Certainly the most underrated human activity continues to be: story-telling,
indeed, everything that is not science telling is story-telling;
whenever men are speaking, if they are not conveying
survival-pertinent knowledge about the physical world, they are weaving tales;
the words may seem to be about politics, religion, history, society, the arts,
human behavior or oneself, but if it is not technical talk it is story-telling  --
plain and simple  -- no exceptions.
Men are made to feign oblivion thereto, and to pretend vigorous rejection thereof
if this subject be raised;
their minds understand quite well what the term, story-telling means,
and their tongues are directed to insist that the many facets of human culture
are most assuredly something quite other than that;
men will note they have the word, myth that is used in instances when what is being spoken of either has no definite basis in fact, or is marked at its source as fiction,
but this notwithstanding,
men are not collectively permitted to identify their cultural-spiritual life for what it is:
                                                             story-telling.
 
 

Hormones are living; neurons are story-telling,
neurons (fulfilling their radical raison d'être) can certainly assist hormones
in their drive to keep a man alive by thinking about the current arrangement of
certain matters in the physical realm, and abstracting how they might be repositioned to be more conducive to his survival (technical talk),
but when not so engaged, neurons (which operate non-stop, same as hormones)
automatically shift into story-telling mode,
both as private day dreams in the individual, and as publicly shared culture,
(all the matters in which men have interest
which cannot be physically measured or touched).
The products of his mind’s endless story-telling is what provides man with
something to do during the day after all his essential needs are met
(other than nap away ninety per cent of his life as do many other animals);
the diversions that arise from story-telling are the civilized, tasty toppings on
mortal existence, and enjoyed by all in their individual way,
but not operationally recognizing them for what they are
is of extreme interest to those few humans born with an unconventional desire
to understand what is going on with being alive, as opposed to the
standardly imposed approach of merely being alive.
 

All ordinary people thoroughly enjoy the final products of men’s story-telling,
be it in the form of religion, philosophy, history and the other social sciences,
or political, sports, or entertainment debates (re movies, music, books),
but they are made by conventional genetics to treat these amusements as being something other than, in fact something more than what they are (story-telling),
and therein be the wake-up pinch for the uncommon man,
driven to get to the bottom of things.
If you are satisfied to live the same general inner, mental life that everyone else does, then this situation is in no wise troubling,
but to ever gain a view of life not normally available,
you must have a precise recognition of the absolute distinction between things
that are physically real, and those things that are story-telling.
 

Routinely programmed minds are programmed to take offense
at their favored cultural icons being labeled, story-telling
(or at least to express offense, if the idea be put in their face),
and once you begin to see for yourself what is going on with life, you understand why this reaction is built into the overall structure of civilization (and as always-&-always):
reality is no insult  --  save to those mentally in touch with same at arm’s length;
when the certain man sees something as being other than how the rest of
normal humanity says they believe it to be,
he is not offended by the contrary reality of what he sees,
nor by the fact that others do not see it (in other words: he is not offended by their, [quote] stupidity, but realizes that this is simply how things are),
but part of ordinary men’s minds having favorite stories is a collateral responsibility
to verbally defend them if they are attacked;
a conventionally wired man with a personally embraced religion, political persuasion, or movie genre has no choice but to support same if it be impugned;
this in turn becomes part of the pleasurable pastime,
but neither proves anything, nor adds to its specious reality.
 

You cannot profitably understand this in theory,
simply agreeing that what has been described is surely true, won’t do:
even though you may find the verbal limning irrefutable, and clearly on the mark,
you must still undertake your own personal inquiry into the matter,
(like, let us say, a scientist who has just heard an interesting theory that
sounds correct, but who must investigate and prove its validity to and for himself),
because having the full reality of what story-telling is in the life of man
suddenly hit you, is something completely different than anything you may say,
or speculate about it.                                                               (There’s something new, huh?!)
 
 

The omnipresent impact this realization will have on the nervous system rebel’s
non tangible innards is staggering (indescribable, actually,
but what are all of man’s available words for if not to be used),
when the full film of this situation hits the certain man’s mental screen  --
his perception of life is never the same;
hell is distinguished from a hurricane;
disrespect from diabetes;
dining from eating;
an afterlife from life  --   (all in all):