We create stories out of independent (or random/unconnected) events because of an evolutionary habit called the narrative fallacy—our brain’s hardwired urge to find patterns, cause-and-effect, and meaning where none may actually exist.
Why Our Brains Do This:
- Survival Instinct (Pattern Recognition): For early humans, assuming a rustling in the bushes (an independent or random noise) was a predator (a lion sneaking up) was a safer bet than assuming it was just the wind. Being fast to connect dots meant survival, even if the connection was wrong.
- Cognitive Efficiency: The human brain hates chaos and randomness. Turning isolated, jumbled data points into a tidy beginning, middle, and end makes information easier to remember, process, and pass on to others.
- Making Sense of the World: We connect unrelated life events—a broken alarm, a missed bus, and a surprise encounter—into a “story” because it gives us a sense of control, purpose, or narrative arc over unpredictable circumstances.
Also see: Why your brain turns life into stories
Neuroscience is revealing how our brains are wired for narrative
Also see: Realising we’re all made-up characters in a story world helps me understand people
