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Every Tuesday, The Productive Disruptive delivers storytelling science, message makeovers, cultural commentary, and a little rebellious hope for anyone still stubborn enough to believe communication can change the world.
Dorian Johnson
October 14, 2025
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If facts alone were enough, research centers would be TikTok stars.
But they’re not(though I’m hoping someday they will be).
Because humans don’t run on information alone
We need a lil something else.
Stories are the human brain’s favorite operating system.
They help us sort through chaos, translate confusion, and turn “what happened” into “what matters.”
There are three compelling reasons why we should adopt stories(and why we need to get good at telling them):
Stories help us make sense of the world.
When the world doesn’t add up (in these forever unprecedented times🙄), stories give it subtitles.
Take conspiracy theories. They sound like sense when people are lost in the dark. They fill the gap between what we know and what we can’t stand not knowing.
The lesson for us?
If you’re not telling sense-making stories, someone else is, with or without evidence.
Stories help us make meaning of our lives.
Facts say what happened.
Stories say why it happened to me.
It’s why a chart can show a disparity but still miss the heartbeat behind it.
It’s also why a song lyric can hit you in the right way because of what you’re experiencing.
Meaning is personal.
That’s what makes stories stick. They wrap truth in you-shaped packaging.
Stories help us think about how to solve problems.
Every story is like a test lab for choices.
It’s like we’re running “what if?” simulations.
We can learn a lot by watching characters stumble through it first.
People don’t just learn by being told, they learn by seeing models of what works (and what doesn’t).
I never had to eat potato salad left out in the sun to know it’s a bad idea.
🧠 Story Science Side Note: Social learning theory reminds us that people learn by observing others. Stories also have opportunities to emphasize the importance of imitation, modeling, and reinforcement through characters.
When you tell a story, you’re not just recounting an event — you’re rewriting the operating manual for how someone else might survive theirs.
Because stories don’t just describe reality.
They design it.
And the more intentionally you tell them,
The more possible the world becomes.
📝 Message Makeover:
Old: “We just need to get better at communicating data.”
Makeover: “We need to tell stories that help people make sense of data, see themselves in it, and imagine what comes next.”
🛠️ The PHacilitator’s Corner:
Think of one story you’ve told (or plan to tell).
Then ask yourself:
1️⃣ Does it help someone make sense of something confusing?
2️⃣ Does it help them make meaning of who they are or what they value?
3️⃣ Does it help them make solutions for what’s next?
Circle the one that fits. Strengthen the rest.
Because when your story checks even one of those boxes, you’re in good shape.
See ya!