Will Storr

Well, I mean, the current leading theory is that language evolved in the first place to tell stories that enabled us to operate as these highly cooperative groups, these super organisms, as I call them. One early form of storytelling is gossip. Gossip is a universal human behavior. We all do it. Why do we do it? Gossip teaches us... who we ought to be in the super organism.

It teaches, it teaches us what are the good behaviors, what are the bad behaviors. It motivates us to behave in a, in a kind of way that serves the super organism because then we're rewarded with status. Uh, and it, you know, it also incentivizes in the other way that if you're, being gossiped about and the gossip is negative, you're going to get punished. So that's one form of early storytelling.

It teaches, it teaches us what are the good behaviors, what are the bad behaviors. It motivates us to behave in a, in a kind of way that serves the super organism because then we're rewarded with status. Uh, and it, you know, it also incentivizes in the other way that if you're, being gossiped about and the gossip is negative, you're going to get punished. So that's one form of early storytelling.

It teaches, it teaches us what are the good behaviors, what are the bad behaviors. It motivates us to behave in a, in a kind of way that serves the super organism because then we're rewarded with status. Uh, and it, you know, it also incentivizes in the other way that if you're, being gossiped about and the gossip is negative, you're going to get punished. So that's one form of early storytelling.

The other kind of storytelling is about the future. We tell stories about the future. There's a very brilliant evolutionary biologist called Michael Tomasello that says that it's impossible to imagine

The other kind of storytelling is about the future. We tell stories about the future. There's a very brilliant evolutionary biologist called Michael Tomasello that says that it's impossible to imagine

The other kind of storytelling is about the future. We tell stories about the future. There's a very brilliant evolutionary biologist called Michael Tomasello that says that it's impossible to imagine

two chimpanzees picking up a log and carrying it together to take it somewhere else like even that basic level of coordination cooperation like even chimpanzees can't do our closest um relative and storytelling enables us to do that you know okay you know if we if we move that log over here, that can be a foundation for our next camp. All right, dude, you know, we're going to do it.

two chimpanzees picking up a log and carrying it together to take it somewhere else like even that basic level of coordination cooperation like even chimpanzees can't do our closest um relative and storytelling enables us to do that you know okay you know if we if we move that log over here, that can be a foundation for our next camp. All right, dude, you know, we're going to do it.

two chimpanzees picking up a log and carrying it together to take it somewhere else like even that basic level of coordination cooperation like even chimpanzees can't do our closest um relative and storytelling enables us to do that you know okay you know if we if we move that log over here, that can be a foundation for our next camp. All right, dude, you know, we're going to do it.

So that's a form of storytelling. You know, we're telling stories about the future. And that's why stories are always about obstacles and goals. Every functional story fundamentally is about obstacles and goals, because that's what story evolved to do. Its purpose is to pull us into a group. And the purpose of that group is to overcome obstacles in pursuit of goals.

So that's a form of storytelling. You know, we're telling stories about the future. And that's why stories are always about obstacles and goals. Every functional story fundamentally is about obstacles and goals, because that's what story evolved to do. Its purpose is to pull us into a group. And the purpose of that group is to overcome obstacles in pursuit of goals.

So that's a form of storytelling. You know, we're telling stories about the future. And that's why stories are always about obstacles and goals. Every functional story fundamentally is about obstacles and goals, because that's what story evolved to do. Its purpose is to pull us into a group. And the purpose of that group is to overcome obstacles in pursuit of goals.

Huge, huge roles. I mean, you know, social identity is your identity within the group. You know, who are you in the group? You know, basic concept might be a football team. You're playing in a particular position. That comes with certain expectations. You've got certain roles to perform and you're judged. Your status goes higher or lower depending on how well you perform those roles.

Huge, huge roles. I mean, you know, social identity is your identity within the group. You know, who are you in the group? You know, basic concept might be a football team. You're playing in a particular position. That comes with certain expectations. You've got certain roles to perform and you're judged. Your status goes higher or lower depending on how well you perform those roles.

Huge, huge roles. I mean, you know, social identity is your identity within the group. You know, who are you in the group? You know, basic concept might be a football team. You're playing in a particular position. That comes with certain expectations. You've got certain roles to perform and you're judged. Your status goes higher or lower depending on how well you perform those roles.

And that's the same in every role. Your social identity in the football team is striker, defender, goalkeeper, whatever it might be, referee even. And that's the same in every human group. With every group we join, we have what we call a social identity. And a human identity is in part a collection of these various social identities that we have. Right.

And that's the same in every role. Your social identity in the football team is striker, defender, goalkeeper, whatever it might be, referee even. And that's the same in every human group. With every group we join, we have what we call a social identity. And a human identity is in part a collection of these various social identities that we have. Right.

And that's the same in every role. Your social identity in the football team is striker, defender, goalkeeper, whatever it might be, referee even. And that's the same in every human group. With every group we join, we have what we call a social identity. And a human identity is in part a collection of these various social identities that we have. Right.

Yeah, so in A Story's a Deal, I tell the story of... Well, I sort of pose a question, really, about one of the most famous ads that was ever made was Apple's 1984 ad, which kind of played on the George Orwell's novel and showed... and showed this horrendous totalitarian hellscape, all these bald, grey, middle-aged men, God forbid, drone-like automatons, and this barking, patriarchal face.