Storytelling Through the Lens of Hormones

Since the dawn of creation, stories have always been a source of human pleasure and fascination. We can clearly observe storytelling everywhere: from ancient myths and cave legends to modern plays, blogs, Facebook posts, and Instagram stories. Storytelling is humanity’s primary and earliest form of communication. Simply listen to a conversation among a group of friends; before long, it inevitably transforms into storytelling. In fact, nearly 65 percent of our daily conversations revolve around stories and news about others. Through stories, we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, the people around us, and our place in the universe. As Philip Pullman once said:

“After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”

One of the most significant outcomes of storytelling is the emotional connection formed between the storyteller and the audience. Uri Hasson, a researcher at Princeton University, discovered through brain activity comparisons between storytellers and listeners that while a story is being told, the listener’s brain activity synchronizes with that of the speaker. In other words, when we tell stories, people literally see the world through the frame of our minds. This is precisely why stories become memorable. Given the importance of storytelling as a knowledge management technique, I decided to examine storytelling from a scientific and physiological perspective.

Cosette and My Organizational Training Sessions

Storytelling, as one of the most recognized techniques in knowledge management literature, has always been among the most fascinating and effective knowledge-sharing methods for me. If I were asked to name one of the most practical and impactful approaches to knowledge transfer, storytelling would undoubtedly top my list.

For years, I intuitively understood the effectiveness of storytelling. However, while reading the book Winning Minds by Simon Lancaster, I came to appreciate its significance from a scientific—and even medical—perspective.

In organizational knowledge management workshops, I often use a simple example to explain the power of storytelling to organizational experts. I say a single word and ask participants to mention the first thing that comes to mind. The word I use is “Cosette.” Without exception, participants immediately mention keywords such as Les Misérables, Victor Hugo, the Thénardiers, Jean Valjean, and more.

The power of storytelling is so profound that a novel written more than 160 years ago remains deeply embedded in our minds. With just one word, the entire story resurfaces, almost as if we ourselves had lived through it.

Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Dopamine: The Hormones of Storytelling

In Winning Minds, Simon Lancaster recounts the following experience:

“On July 26, 2012, my wife and I stood among 250,000 people in London’s Hyde Park waiting for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. Suddenly Boris Johnson, then Mayor of London and later Prime Minister of the UK, appeared on stage. The crowd groaned at the sight of another politician. A few people even prepared their phones to record what they expected to be an embarrassing moment.

Truthfully, I had never been particularly fond of Boris Johnson. Yet that day he completely astonished me. In just three minutes, he transformed the crowd from irritation and cynicism into excitement and exhilaration.”

Johnson began speaking with humor, energy, and patriotic enthusiasm. He repeatedly asked the crowd:

“Are we ready?”

And the audience roared back:

“Yes!”

Lancaster describes how the atmosphere rapidly changed. People who moments earlier had been skeptical suddenly found themselves chanting:

“Boooris! Boooris!”

Even Lancaster and his wife joined in. Then his wife suddenly stopped and asked:

“Good heavens… what just happened to us?”

Lancaster’s answer was simple:

“We were chemically intoxicated.”

He explains that Johnson’s speech triggered the release of three powerful chemicals in the brain:

1. Serotonin — The Confidence Hormone

Serotonin creates feelings of confidence, pride, strength, and significance. Praise and recognition stimulate serotonin release. By glorifying “our amazing city,” “our amazing country,” and “our amazing athletes,” Johnson activated this hormone in the audience.

2. Oxytocin — The Love Hormone

Oxytocin fosters feelings of trust, warmth, emotional closeness, and connection. It is naturally released when we feel bonded with others—through touch, empathy, or even shared emotional experiences. Remarkably, simply listening to an engaging speaker can stimulate oxytocin production.

3. Dopamine — The Reward Hormone

Dopamine creates excitement, pleasure, and anticipation. It is the brain’s reward mechanism and is heavily linked to fulfilled expectations. Johnson exceeded the audience’s expectations. Instead of delivering a dull political speech, he created an emotional wave of excitement and patriotic pride.

How to Create Powerful and Memorable Stories

Stories can serve many purposes, but what makes a story truly memorable? According to neuroscience, the answer lies in these same chemicals.

Great stories stimulate oxytocin, cortisol, and dopamine. Here is how:

Great Characters Generate Oxytocin

Whether fictional or real, the audience must emotionally identify with the protagonist. The more relatable the character becomes, the more oxytocin is released. This is why films often show ordinary, human moments—like a character singing along to music while driving. Viewers unconsciously think:

“That’s me.”

Major Dilemmas Generate Cortisol

At the heart of every compelling story lies conflict or tension:
“Us versus them,”
“Should I do this or that?”
This tension captures attention and keeps the audience emotionally invested.

Powerful Endings Generate Dopamine

People remain engaged because they crave resolution. A satisfying ending rewards the audience emotionally and triggers dopamine release.

This explains why Native Americans say:

“Tell me a fact and I will learn. Tell me a truth and I will believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

Words Are Only 7 Percent!

In the 1970s, psychologist Albert Mehrabian conducted famous research on communication. He examined how people react when there is inconsistency between what someone says and how they say it.

Mehrabian concluded that when contradiction exists:

• Words account for only 7% of communication
• Tone of voice accounts for 38%
• Body language accounts for 55%

This finding strongly reinforces the importance and effectiveness of storytelling, because storytelling naturally combines all three dimensions of communication: words, voice, and physical expression.

Explore More from the Author:

• Stone and Story: Documentation as a Window to Ancient Times
• Knowledge Management in Practice: From Mischievous Cats to the Miracle Room! (Part 1)
• Knowledge Management in Practice: From ‘Just Half a Bar’ to Motorbike Leadership (Part 2)
• Knowledge Management in Practice: From “Student-Style CEOs” to Sweet KM Lunches (Part 3)
• Knowledge Management in Practice: From “Gunny Bag of Maps” to “Guests Are Good for You” (Part 4)
• Gilgamesh and the Library of Ashurbanipal: The Roots of Documentation and Knowledge Transfer in Human History

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