Stories are an important source of cultural learning that help us make sense of the world. They provide a quick and easy way for people to acquire lots of knowledge in a vivid and engaging fashion.

People don’t think in terms of information. They think in terms of narratives. But while they focus on the story itself, information comes along for the ride. Stories, then, can act as vessels, carriers that help transmit information to others.

Stories can act as vessels, carriers that help transmit information to others. In other words, stories carry things, a lesson or moral, information or a take-home message. No wonder that people tell stories for the same reasons they share word of mouth. Some narratives are about social currency, some are driven by emotions or retold for their practical value.