Narrative’s evolutionary roots
from Origins of Human Communication, Chaper Six, “The Grammatical Dimension,” by Michael Tomasello “Why do people in all cultures tell stories in the first place? . . . Basically, such sharing is a way of expanding our common ground with others and so expanding our communicative opportunities, and, in the end, making us more like them and enhancing our chances of social acceptance (with conformity to the group playing a critical role in processes of cultural group selection). Telling narratives …