--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Storytelling is ultimately the only way…" description: "\"“Storytelling is ultimately the only way that we know besides song, dance, painting, and music to share with our tribesmen what it means to be human, e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_essayist_storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way_1028782.jpg" --- # Storytelling is ultimately the only way that we know… ![“Storytelling is ultimately the only way that we know besides song, dance, painting, and music to share with our tribesmen what it means to be human, express the indefinable feelings that unite humankind.” quote by Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_essayist_storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way_1028782.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_essayist_storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way_1028782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_essayist_storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way_1028782.jpg) > ““Storytelling is ultimately the only way that we know besides song, dance, painting, and music to share with our tribesmen what it means to be human, express the indefinable feelings that unite humankind.”” [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that storytelling uniquely conveys human experience, linking people across cultures and time. **In simple terms:** Stories share what music and art cannot. Key Takeaway Use narratives to connect and understand others. Themes communication culture humanity creativity Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - family gatherings - classroom teaching - marketing campaign - therapy session - community event Key Concepts anthropology psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - What stories shape your identity? - How can narratives bridge differences? A Different Perspective May overlook non‑verbal expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humankind/) [Memoir-writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir-writing/) [Memoirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoirs/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Personal-essay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-essay/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-of-life/) [Story of my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-of-my-life/) [Story of your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-of-your-life/) [Story-of-a-soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-of-a-soul/) [Storytellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytellers/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Storytelling-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling-quotes/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writers-on-thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-on-thinking/) [Writers-on-writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-on-writing/) ## Related quotes > [Storytelling is ultimately a creative act of pattern recognition. Through characters, plot and setting, a writer creates places where previously invisible truths become visible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/storytelling-is-ultimately-a-creative-act-of-pattern-recognition/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [The phrase 'Sense of the Earth' should be understood to mean the passionate concern for our common destiny which draws the thinking part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/the-phrase-sense-of-the-earth-should-be-understood-to-mean-the/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [“For the soul-wounded woman. Your healed voice is my favorite sound. Your hurts, they walk right into our hearts; but your story of healing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ann-fore/for-the-soul-wounded-woman-your-healed-voice-is-my-favorite-sound/) [Jo Ann Fore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-ann-fore/) > [“Philosophic thoughts allow people to use human reason and imagination to consider eternal matters and explore the ramifications of their own transience. American author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/philosophic-thoughts-allow-people-to-use-human-reason-and-imagination/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Storytelling creates a healing serum. The thematic unguent of our personal story represents a fusion of the ineffable truths that each of us must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-creates-a-healing-serum-the-thematic-unguent-of-our/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A shaman and a writer each serve as their communities’ seers by engaging in extraordinary acts of conscientious study of the past and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-shaman-and-a-writer-each-serve-as-their-communities-seers-by/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“An author’s operating charter is to unearth embedded symbols that reflect complementary and inconsistent relationships of our collective assemblage, combine harmonizing and contradictory conceptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/an-author-s-operating-charter-is-to-unearth-embedded-symbols-that/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Storytelling is an ancient art. The lucent vibes of stories express what we cannot articulate directly. When we hear someone’s story, we respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-an-ancient-art-the-lucent-vibes-of-stories-express/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Each of us, along with our ancestors, inhabits the same cosmos. When we tell stories, we enter the stream of human consciousness; we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/each-of-us-along-with-our-ancestors-inhabits-the-same-cosmos-when-we/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The hardest thing to ever do is to reveal the naked soul to the world. However, in doing so brings healing, growth, strength, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-e-olsen/the-hardest-thing-to-ever-do-is-to-reveal-the-naked-soul-to-the-world/) H.E. Olsen > [“Life is a collection of memories and feelings. Mawkish sentimentally urges us to engage in artistic overtures, we yearn to share with other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/life-is-a-collection-of-memories-and-feelings-mawkish-sentimentally/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“What softened your heart?" I asked softly. "Good music and a friend." I felt my eyes burn a little and turned from him, blinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/what-softened-your-heart-i-asked-softly-good-music-and-a-friend-i/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“A brother who's helped by a brother is like a strong city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-therese-of-lisieux/a-brother-who-s-helped-by-a-brother-is-like-a-strong-city/) [St. Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-therese-of-lisieux/) > [“A soul in a state of grace has nothing to fear of demons who are cowards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-therese-of-lisieux/a-soul-in-a-state-of-grace-has-nothing-to-fear-of-demons-who-are/) [St. Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-therese-of-lisieux/) > [“Ah! How contrary are the teachings of Jesus to the feelings of nature! Without the help of His grace it would be impossible not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-therese-of-lisieux/ah-how-contrary-are-the-teachings-of-jesus-to-the-feelings-of-nature/) [St. Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-therese-of-lisieux/) ## More by Kilroy J. Oldster > [“Disharmony at home or work is toxic to a person’s physical disposition and mental health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/disharmony-at-home-or-work-is-toxic-to-a-person-s-physical/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The emotional ingredients that sustain long-term relationships are kindness, thoughtfulness, and compassion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-emotional-ingredients-that-sustain-long-term-relationships-are/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Personal disillusionment accompanied by self-pity and self-loathing are the Achilles’ heel of modern humankind, representing the weakness of the human spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/personal-disillusionment-accompanied-by-self-pity-and-self-loathing/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“We nurture our own being by respecting all people and consciously working to mitigate the pain of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-nurture-our-own-being-by-respecting-all-people-and-consciously/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Life is a collection of memories and feelings. Mawkish sentimentally urges us to engage in artistic overtures, we yearn to share with other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/life-is-a-collection-of-memories-and-feelings-mawkish-sentimentally/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Time is inexplicable because it moves – clicks away – at steady increments, while increasing the past and bringing the future into the present.