The reality that we experience is just a story that our brain tells us, in which we are the hero. Our brain seeks to create a linear plot in our lives by organizing our memories into cause and effect sequences and reconfiguring our past choices to fit our heroic narrative. We also seek to understand the minds of others in order to control our environment, driven by the need for social skills for trading and negotiations. Our brain’s urge to understand others is so strong that we even project human feelings onto inanimate objects. Stories allow us to satisfy this desire to understand others, particularly characters with flaws.
We are drawn to flawed characters because they allow us to explore our own flaws in a safe space. Our beliefs, which are influenced by culture, are solidified in early life and can be traced back to character flaws. We defend these beliefs throughout our adulthood and are resistant to opposing worldviews. Character flaws manifest in how they help or hinder characters from achieving their goals and make the journey more difficult. Reading about characters who act towards meaningful and controllable goals is enjoyable, as demonstrated by the higher frequency of goal-oriented words in best-selling novels. The choice of a character’s flaws is key in creating a spellbinding story.
A well-drawn character with flaws, personality quirks, and a unique worldview is crucial for creating a rich and stimulating plot. A character’s flawed theory of control, or the way they believe they must act in order to keep the world around them stable, is tested when confronted with unexpected change. Personality, comprising five main traits (conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and extraversion) also plays a key role in determining a character’s choices and reactions to their circumstances. To create a realistically flawed character, it is important to include mutual misunderstandings, as these can be a source of drama in both fiction and real life.
A good story should always have the reader or viewer wondering who the character really is, driven by our desire to fully understand the minds of others. This can be achieved through specific situations that reveal a character’s selflessness or selfishness and unexpected changes that test their core beliefs. The interplay between the surface plot and the inner plot of a character’s psyche can lead to unpredictable behavior and a change in their sense of identity, keeping the audience engaged.
Including small details and allowing the reader or viewer to fill in gaps in information stimulates the brain’s natural curiosity. Dialogue and descriptions of characters and their environments can reveal information about them and create a more vivid experience for the audience. Metaphors and poetic descriptions can also enhance the story by evoking powerful associations and creating neural activity in the brain. These elements can keep the audience engaged until the end of the story.
Most good stories are ultimately about a change in status, as humans are driven by their need for status and goal-direction. Our identification with characters of lower status and desire to see those with higher status “put in their place” allows us to root for them and feel like a participant in their struggle towards a goal. A change in status can also lead to the breaking down of deeply-held beliefs, adding drama and conflict to the story.
Stories can be a form of propaganda that teach lessons about the right ways to behave, and contain warnings for what happens when we don’t. They can also help change attitudes and beliefs through transportation and allow us to experience changes in control in a safe environment. The power of stories lies in the journey of discovering things about ourselves, others, and the world that we share.