Because we depend on others for our safety and happiness, our species has gotten very good at detecting trust and appreciating kindness. And there are some pretty clear drivers of these feelings, among them are stories.
Story art and science is a fascinating area. Sometimes called the “trust hormone,” oxytocin is the magical brain chemical we produce when we feel safe and connected. Oxytocin is created when we shake hands and hug, and when we’re shown a kindness. It enhances our sense of empathy which allows us to experience the emotions of others.
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Paul Zak
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Oxytocin is also created when we share stories, and Paul Zak can prove it. His lab was able to isolate the neurochemical about ten years ago and tie it to empathy and cooperation.
More recently, he and his colleagues conducted another enlightening experiment with stories:
My lab wondered if we could “hack” the oxytocin system to motivate people to engage in cooperative behaviors. To do this, we tested if narratives shot on video, rather than face-to-face interactions, would cause the brain to make oxytocin. By taking blood draws before and after the narrative, we found that character-driven stories do consistently cause oxytocin synthesis. Further, the amount of oxytocin released by the brain predicted how much people were willing to help others; for example, donating money to a charity associated with the narrative.
Zak also comments on the customer story and why it can work so well:
We know that people are substantially more motivated by their organization’s transcendent purpose (how it improves lives) than by its transactional purpose (how it sells goods and services). Transcendent purpose is effectively communicated through stories – for example, by describing the pitiable situations of actual, named customers and how their problems were solved by your efforts. Make your people empathize with the pain the customer experienced and they will also feel the pleasure of its resolution – all the more if some heroics went in to reducing suffering or struggle, or producing joy.
Have a great week.
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