People are often confronted with the distinction between what they do and who they are. The connection between the two is often misunderstood as mutually exclusive but these questions are intimately related; to understand one is to gain some insight into the other.
“The Art of Story Telling: Identity Development A Sustainable Defense Against Existential Threats” by Eric L. Johnson presents a rigorous and thought-provoking examination of how storytelling functions as a core mechanism of identity formation. Proudly published by Citi of Books, this is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major retail platforms.
Rather than focusing on creative narratives or literary technique, the book explores how the stories individuals and societies construct about themselves provide meaning, coherence, and psychological stability in the face of existential uncertainty.
Johnson’s central argument is that identity itself is narrative in nature. Human beings understand who they are, where they belong, and why they exist through stories—personal, cultural, moral, and spiritual. These narratives act as organizing frameworks that help individuals navigate suffering, responsibility, mortality, and purpose. Without coherent stories, identity fractures.
In this work, storytelling is not entertainment but architecture. Johnson explains how internal narratives shape self-concept, moral orientation, and resilience. Identity is built, maintained, and defended through these narratives, which allow individuals to integrate past experiences, present realities, and future expectations into a coherent whole.
A key focus of the book is the concept of existential threats—forces such as trauma, loss, cultural disintegration, moral ambiguity, and awareness of mortality. Johnson argues that these threats destabilize identity when individuals lack meaningful narrative frameworks. Storytelling functions as a psychological defense by preserving continuity and meaning amid disruption.
Faith and belief systems are examined as powerful narrative structures within identity development. Johnson does not present theology devotionally, but analytically, exploring how belief in God and religious worldviews provide moral order, purpose, and existential grounding. These narratives help individuals confront suffering, accountability, and transcendence.
“The Art of Story Telling: Identity Development A Sustainable Defense Against Existential Threats” is significant because it reframes storytelling as a fundamental human necessity rather than a creative luxury. In an era marked by identity crises and existential anxiety, Johnson offers a framework for understanding how meaning is constructed and preserved. This book is essential reading for those interested in psychology, identity, worldview formation, education, and the narratives that shape human survival.
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