George Saunders shared a question on his Substack last year that was posed to him by a reader.
What is the purpose of stories in our culture today?
By way of answering that question, Saunders' initial thought also serves as the title of his post: Dang, good question.
As I pondered the question myself and wrestled with my own inability to get my arms around an answer, I started thinking about the professional wrestler Bryan Danielson. And I started thinking about shared experience.
Bryan Danielson tells stories. He is the main character of stories. At various points and under various names, Bryan Danielson (or Daniel Bryan) has provided opportunities for people to cheer, to rally behind him, even to boo him and root for him to be on the receiving end of some comeuppance.
These stories have unfolded over weeks, months, and years. Danielson is known best for the underdog story. A smaller man among giants, an overlooked wrestler among typical superstars, Danielson works to overcome the odds with the full complement of underdog traits: heart, resilience, a never-give-up attitude, and so on.
The Bryan Danielson versions of these stories are memorable because he connects with people. Fans identify with the feeling that the odds are stacked against them. That's just life. That's figuring things out from one day to the next. Danielson's stories turn that feeling up to the max, and they give fans the space to come together and cheer for the main character to emerge triumphant.
That all might sound a little cheesy. But some of the best stories are cheesy. And I think it gestures towards one possible answer to the question: what is the purpose of stories in our culture today?
To provide a connection point. To create the space for shared experience. To bring people together.