You Are More Interesting Than You Think
On how our brains love stories and how to share your own
Have you convinced yourself that your life story is “too boring” to tell?
(Key word: convinced)
To be convinced means to accept that something is true. But is it actually true?
“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.”
— Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human
Our Brains Love Stories
As we mentioned in a previous post, humans have always loved stories. Stories connect us and motivate us. They break down complex topics into something relatable. They make the bitter pills of reality easier to swallow.
There’s real science behind all of this.
Listening to a story synchronizes the listener’s brain waves with the storyteller’s, according to Uri Hasson, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University. This neural connection can even affect behavior. For example, personal stories can make medical advice more impactful. According to Melanie Green, a communication professor at the University at Buffalo, hearing about someone you identify with adopting a routine (like meditation) makes you more likely to adopt it as well.1
To learn more about how stories alter our brains and inspire compassion, you can also watch this video about neuroeconomist Paul Zak’s research:
Overcoming the Hesitation to Tell Your Story
The core of the Bootstraps project is to build empathy through storytelling. The Bootstrappers2 shared their stories through the docuseries. The online space we’re building on platforms like Substack aims to encourage everyday people like you to share yours and to imagine what your life might look like with a basic income.
The responses so far have been amazing, both online and offline. But sometimes, such as during a sneak peek or private screening, someone will ask:
“What’s the point of sharing what I would do if I had UBI? My life seems boring compared to the Bootstrappers.”
This reaction makes sense. The Bootstraps project has been blessed with an incredible editing team that transformed hundreds of hours of raw footage into incredible narrative arcs. It’s easy to put these stories on a pedestal, especially when our own lives feel routine from the inside. We rarely see the magic in our own day-to-day lives, so what feels ordinary to you may actually be extraordinary to outside observers. While we are endlessly amazed by the Bootstrappers, we know we’ll be just as amazed by you.
Self-doubt may not stem from a lack of interesting life experiences but rather not knowing where to start the story. Much like how Universal Basic Income provides a financial foundation, you may just need a baseline to tell your story.
The 5-Line Framework for Your Story
In 2011, Pixar story artist Emma Coates shared “22 Pixar Storytelling Rules.”3 Rule #4 outlines a simple framework:
Once upon a time, there was ________.
Every day, ________.
One day, ________.
Because of that, ________.
Until finally, ________.
Try playing Mad Libs with this formula using your favorite fiction or non-fiction story, or even a TED Talk.
Then, try filling in the "One day..." part with getting a basic income starting today, and explore what happens because of that:
What changes in your life?
What doors open for you?
What happens because of that shift?
Sometimes all it takes is a simple structure to start boosting your confidence in storytelling, whether it’s in front of cameras or in simple online conversations.
Remember: You are full of stories worth sharing.
Our nickname for the participants of the basic income experiment featured in the Bootstraps docuseries
A look at the most important rules of storytelling, as set out by the masters of practice: Pixar Animation Studios (Toast Studio)