From a young age, we are told stories. Parents read their children books as a form of entertainment, and to teach important lessons. Most fables have a clear moral at the end – The Tortoise and the Hare teaches that slow and steady wins the race; Winnie the Pooh teaches the importance of kindness and cherishing your friends.
As an adult, storytelling is just as important a part of our lives, though we may consume it in different ways. We read books, watch movies, listen to music and go to the theatre. I've written before about why it's important to study the liberal arts; it's because art gives us a platform to share stories that need to be told. Storytelling creates empathy, which in my opinion is something severely lacking in our society. Storytelling is necessary for this day and age because it humanizes people who are different from us, and allows us to self-reflect and learn from our mistakes.
Shortly after Trump's inauguration, advisor Kellyanne Conway disregarded a false statement made by Trump about crowd size as "alternative facts." In response, sales of George Orwell's 1984 spiked. The dystopian novel offers a warning against the dangers of totalitarianism and suppression of facts – something that has felt eerily familiar in recent weeks. By sharing this fictional story, Orwell taught an important lesson that Americans should be wary of.
Storytelling helps us become more empathetic towards others. It helps us realize that Muslims are not, in fact, terrorists in need of extreme vetting – they are real people, individuals who were separated from their families and whose lives were put on hold because of an executive order based on fear. It helps us realize that Mexican immigrants are not illegals trying to steal our jobs – they are hardworking people genuinely trying to make a better life for themselves and their children. They are my friends and classmates.
Listen to their stories.
I've heard women criticize the post-inauguration Women's Marches because women really don't have it that bad in modern America. If that's the case, why did over 3 million women within the United States alone feel that it was important enough to join a march to protect their rights? Instead of denying that there is a problem because you don't see it yourself, try listening to the stories of the women who are marching. Instead of tearing down women who fight for reproductive healthcare and bodily autonomy, listen to the reasons women who have actually had an abortion give for making such a difficult choice. Amplify the stories of LGBT women, women of color, disabled women and religious minorities, because they are especially vulnerable right now.
Storytelling creates empathy. Storytelling humanizes people who are different. Storytelling teaches lessons. Keep writing and sharing stories, because that is what can get us through the next few years.
