How Do Traditional Stories Work in the Process of Solving Unconscious, Interpersonal and Cultural Conflict? A Contribution to Narrative Ethics

Abstract

Fairy tales, narratives and proverbs are cultural carriers of tradition, development pattern and values. Even if they are the same over a long time, they gain their own new meaning in new situations. Creation myths, classical legends or the repeated basic patterns and archetypes of fairy tales and children’s songs are collective models of understanding. The great psychotherapeutic themes of self-employment, conscience formation, the triangulation conflict, or the threshold situation can be found in them. Narratives used in therapy and counseling depict social norms by which readers or listeners can measure their own belief; on the other hand, they question norms, especially by exaggerating them, and invite people to question their own. The dilemma of the inner conflict, the ‘am-bi-valence’ in value conflicts, the tragedy of experience can often become more understandable in a story than in logical explanations. The patient – therapist – history triangle provides a further dimension of transmission, relieves the dual relationship in its interrelationship, allows both to look together at something third. In literature research the background of narrative therapy is compared with the experiences.