional story is to entertain; it can be used as escapism to those being told the story. A new fantastical world drastically different from our own that allows you to forget, if only for a moment, the surrounding reality.”

“Why would humans need to escape from their reality?”

“For many reasons. When there are too many bad things happening, or when someone is stressed, listening to a fictional story that is untethered from reality can be comforting. It is used as a temporary rest, to clear your mind so you are ready to return to everything that isn’t fictional.”

“A moment of recharge. That makes sense. What about the other purposes?”

“Well, for one, a fictional story can be inspiring. A fictional story can still be relatable; maybe you see yourself in a character, or a character is dealing with problems similar to your own. You see them do amazing things or overcome the problems that bring you down. It gives someone hope that they can be like that character; maybe they too can overcome their own problems.”

“To further connection and understanding.”

“Now you’re getting it, A3! There are many reasons stories are told, but it comes down to that connection from the storyteller to the person hearing the story. We tell stories to reach out and find the people who can relate, or to those who will understand. Stories can teach people to be kind, or to be brave. They can warn and inspire, all while being entertaining. Allowing for a moment of escape to recharge. Storytelling is so deeply connected to our history that it has become second nature. We use countless mediums to tell stories; they don’t even have to be verbal anymore.”

“Why do you think humans connect through stories?”

“I think because stories can transcend a lot of barriers, linguistically and culturally. Stories have developed from verbal tales told around a campfire. We created art to tell our stories through drawings so that people who cannot speak our language can understand them. It is in human nature to find and connect to people; our entire society is built through stories. Our news tells us stories from around the world to inform and connect us, movies and television give us stories to relate and escape to, and we use our stories to form a bond with others.”

“Could this be an example of a story? Is your explanation of the reasoning for stories an attempt to connect with me? And are my constant inquiries to learn more a part of the storytelling formula?”

“Huh… I guess, yes, it would be.”

“And now, with your story concluded, it would be my turn to relay a story of my own?”

“That would be how it goes, yes. Whatcha got?”

“There was a time where a heavy wind loosened my visual sensors, and it was quite the annoyance. It occurred when I first landed on Earth-”