The Importance of Lore
What lore is, why it's important, and how to create more in your life
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Hey everyone! I hope y’all are having a happy, healthy, and hilarious week so far. So far this week, I’m attempting to recover mightily on the health front after I spent the past weekend in what I consider my old stomping grounds (besides NOLA) in Washington D.C. I decided to go down there to catch up with some friends I haven’t seen since I spent the month of April there last year as well as act as a tour guide for one of my friends from home who hasn’t been since Freshman year of high school. I thought it would just be a nice fun weekend that I would forget in a couple of months.
As I write this intro on the train from Union Station in DC to Moynihan Station in NYC, in one of the most exhaustive states I’ve felt in quite some time, this past weekend is one that I will look back fondly on for many years to come. I’ve never sipped alcohol in my entire life, but my intuition tells me that this is what being hungover feels like. Now, I don’t want to make this whole blog just about my weekend, so I’ll save all the details for the next time anyone reading this runs into me, but if I had to sum it up in one picture, it would go something like this:
While this weekend won’t be the primary focus of this blog, it was the inspiration for it. For all my patriotic readers out there, without further ado, let’s dive into the blog.
What is Lore
Before getting too thick into the weeds, let’s first get on the same page about what lore means. Lore comes from the word folklore, which is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people which includes things such as stories, jokes, building styles, and more. Some famous examples in American culture include things like Johnny Appleseed, Bigfoot, and The Bermuda Triangle just to name a few. These types of things help connect those of the same culture as they share these stories, beliefs, etc.
In the modern day, with access to unlimited information at our fingertips, this folklore doesn’t get passed down sitting around the campfire telling stories. It’s barely even needed because even though there are still some mysteries yet to be solved of ancient times, much of human history has already been discovered. However, the term has been adjusted to the modern day. Now, the shortened version, lore, is meant to be a term that describes the collective history and sum of all knowledge about a certain fantasy or sci-fi universe. It’s most commonly referenced in gaming communities to describe the game’s setting, characters, events & timelines, mythology, and more.
Unlike most things in today’s digital age, the concept or lore is starting to move from the digital realm into the physical one. There’s an ongoing trend on TikTok that started sometime last year where creators were making videos about showcasing parts of their lore. Additionally, people are making memes describing their dad’s lore everyone realizes (at least they should), that their parents were much cooler in their heyday than those living their younger years now (I must admit that from the wild stories I’ve heard, my dad was much cooler than I am):
But what does “lore” mean in the physical world? The incredibly culture-savvy writers at Business Insider would describe it as:
Background information about a person. Typically these are very random or secret pieces of information, but everyone has lore (have you had any slightly strange experience in your life? That's probably lore).
However, I don’t write for Business Insider (I’m a struggling blogger instead!) and I think this definition can be expanded on. I like to think lore can be broken down into three main categories.
1. Narrative Identity
In the context of a person, lore can be seen as a collection of stories, experiences, and memories that define a person. This narrative is something we construct in the past and carry with us into the future, allowing us to explain prior actions, guide future decisions, and communicate who we are to others. The main character of my favorite movie ever explains narrative identity quite well using shoes as an example:
(side note: Forrest Gump arguably has the best lore of any movie character in film history)
2. Cultural & Family Heritage
Taking a page from one of science’s biggest debates of Nature vs Nurture, cultural and familial environment plays an enormous part in one’s lore. Personal lore includes many traditions, beliefs, and stories passed down from cultural groups and families, which connects individuals to a larger community and history around them. I can guarantee you that growing up in New Orleans and having my mom’s family be from rural, cajun land Louisiana shaped my worldview into what it is today.
3. Personal Mythos
Just as myths and legends offer explanations in Greek History (I’m a Percy Jackson fan, so I’ll pick this as an example) for everything from fire to spiders, personal lore can provide a similar function for individuals. Unlike the broader narrative identity, personal mythos relies on the specific, defining moments that make up one’s life. It frames key life events as heroic or transformational, which helps explain the “why” behind a person’s passions, fears, aspirations, and more (good example below; also an absolute banger of a song).
Why is Lore Important?
In the gaming world, lore plays a critical part in making the game fun, intriguing, and captivating. The lore of the game is one of the biggest reasons why gamers become “fans” of a specific gaming title to the point where they will buy every single new version of the game to see where the game developers take the storylines next. It’s clear that lore plays a critical role in games, but what about in our lives? I’ll be the first to say it: lore is crucial.
Arguably the most crucial aspect of our lore is the sense of identity and continuity that it builds in our lives. Our stories about past experiences, decisions, relationships, and more provide a thread that connects different stages of our lives, thus helping us form a cohesive sense of self while also giving us a sense of continuity. One quote that blew my mind the first time I ever heard it, but also describes this point well is from Karen A. Baquiran:
Adding on to this, personal lore playing a part in determining what type of person one is will often guide future decisions (for better or worse). Personal lore can act as a compass, helping people navigate life’s complexities of making small (what food you’re eating for dinner) and large (who you will marry) decisions. Our past decisions shape our lore in the present day which influences the path we choose in the future. If that sounds confusing and too philosophical for my typical blogs (it is), just know that your lore can impact your future, so make sure your lore is one you truly love.
