The attraction of religion to so many human beings over the centuries highlights the attraction to stories. Whether or not you believe them, each religion involves a series of stories that attempt to explain all or at least a big part of life. Historian Yuval Noah Harari, in his book Sapiens, highlights the importance of stories to […]

The attraction of religion to so many human beings over the centuries highlights the attraction to stories. Whether or not you believe them, each religion involves a series of stories that attempt to explain all or at least a big part of life. Historian Yuval Noah Harari, in his book Sapiens, highlights the importance of stories to the development of human civilisation and indeed individual humans. Stories are central to being human and operating in communities. It would be very difficult for humans to function without stories. Take money, for example. A dollar bill or even a $100 bill has virtually no inherent value. If a $100 bill per se is worth anything, it is just a few cents. That we ascribe value to a $100 bill and that this value can fluctuate based on market fluctuations requires a story that we all buy into. As Harari points out in his book,…