Skip to main content

Words are a Humans Most Powerful Tool

Written by Mary Blevins on .

What do movies, TV shows, social media posts, and stories have in common?

They are all forms of entertainment.

But what makes them work?

Why do we love scrolling through our Facebook feed to read about an acquaintance’s new baby?

Or watch Netflix for hours just because the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with suspense?

Why do we crave entertainment when it can cause stress or anxiety in some cases?

writing for business
promote your business

What makes entertainment so addicting is the fact that humans are wired to seek out drama. And not just our drama, but other people’s too.

“We evolved to learn through storytelling, and telling stories is how we share the wisdom of our tribe, so it’s tied up with all kinds of deep psychology.” Storytelling and stories have been around for thousands of years. It’s only natural that humans are intrigued by them.

Human’s Crave Drama

Social media feeds are filled with drama daily.

#WokeBae, #ExposePorn, or even #EtherBae. These are used frequently to make fun of someone or spread rumors. And while some might get annoyed by this negativity, it’s simply our instinct to crave drama.

Our ancestors thrived off gossiping about the people in their tribes, and we have carried that gene with us throughout time. We love a good story of gossip, but only if it’s about someone else. And while sometimes these stories can be hurtful and damaging to a person’s reputation, humans seem to forget the repercussions at the moment.

“No one likes to think themselves as duplicitous or manipulative.” However, as long as it entertains us and gives us a good laugh, I think we can let the gossip slide.

Or can we?

How to use words effectively in audio narration.

writing for business
  1. Avoid using noise words; these are the filler sounds that do nothing for your message or story. Words like “um” or “ah” should be eliminated from any audio you produce. These meaningless sounds equate to time wasted on your audio and leave the listener feeling more confused and annoyed.
  2. Alter your pace: this is especially important if you are producing a story of any kind. So, if you read too quickly or too slowly, it will make it difficult for your audience to stay engaged in what you’re saying.
  3. Take breath breaks: Sometimes, we forget to breathe while speaking, but it’s important to remember that we need air for the words to come out of our mouths.
  4. Have confidence when you speak: This can be done by altering your tone and inflection. If you sound like someone insecure, it will make your audience feel uneasy while listening.
  5. Try not to speak too quickly: If you talk too fast, it will make your audience feel as if they missed what you said. And who knows? You may have lost some of them!

The popularity of stories is undeniable, and their impact on society can be seen everywhere we look. For millennia people have used stories as a form of entertainment and, most recently, as a means of learning. How this has been done has changed with the times, though. A significant change today is the growing use of online articles instead of books or other printed media.

Once upon a time

Storytelling has always been a part of the human experience, from when language was developed before written communication existed to today, where entire careers are based on storytelling. What has changed significantly since then, though, is the impact stories have had on our lives and society as a whole. In all stages of history, they have been used to entertain, inform and teach.

As long as humans have existed, there has been storytelling. 30,000 years ago. Ancestors carved the thrilling tale of their last hunt for the wooly mammoth. Scratching and cutting images into rock walls.

Before written communication existed, our ancestors used stories as their primary source of entertainment. Songs were sung around the fire at night, storytellers told tales, and history was passed down orally through generations. It helped people remember critical information about life events or social rules so that they could continue to develop their culture.

Words are power

As writing developed from hieroglyphics to the handwriting we know today, stories were still used extensively and as a form of entertainment and instruction in history, society rules, and religion. However, the main difference was that it changed from a strictly oral delivery system to the written word. This allowed people to spread information further and faster across large areas. This allowed cultures to develop faster and new ideas to spread rapidly.

Nowadays, many people rely on online articles to learn about the world through teaching facts and life events. Stories are used in these kinds of articles all the time to connect with readers using emotional triggers. The more emotionally engaged individuals are, the more likely they will remember it and pass it on.

How people use stories has changed over time, but their impact on society has not waned. People everywhere still use them daily to learn new concepts, enjoy themselves, or pass along important information about life events. The main difference now is that written stories are replaced with online articles, social media, and video.

Subscribe

Engage. Inspire. Motivate.