Facts Inform, Stories Transform

“Stories don’t matter—facts do.”

It’s a common refrain, especially in an age obsessed with data, evidence, and measurable outcomes. But here’s the problem: facts without stories rarely move hearts or minds. Facts inform but they don’t transform.

The Case for Story Over “Just Facts”

Research shows that humans are wired for story. As Psychology Today notes, your story is not just a linear record of what happened to you, but a meaning-making process that helps define your identity and values. Brain science backs this up: when we hear a story, more regions of our brain light up compared to when we hear raw data. Stories activate emotion, empathy, and memory, making information stick in ways numbers alone cannot. In a world drowning in spreadsheets and dashboards, stories cut through the noise, anchoring data in lived human experience.

Stories as Engines of Change

Beyond individual impact, stories drive collective transformation. They help societies make sense of the world, organizing complexity into narratives we can act on. They shift systems by creating shared meaning and influencing the way institutions and leaders think about problems. And they shape cultural imagination—whether it’s through novels, journalism, or oral traditions—that can spark movements and policy changes. History shows us time and again that facts alone don’t fuel change—it’s the stories surrounding those facts that rally people to act.

What Do We Mean by “Your Story”?

Critics often misunderstand what “your story” really means. It’s not a dry recitation of dates, diagnoses, or milestones. It’s the weaving of experiences, emotions, and perspective into a narrative that reveals truth. Sometimes, paradoxically, fiction can tell the truth more powerfully than fact. Writers like Jeannette de Beauvoir argue that fiction provides aesthetic distance, allowing us to confront painful realities indirectly while still accessing deep insight. As Leslye Penelope points out, even when “writers lie,” they’re often revealing profound human truths that facts alone cannot capture. Father Robert Lauder (a man of the cloth, no less!) goes further, saying fiction’s very power is that it can express important truths about humanity, morality, and society that data or personal testimony might never reach.

Your story is not one story

We all contain multitudes - not just Walt Whitman. So when we call for “your story”, we’re calling for the story you need to tell now. The more you write, the more stories you’ll realize you actually do have to tell. Writing priming the pump - the more you pump, the more the stories will flow. 

The stories you need to tell change as you age because your perspective, experience, relationships, body and mind all change. If you don’t know what your story is now or fear you don’t even have one, you might, via the cloak of doubt, veil of insecurity, dagger of denial or the most damned “I’m too busy” fiend convince yourself that you’ll do it later. 

Let me help you out: You won’t. 

As The King crooned: It’s now or never. There’s some high stakes for you. There will never be a perfect or convenient time in the future to tell your story. You either make time and commit to doing it now or you will not do it. Period. With that in mind, and acknowledging that writing is work - sometimes very hard work - don’t you think it makes sense to surround yourself with a support system to take on this daunting task?

Why This Matters Now

We live in a moment where data dominates decision-making. But data without story risks dehumanization. The statistics of Parkinson’s disease mean little until someone tells the story of living through them. Stories add the moral weight that data alone cannot carry. They connect strangers, bridge divides, and make it harder to look away.

So the next time you’re tempted to dismiss storytelling as “fluff” or ask why do stories matter? Remember: facts inform, but stories transform. Your story—whether spoken, written, or told through art—has the power to shape not only how you understand yourself, but how society itself evolves. That includes how we find a cure for Parkinson’s. 

Bottom line: your story (told well) matters. More than you might ever imagine.

Check out our Cinema Therapy classes to learn how to tell your clear, engaging and deeply impactful story that can change the world.