Life Narrative

Life narrative is the story one tells oneself and others about who one has been, who one is, and who one will become. This story of self provides coherence and continuity to our lived experience, and it is continuously revised as one moves through the life span. It is a deceivingly simple concept. Children 4 years of age know what a story is, and they know whether it is a good one or not. Older adults are often prolific storytellers. Storytelling itself is universal. Westerners easily understand the idea that adults tell stories of particular life events and that each of us has an internalized life narrative that captures our reconstructed past, our perceived present, and our anticipated future. Formal sociobehavioral scholarship on this topic ...