You see...YES, some stories ARE primarily intended to inspire thought and raise questions, BUT...and here’s one of the things that was a “eureka moment” for me...getting those new ideas...those inspiring ideas or things to think about...ALSO give us a positive emotion...and THAT positive emotion...a feeling I refer to as “enlightenment”...IS why those stories exist.
That depends on what level of causation you’re talking about. Even then it helps if the story gives good advice since it’s more likely to be passed on if the person doing the passing was successful.
One thing I noticed earlier about my post that you quoted is that I should’ve added that the positive emotion we get from new ideas is quite verifiable as a pleasure chemical in the brain (I think dopamine), so it didn’t look like I was simply throwing new ideas in as positive emotion after the fact.
Anyway, it seems like you’re saying good advice will help a story spread because it’s more likely to be felt as right. And in one way that makes sense, but it’s not always true and I wouldn’t rely on that. Audiences very much enjoy things that have no chance of being true (like The Incredible Hulk or pretty much anything in the Avengers), as long as you make it believable enough that they can feel that it’s true while they’re watching...and the other positive emotions that you create with that thing can far outweigh something more mundane but accurate. (which is one way of explaining why the Hulk and other superheroes are so popular)
So I wouldn’t agree that it helps to give good advice in a story. If we can find a way to make the good information believable to our audience, then great. But if we can’t, then building a story around it will cause us to fail. We might succeed as scientists, since we have the best intentions and the best theory, but we will fail as storytellers.
the positive emotion we get from new ideas is quite verifiable as a pleasure chemical in the brain (I think dopamine),
How is this relevant to anything?
Anyway, it seems like you’re saying good advice will help a story spread because it’s more likely to be felt as right.
No, I’m saying that good advice will help a story spread because it makes the person listening to the story more successful and thus better able to spread it to others.
Audiences very much enjoy things that have no chance of being true (like The Incredible Hulk or pretty much anything in the Avengers),
In the sense of superpowers not existing, I agree. In the sense that superheroes represent how heroes should act in some sense, the story is indeed true on that level.
I didn’t want my earlier post to appear to anyone as though I was “band-aiding” my statement by adding the category of new ideas to my initial statement of things being for positive emotion after new ideas were brought up. But since you both had already replied, I thought it might be confusing to go back and edit it. As I’m sure you understand, we can’t always express ourselves perfectly and since you quoted that exact part, I figured I’d mention it.
No, I’m saying that good advice will help a story spread because it makes the person listening to the story more successful and thus better able to spread it to others.
Ah, but the person will only listen to the story and tell it to others if it feels true to them in the first place. If we want to spread an actual true idea amongst that group, it better be coupled with things that feel good or feel right to them. Thus, since feeling right will make the story spread regardless of its truth, and truth will only spread if its coupled with feeling right, I maintain that feeling right is the primary factor.
In the sense of superpowers not existing, I agree. In the sense that superheroes represent how heroes should act in some sense, the story is indeed true on that level.
Yes, and we responded to that as audience members. But we also responded to the excitement that’s created by the action scenes, which we would never have put in the story if our primary goal was to be accurate instead of to find what makes the most feeling.
Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting that truth in general is not a good thing. It’s probably even the best thing when it comes to what we discuss. But in terms of what makes stories successful, I’ve found that truth simply isn’t primary, though I’ve seen it often stated as though it is.
That depends on what level of causation you’re talking about. Even then it helps if the story gives good advice since it’s more likely to be passed on if the person doing the passing was successful.
Hi Eugine,
One thing I noticed earlier about my post that you quoted is that I should’ve added that the positive emotion we get from new ideas is quite verifiable as a pleasure chemical in the brain (I think dopamine), so it didn’t look like I was simply throwing new ideas in as positive emotion after the fact.
Anyway, it seems like you’re saying good advice will help a story spread because it’s more likely to be felt as right. And in one way that makes sense, but it’s not always true and I wouldn’t rely on that. Audiences very much enjoy things that have no chance of being true (like The Incredible Hulk or pretty much anything in the Avengers), as long as you make it believable enough that they can feel that it’s true while they’re watching...and the other positive emotions that you create with that thing can far outweigh something more mundane but accurate. (which is one way of explaining why the Hulk and other superheroes are so popular)
So I wouldn’t agree that it helps to give good advice in a story. If we can find a way to make the good information believable to our audience, then great. But if we can’t, then building a story around it will cause us to fail. We might succeed as scientists, since we have the best intentions and the best theory, but we will fail as storytellers.
I hope this makes sense.
How is this relevant to anything?
No, I’m saying that good advice will help a story spread because it makes the person listening to the story more successful and thus better able to spread it to others.
In the sense of superpowers not existing, I agree. In the sense that superheroes represent how heroes should act in some sense, the story is indeed true on that level.
I didn’t want my earlier post to appear to anyone as though I was “band-aiding” my statement by adding the category of new ideas to my initial statement of things being for positive emotion after new ideas were brought up. But since you both had already replied, I thought it might be confusing to go back and edit it. As I’m sure you understand, we can’t always express ourselves perfectly and since you quoted that exact part, I figured I’d mention it.
Ah, but the person will only listen to the story and tell it to others if it feels true to them in the first place. If we want to spread an actual true idea amongst that group, it better be coupled with things that feel good or feel right to them. Thus, since feeling right will make the story spread regardless of its truth, and truth will only spread if its coupled with feeling right, I maintain that feeling right is the primary factor.
Yes, and we responded to that as audience members. But we also responded to the excitement that’s created by the action scenes, which we would never have put in the story if our primary goal was to be accurate instead of to find what makes the most feeling.
Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting that truth in general is not a good thing. It’s probably even the best thing when it comes to what we discuss. But in terms of what makes stories successful, I’ve found that truth simply isn’t primary, though I’ve seen it often stated as though it is.
All the best to you.