The Aesthetic Potential of Narrative Knowledge for Self-Awareness and for the Creation of More Inclusive Communities

The art of storytelling has an important biological function in the survival and development of the human species; in fact, it allows us to explore imaginary worlds, to predict and plan the future, to arrange and give sense to a chaotic present, to formulate hypotheses about the surrounding environment, to build a shared cultural heritage (Smorti 2022). Especially when reality appears incomprehensible and when intersubjective communication is hampered, stories come to the rescue in order to understand social dynamics in case they appear ambiguous, senseless, indecipherable, giving their contribution to building a deep sense of identity, enhancing the capability for empathic resonance, identification and the relational competences necessary for the creation of more inclusive communities.