The Importance of Empathy in Storytelling

Debatably, storytelling is at the core of human evolution. It allowed for a crucial pivotal point, a defining "before and after" in our story. Once storytelling became the channel of education, we began to communicate ideas, emotions, or messages in a compelling and relatable way, often leveraging characters, plots, and emotions to engage and connect with an audience, evoke reactions, and inspire action or understanding.

As evolutionary psychologist David Buss notes, "Story-making is a mechanism that takes information and transforms it into rules of behaviour that have historically helped with adaptation. We have it because it helped our ancestors survive." The way I see it however, it is necessary to evoke empathy in order for said stories to truly create a change in the audience's mind. There are different ways to do so, and thankfully a plethora of excellent examples which we can take inspiration and learn from, such as Roma and Inside Out. Empathy is the foundation of compelling storytelling, allowing audiences to connect emotionally with characters, themes, and messages.

Why Empathy is Essential in Storytelling

First of all, why is empathy essential in storytelling? While the reasons are infinite, I believe there to be three overarching reasons.

The first is character connection. Audiences invest in stories when they see themselves represented in characters. A great example of this is the renowned Pixar animation film Inside Out (2015). This film uses emotions as characters, which helps the audience connect with the struggles of growing up, making a deeper impact on the audience.

The second reason is driving social change. Empathy-based storytelling fosters understanding and awareness for different cultures and those around you. My two favorite examples for this are Alfonso Cuaron's Roma (2018) and Bong Joon-ho's Parasite (2019). Both films humanize and create social commentary on different socio-economic classes, domestic workers, and imbalance of power. This leads to a dynamic value change within the user from pre to post film.

Finally, the last reason why I believe empathy to be crucial in storytelling is brand messaging and emotional resonance. So far I've spoken only about cinema, however empathy is still, if not more important in branded storytelling in order to make brands more relatable and create that dynamic value change within the viewer's mind.

Techniques to Create Empathy in Storytelling

It's very easy to talk about the importance of empathy and examples, yet what are ways a storyteller can achieve this? The most important factor which differentiates a story from a statement, is a dynamic value change. There must be a before and after in the viewer's mind. Whether it's a lesson, an emotion, or an action that changes, something must change in order to foster improvement of one's life, thoughts or habits.

Some ways one can achieve this is by including strong character development by crafting multidimensional characters with flaws and growth arcs. Another way one can influence empathy is by subjective filmmaking, and using cinematography as a tool to place viewers in the character's perspective. For example, this year's Academy Award nominee "The Nickel Boys" (2024) by RaMell Ross films in first person perspective, allowing for the viewer to step into the character's shoes.

Finally and the most obvious would be to tell stories with relatable themes and emotional truths. By addressing universal human experiences, your story is more likely to transcend borders and cultures, creating a resonating value change across the globe.

Conclusion

Ultimately, empathy in storytelling serves as the bridge between mere entertainment and transformative experience. Through character connection, social awareness, and emotional resonance, empathic narratives create the dynamic value change that defines effective storytelling. Whether through the animated emotions of Inside Out or the social commentary of Parasite, empathy enables stories to transcend cultural boundaries and create lasting impact. As storytellers, our challenge is to craft narratives that don't just capture attention but transform perspectives. In this transformation lies the evolutionary purpose of storytelling—not merely to inform, but to fundamentally change how we see ourselves and others. Through empathy, stories fulfill their most ancient and powerful function: helping us understand what it means to be human.