Another important factor that is probably the most obvious is the ability of one’s lore to connect them with other people. With so many people who have done so many different things, it’s more common than not that you’ll be able to find at least one overlap in your lore with another. This shared lore can make it easier to form connections, bonds, and relationships with others. Even if your lore doesn’t align with someone else, it may still intrigue them, which while different, achieves the same goal of establishing social interaction, which is one of the most critical aspects of life as a human (we are social animals after all.
Lastly, personal lore is not only about understanding oneself and using it to relate with others but also about leaving a legacy. The stories people leave behind influence how they are remembered and can impact others, whether within their family, community, or broader society. Creating a meaningful narrative can inspire others (maybe even shape their lore) and have a lasting impact beyond one's lifetime. Kevin Hart explains this beautifully on the Joe Rogan podcast, making one of my favorite motivational clips ever:
How to Create Lore
At this point of reading, I hope that you are all hyped up on all things lore and that you’re ready to take this weekend to create some more of it yourself. The main question is how to build more lore in your life. The most obvious and broad answer would be to tell you to just go and do things (whatever that may be), but I want to make this section a little more actionable than that. So here are just a few tips that I recommend.
1. Document Life Experiences
There are many benefits that people reference when it comes to journaling like how it can be therapeutic for one to overcome things they are thinking through. However, the most important in this instance (and I think in general) is simply helping you remember what happened in your day. You’d be surprised how many small quirky events, interesting characters, and funny instances happen in day-to-day life that are simply wiped away from your memory simply (unless you’re Mike Ross in Suits of course). However, by documenting these events in journals, the notes app on your phone, etc., you will remember all these instances and make it easier to reference back to them at a later date. You want to ensure that these little parts of your lore don’t disappear “like tears in rain” (one of the best monologues in film history).
2. Say it Till you Create It
While I don’t necessarily agree with it, there is a common concept promptly called “fake it till you make it” that encourages people to imitate that which they want to become in order to actually become it (ex: I want to become more confident, so I’ll start acting like I’m confident). However, with lore, instead of faking it to make it, you say it to create it. As an example, this past weekend in DC, my friends and I kept telling ourselves that we would create so much lore in the three days that we were all together, and that’s exactly what ended up happening (the pic at the beginning of this blog proves it). Why does this work? Well, when you tell yourself that you are going to create lore, you put yourself in an adventurous state of mind that will be more encouraging to try something new or become more outgoing with strangers, which will inevitably lead to more lore-creating results. I don’t have any scientific backing to support this claim, but the math in my head checks out.
3. Act on Your Thoughts
It has been said that humans have about 6,200 thoughts per day. Those thoughts are filled with everything from what you’re gonna cook for dinner, to what to wear in the morning, to contemplating whether or not the meme you sent to a significant other you’re fond of will either make them laugh or completely ruin your entire existing relationship (it’s always one or the other, never in between). However, many of these thoughts are ideas of things to do, places/friends to visit, subjects you want to learn more about, etc. Sadly, most thoughts like this that people have are rarely acted upon. While there’s only so much time in a day to act on these thoughts with all the responsibilities one has (like keeping oneself alive), I encourage you to try and act on these thoughts more often. If you can’t do it right away, making a list of these ideas to come back to also helps. As an example, I had a plan for a while to create a website/app that would generate an icebreaker question that you can ask friends. Although it took me about 6 months, I finally built it and now enjoy pulling it out to start up a conversation (you can find it here. Shameless shill, but I also wrote a blog partially about it here).
Conclusion
As we wind down our exploration of lore in both fantastical realms and the very real narrative of our own lives, it's evident that crafting and preserving personal lore isn't merely a quaint tradition—it's a vibrant, dynamic process that shapes who we are and how we interact with the world. Lore is the scaffold upon which we build our identity, connecting our past with the present and laying a path toward our future. It enables us to live more intentionally, choosing the stories we embrace and those we pass on, ensuring they resonate with meaning and purpose. By documenting our experiences, engaging creatively with our thoughts, and sharing our unique journeys, we not only preserve our legacy but also connect deeply with others, crafting a tapestry of tales that enrich our collective human experience. So, as you step forward, remember the power of your stories—each moment, each decision, each memory is a brushstroke in the grand mural of your life. Let's make it a masterpiece worth recounting.
Thanks for reading! Getting this out to y’all pretty late on a Friday night as I prep to move into a brand-new apartment tomorrow. If you are in NYC this weekend, beware as this licensed chauffeur that you’re reading from will be on those streets whipping around in a big U-Haul truck. Not sure what next week will be about, but until then, as the great Arnold Schwarzenegger said:
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Email: wreynoir@gmail.com
Loved this subject matter especially the concluding paragraph...keep writing, Will.
Mrs. Saxena