Telling stories

People love stories. Stories thrill us, entice us, and comfort us. Our notions of dignity, rightness, and motivation are writ in stories. We like to pretend that stories help us make sense of the world, because they are how we imagine the world.

Actually making sense of the world is harder and produces something less satisfying than a good story.

That is why so many people can become highly trained in technical fields, and still believe nonsense. And why Ben Carson’s supporters might cling to him more, even as holes are poked in his stories.

It is why we teach students about a scientific method that doesn’t exist.

And why we want a grand style of philosophy that Wittgenstein pierced.

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