What Makes a Great Love Story, and Why Do We Care?

 

Next week is Valentine’s Day, and although many people are put out by the “manufactured” holiday as an excuse to sell cards and candy, I have a soft spot for all the romantic hoopty-doo and think it’s a great excuse to revel in some of the sweet stuff that comes around this time of year. Maybe it’s because I read too many romance stories when I was younger (mostly tragic ones)...I get caught up in the whole idea of a special day just for love and lovers. And that brings us to the topic of this week’s podcast…The Greatest Love Story.

I don’t want to get into a whole list of my favorite love stories today. We covered a lot of that on the podcast, and true to form, as soon as the mics turned off, I thought of a whole lot more, but I’m intrigued by why we relish romantic stories so much, and what makes a good one. So I did a little digging to find out. Apparently, it all comes down to chemistry.

In her article, “Why Do We Love Stories”, Harrie Truscott notes that through brain imaging, neuroscientists have been able to demonstrate that our brains “light up” when we are told a story, and that it goes beyond the normal “language processing” region that is affected when we take in new information – the sensory cortex and the motor cortex are triggered as well, just as if the person had witnessed the story first-hand. In a Harvard Review article by Paul J. Zak titled, “Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling,” the author reveals how he and a team of scientists discovered that stories caused our brains to release oxytocin, the chemical responsible for feelings of empathy, bonding, and even love. It’s the same chemical that helps mothers bond with their babies and lovers to one another. Zak’s research went further to demonstrate that a compelling story produced more oxytocin, deepening the connection between the listener/viewer with the characters to the extent that they actually shared the emotions of the characters and that they continued mimicking those feelings and behaviors after the story ends.

So what makes a story compelling? Zak notes that a story must sustain the listener/viewer’s attention and that to do that, an element of tension must be introduced in the narrative. This explains why we are so fascinated not by the love-at-first-sight-then-happily-ever-after kind of story but rather with the tragic story. The story where miscommunication, meddlesome characters, and calamitous plot devices keep the lovers apart and interfere with the progression of their relationship. We can relate to that. And the chemicals in our brains remind us that we are all human and that it could happen to us, too.

So, the next time someone catches you weeping at something you saw on TV or read in a book, remind them that it’s just chemistry and your brain was designed to make you react that way.

Don’t forget to join us Wednesday for the podcast, where we’ll share some of our favorite love stories and debate about a few, too! Then join us over on our MMC Chat group and tell us about your greatest love story favorite.