Stories matter.
They matter so much, we’ve built entire multi-billion-dollar industries around them — movies, shows, books, comics, video games… Even religions are basically just built on stories.

But why do they matter so much to us?

It’s a simple question. We read them. We watch them. We grow up with them. But the real power of a story… is what it does to us.

Because when we read a book or watch a film — We become someone else. We become the characters. We feel their fears. We suffer their losses. We celebrate their triumphs. And without even noticing it, we absorb something layered deeper into the stories — it’s the ideas, perspectives, and beliefs.

Even Jesus spoke in parables — because he knew something fundamental:
Stories stick. They stick much more than simple arguments or opinions.

Jesus Christ and his stories survived for two thousand years and counting. Meanwhile, they created entire civilizations. And the ideas within them shaped the thoughts and behavior of countless people.

The stories of today?

They’re no different. They still carry meaning. They still deliver ideas, perspectives, and beliefs. They still shape who we are — and how we think. They even shape our civilization.

Tell a child that power and responsibility are connected… They’ll forget it by dinner. But show them Spider-Man? They’ll never forget: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

That is the power of storytelling.

If it’s done right, a story can teach you something you’ll carry for the rest of your life.

• Luke Skywalker taught us that hate leads to the dark side.
• Frodo showed us how power can corrupt the heart, mind, and soul.
• And Titanic… well, Titanic taught us that even after decades of marriage, Rose would still rather think about the Chad she hooked up with on a cruise ship than her actual husband. – Man, what a hoe that Rose was.

Every story plants a seed. Not all of them grow. But enough do. And those are the stories that shape who we are.

That’s why we need to be careful about the stories we consume. We need to think critically about what those stories are teaching us — Because every writer, every director, and studio executive… is trying to sell us their ideas as the right ones.

Do we want a positive Star Wars that gives us a new hope — or do we want a nihilistic Disney Star Wars that tells us to let the past die and kill it if we have to?

Do we want stories that inspire us? Challenge us? Ground us? Or ones that numb us?

In the end, it’s up to the viewer. The reader. The gamer.

But the most important thing is this: We must never forget that stories are more than just entertainment. Stories are ideas. Perspectives. Beliefs.

Stories matter. They always have. And they always will.