"Les humains pensent en histoires plutôt qu'en faits, nombres ou équations"

Humans are wired to understand the world through stories. It's how we make sense of things, how we remember, and how we connect with each other. Just think about it: when you hear a bunch of dry statistics, your eyes might glaze over. But when someone tells you a compelling story, you sit up and listen, don’t you?

This idea isn’t new. People have been telling stories since we first gathered around campfires, sharing tales of great hunts or explaining the stars in the sky. It’s how we’ve passed down knowledge and traditions for generations. Stories are sticky—they stay with us in a way that cold hard facts often don’t.

Take, for example, the way that charities use storytelling. Imagine two scenarios. In the first, a charity gives you a report: “Over 1 million children are hungry in this country.” It’s a shocking number, but it’s just that—a number. Now, consider the second scenario where you hear about Sarah, a 7-year-old girl who goes to bed hungry every night because her single mom lost her job. She dreams of becoming a doctor but struggles even to concentrate in school with an empty stomach. That’s heartbreaking, right? It’s the same issue being highlighted, but Sarah’s story is much more likely to move you to action because you can relate to her as a person.

So, what advice can we take from this? If you want to persuade or impact others, lead with a story. Whether you’re giving a presentation at work, trying to convince someone of your point of view, or even just sharing your day with a friend, framing your message as a story is crucial. People are more likely to remember what you said and to feel a connection to it.

Let me tell you about a time this really hit home for me. A few years ago, I had to give a presentation at work about the importance of cybersecurity. The first time, I rattled off some alarming statistics and technical jargon. It was a flop—half the room looked like they were about to fall asleep. The second time, I started with a story about a friend whose small business was almost ruined by a cyber-attack. I told how he struggled, the impact on his family, and how he eventually overcame it. The change was palpable. People were engaged, asking questions, and some even shared their own experiences. It wasn’t just a presentation anymore; it was a conversation.

So, next time you need to communicate something important, think about how you can weave it into a story. What’s the human element? How can you make it relatable? Think of it like this: instead of presenting a list of features, tell a story about how those features changed someone’s life. Instead of listing problems, describe the journey of someone who faced and overcame those issues.

In the end, stories are the bridge between dry facts and human experience. They bring things to life, making the abstract concrete and the complex understandable. And that’s something we can all relate to. Now, isn’t that a story worth telling?