The Myth of '22 Times More Memorable'

The Power of Stories

Stories are undeniably powerful. From ancient Greek rhetoricians to medieval oral traditions, storytelling has been humanity’s primary tool for preserving and transmitting knowledge. Ancient orators like Cicero and Quintilian developed sophisticated techniques for using narrative to persuade and teach, while tribal societies worldwide used stories to pass down crucial survival information across generations.

Even the rise of written language didn’t diminish the power of narrative—religious texts, historical accounts, and philosophical works often relied on parables and stories to convey complex ideas. Today, this tradition continues in marketing campaigns and digital media. Research supports that narratives engage more areas of the brain compared to raw data. This explains why a well-told story can make a concept “stick” more effectively than a standalone statistic.

But then comes the claim: facts wrapped in stories are 22 times more memorable. That’s a bold statement Just learning this fact alone, makes you feel like you can conquer the world with your stories. It empowers you. So you believe it. After all, stories enhance emotional connection and context. You intuitively know it. The problem is, there’s no actual evidence to support this oddly specific number.

It is Everywhere

A quick online search return so many references to the quote. Below are the ones from Forbes, HBR, Standford and a few others.

…psychologist Jerome Bruner’s research suggest that facts are 20 times more likely to be remembered if they’re part of a story. - HBR

Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it has been wrapped in a story. - Forbes

Use storytelling and you’ll be 22 times more memorable - berkeleypr

Stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone. - Standford

It’s been reported that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts. - Forbes

Did you know that people are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it’s part of a story? - SimpleKPI

Debunking the 22-Times Myth

The claim that “facts wrapped in stories are 22 times more memorable” is commonly attributed to cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner. However, this attribution appears to be questionable. While the quote is widely circulated in business and marketing contexts, I was unable to locate the original source of this specific claim in Bruner’s work, including his book “Actual Minds, Possible Worlds”.

This isn’t to say stories don’t help. Psychologist Melanie Green noted that stories immerse us in a phenomenon called narrative transportation, where we become emotionally and cognitively involved. Yet no research has quantified this effect to the precision of “22 times.”

The persistence of this myth highlights a broader issue: the internet people loves catchy numbers. If it sounds precise and fits a logical narrative, people are more likely to share it—even without evidence.

3. Why We Fall for It

Why do we believe claims like this? Our brain’s shortcuts make it easy to accept them. Confirmation bias, the authority of specific numbers, and cognitive ease all reinforce belief in ideas that align with our existing views or feel simple to remember, even when evidence is lacking.

4. How to Spot Dubious Claims

To avoid falling for misleading claims, always verify the source and supporting evidence, being especially wary of suspiciously precise numbers that lack scientific backing.

5. Conclusion: Facts Still Matter

Stories are a powerful tool for making information stick. They add emotional weight, context, and meaning to facts, enhancing their memorability. Use stories, just don’t assume the 22x return on your investment.

Until next time.