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/time-is-inexplicable-because-it-moves-clicks-away-at-steady/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Each of us, along with our ancestors, inhabits the same cosmos. When we tell stories, we enter the stream of human consciousness; we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/each-of-us-along-with-our-ancestors-inhabits-the-same-cosmos-when-we/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A period of darkness is essential in order to expand personal awareness. Experiencing sadness and loss makes a person appreciative of life, more tenderhearted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-period-of-darkness-is-essential-in-order-to-expand-personal/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person writes similar to how a blind person uses brail. We grope along the palpable corridors of the mind’s organic texture to locate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-writes-similar-to-how-a-blind-person-uses-brail-we-grope/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“People frequently ask me why I work so hard - prolong hours, infrequent vacations, and never calling in sick or missing work for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/people-frequently-ask-me-why-i-work-so-hard-prolong-hours-infrequent/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The ego is the culmination of our preferences and dislikes. Our ego represents the firm edges of how we perceive ourselves. An ego death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-ego-is-the-culmination-of-our-preferences-and-dislikes-our-ego/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Witnessing the moonrise each month, a person cannot resist noting a modest sense of optimism tugging at his or her enclosed capsule of bodily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/witnessing-the-moonrise-each-month-a-person-cannot-resist-noting-a/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Attempting to express a person’s objective reality and subjective state of mind with the written word is an endless task because writing alters our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/attempting-to-express-a-person-s-objective-reality-and-subjective/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person can hurry through or sleep walk through life, but whenever they stop to catch their breath or awaken from a long nap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-can-hurry-through-or-sleep-walk-through-life-but-whenever/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“It is up to each one of us to immunize ourselves from any disabling bolts of anger and defend ourselves from the thunderstorms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/it-is-up-to-each-one-of-us-to-immunize-ourselves-from-any-disabling/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) [Explore all 302 Kilroy J. Oldster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## More Essayist quotes > [Special qualities are required of the essayist. A poem or a novel may spring from the inner consciousness of an author. Reasoning poers must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-thompson/special-qualities-are-required-of-the-essayist-a-poem-or-a-novel-may/) [Flora Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flora-thompson/) > [“Each of us, along with our ancestors, inhabits the same cosmos. When we tell stories, we enter the stream of human consciousness; we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/each-of-us-along-with-our-ancestors-inhabits-the-same-cosmos-when-we/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The American essayist William Deresiewicz wrote that “no real excellence, personal or social, artistic, philosophical, scientific, or moral, can arise without solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/the-american-essayist-william-deresiewicz-wrote-that-no-real/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“Writing is a pitched battle with the elusive self, a contest that resultant celebratory jubilee demonstrates the writer’s innate capacity to meld abstract ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/writing-is-a-pitched-battle-with-the-elusive-self-a-contest-that/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The writer’s obsessions are twofold. First, communicate their thoughts onto paper with a great degree of precision in order accurately to express everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-writer-s-obsessions-are-twofold-first-communicate-their-thoughts/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A writer is not born but made through study and sheer willpower and ability to embrace beauty and agony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-writer-is-not-born-but-made-through-study-and-sheer-willpower-and/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The quality of any author’s effort at personal writing and thematic commentary hinges upon the author’s intrinsic limitations, personal vantage point, and personal capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-quality-of-any-author-s-effort-at-personal-writing-and-thematic/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [I thought that I wasn't an essayist because I just didn't see myself in a lot of the essays that were popular at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/i-thought-that-i-wasn-t-an-essayist-because-i-just-didn-t-see-myself/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) > [Essayists must not only be succinct but have original ideas and, even harder to come by, or to fake, likable voices. Consciously or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyra-mcfadden/essayists-must-not-only-be-succinct-but-have-original-ideas-and-even/) Cyra McFadden > [“Memory and imagination allow us to enter the womb of creation, devise the lens through which we translate our surroundings, and create the spectrum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/memory-and-imagination-allow-us-to-enter-the-womb-of-creation-devise/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Personal essay writing is analogous to undertaking a vision quest, a potential turning point in life taken to discover intimate personal truths, form complex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/personal-essay-writing-is-analogous-to-undertaking-a-vision-quest-a/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Writing enables a person to build a protective barrier shielding them from an adverse environment, scrutinize their circumstances, and discover how to employ new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/writing-enables-a-person-to-build-a-protective-barrier-shielding-them/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“All writers are demonic dreamers. Writing is an act of sharing experiences and offering of an individualistic perspective of our private attitudes pertaining to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-writers-are-demonic-dreamers-writing-is-an-act-of-sharing/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Storytelling gives form to the metal dialogue of the mind and in doing so, reveals our self-fiction. Memory and imagination fills part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-gives-form-to-the-metal-dialogue-of-the-mind-and-in/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Canceled checks will be to future historians and cultural anthropologists what the Dead Sea Scrolls and hieroglyphics are to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-staples/canceled-checks-will-be-to-future-historians-and-cultural/) Brent Staples Browse all 59 Essayist quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Storytelling is ultimately the only way that we know besides song, dance, painting, and music to share with our tribesmen what it means to be human, express the indefinable feelings that unite humankind.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kilroy J. Oldster" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way-that-we-know-besides-song/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Essayist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way-that-we-know-besides-song/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_essayist_storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way_1028782.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_essayist_storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way_1028782.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_essayist_storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way_1028782.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Storytelling is ultimately the only way that we know besides song, dance, painting, and music to share with…” — Kilroy J. Oldster", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kilroy J. Oldster", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Storytelling is ultimately the only way...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way-that-we-know-besides-song/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way-that-we-know-besides-song/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```