We’ve long known that a valuable lesson was waiting for us at the end of Aesop’s Fables. But as we grow older we tend to forget the wisdom of the children’s book, focusing instead on stubbornly charging our way into new information. Next time you need to teach someone a new topic, see if you can give them a story to hook into. Create a bridge which can be easily crossed by providing a story which links something the learner knows to something they need to know. Use experiences to help people learn. The technically correct version of the information can come with time. You can see an example of this in my article “Dealing with Emergencies in Git” at 24ways.org. If you’re feeling short on stories from your own life, you can develop your repertoire by thumbing your way through a few Aesop’s Fables.