Emotion is Key

When thinking about this post, I immediately thought of the late and great Maya Angelou. She said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I believe this to be true. As people, we like to relate our lives more through emotions rather than experiences. I know I will never experience devastating hunger like some people in a third world country, but I like to believe that I have an association with their perseverance and strength. This is true with fiction in general. The Star Wars Universe is interesting in its own right. I would love to experience that world and exist in it at some brief point, but that's not what makes me identify with the characters. I see the pain when Luke realizes his family was killed and the difficulties of adjusting to a new life. Look at the news. Stories that peak the general population's interest are riddled with emotion, while brushed off stories go straight to the facts. The truth behind this is that the news presents what has the most emotional detail because we will watch. People seek to relate with one another; this doesn't just have to be people. Marley and Me is an emotional story around a dog. Emotions drive more than we may think. Aside from this, I also think that there is a fascination piece to the overall phenomenon. The fact that Star Wars is science fiction helps to amplify the interest and impact. New things are interesting. Imagine when Star Trek came out; it was vastly different than anything viewed before, yet we could still relate to these people. If something shows emotion, then there is a chance we may try to connect with it.