I know I was as shocked by this revelation as the next guy! But when you think about it it’s quite an interesting observation, during conversations you can get a sense that people aren’t listening they’re just waiting for their turn to speak. And when they get there chance they frequently tell surprising or emotional stories that contain little factual information and insignificant survival benefit.

In fact, according to Jean-Louis Dessalles from the ENST in France, roughly 45% of our conversations are exercises in storytelling. Why? What possible Darwinian motivation could we have for doing this? As Jean-Louis says “If language has been selected because of its effect on the welfare of the group or as a fair exchange of information based on strict reciprocity, then the efforts that speakers devote to tell stories for all to hear, most often with much emphasis to highlight interest, is incomprehensible.” We’re fascinated by unexpectedness and by highlighting or recounting unexpected events we gain the attention of others. One theory is that this makes language a form of display. As, the advent of the spear made strength (a common feature of display amongst animals) an increasing irrelevance, a weakling could kill a hulk simply by taking them by surprise. In this new political landscape the best form of defence was to surround yourself with allies who were able to spot the unusual and anticipate a spear in the gullet. So, ‘How to attract friends and influence people?’, simple display your alertness by spotting the unexpected and being the first to tell people about it!