The Stories of Our Lives

How the stories we tell about ourselves and others shape who we are

Robyn Fivush Ph.D.

Intergenerational Narratives: Providing Models of Resistance and Building Hope

We need to change the American narrative—to listen to those who have been historically silenced and to be more inclusive in the way we understand the American dream.

Listening to Stories of Sacrifice this D-Day

This D-Day, as we commemorate the sacrifice of those who served in Normandy, how do we help those who continue to serve in the present?

Sharing Everyday Stories Can Make Us Happy

Telling and hearing stories can help us reconnect and nurture our personal relationships.

How Life Stories Synchronize Our Brains and Raise Self-Esteem

New research shows how we can use the power of family storytelling to create connection and increase self-esteem even from far away.

How Being Positive Can Turn Toxic

Why does it annoy us when people try to reassure us that it is OK, that we have a lot to be thankful for, or that we should just cheer up?

Telling Stories During 9/11 and the Pandemic

Uncertainty wrought by experiences such as 9/11 and COVID-19 forces the nation to reflect on life in new ways, and, perhaps uncertainty can also help society grow.

Our Memories Become More Positive With Age

A focus on more positive and grateful memories can become more intentional at any age and can increase well-being and generosity.

Why Sharing Stories of the Pandemic Is Good for Us

New findings suggest that parents who are more elaborative, less avoidant communicators help their children develop better emotional skills.

Have Kids Run Out of Resilience?

Helping young people create stories of ways in which they have successfully faced adversity builds resilience.

Storytelling Is Good for Us and Our Bodies

Shared storytelling lowers cortisol, raises oxytocin, helps us manage stress, and increases empathy, according to new research.

Remembering Pandemic Time

Those who are able to process and narrate pandemic experiences in more reflective and elaborated detail, may emerge from pandemic life with resilience and self-understanding.

Women Are the Keepers of Family Stories

From the story of their birth on, girls and women tell and keep stories differently than boys and men.

Exchanging Stories Builds Respect

Perhaps it is time for us to sit down with someone with whom we may disagree and share some stories.

The Gift of Family Stories

This holiday season, give yourself and your loved ones the gift of stories.

Breaking Zoom Borders Through Stories This Holiday Season

This holiday season, we may have to be in our individual Zoom rooms, but we can still create something meaningful, and sustaining through family stories.

How Stories Create Hope

When children learn stories of hope from their families, they can connect to larger stories. And, then, they can change the world.

How College Students Are Telling Their Stories of COVID-19

Stories from the past can help the young generation understand that the present does not define them but, rather, their future stories are still to be written.

Listening to Stories: The Power of Story Circles

Telling your story is an important skill; listening to others’ stories is a lifelong process of understanding yourself and others.

Why We Need Stories More Than Ever

Our stories help us make sense of our lives, give us hope that we will sustain and overcome, and help us predict a better future. 

Why I Am Optimistic This Graduation Season

I don’t know what the future will bring. But this I do know: If the world is in the hands of today’s students, I am optimistic.

How Family Stories Help Us Cope

What do family stories have to do with keeping safe today and tomorrow? You might be surprised.

Family Storytelling for the Holidays

Storytelling is an important and meaningful family tradition, especially around the holidays. How do we tell stories that matter?

What Stories Will You Leave as Your Family Legacy?

If your children only knew one or two stories about your life, what stories would you want those to be and why?

Sharenting, or Sharing Stories

When parents post about their children on social media, they create a narrative identity for their child. But whose identity is it?

The Story of a Book

Exploring how identities are created and understood through family storytelling.

Graduation Season Again: Time to Tell Stories

As we each mark transitions, both academic and personal, the power of stories to create communities and empower students is more important than ever

Finding Solace Through Stories

Remembering our loved ones through stories helps us heal and bonds our families and friends together in times of grief.

Parents Ought to Share Their Challenging Experiences

Adolescents who know stories about their parents’ teenage difficulties and challenges show higher self-esteem and resilience.

Family Disputes About Memories

Open and validating conversations about disputed family experiences can be an important part of the healing process.

Celebrate Graduation! Booster Shots Advised!

A "booster shot" of self-affirmation at the start of the academic year can have amazing effects on student accomplishment.

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