A Story Biological

In Poetics, Aristotle codified the structure of Western narrative and introduced us to the idea of a recognition moment—that point in a story where all of a sudden we understand what is going on, and, by that very process, more about ourselves. Since Aristotle’s day, these moments have been considered the preserve of drama, literature, and philosophy. But today they are increasingly provided by human biology. For when we understand what is going on inside our bodies, and why, we are met with repeated Aha! moments. These range from the fun: “Oh, so that’s why I get butterflies in my stomach when excited!” to the deadly serious: “So that’s why stress is so tormenting, why it contributes to hypertension, immune disorders, learned helplessness, and depression!” Today human biology, perhaps more than any other subject, throws light into the dark corners of our lives. And that means it can be harnessed ...