We’re living the exact same life now that we’ve lived an infinite number of times in the past.
We already know that, cognitively, we relate more easily and more deeply to a well-told story than to a set of data points. When stories are particularly rich with detail, or if they elicit an emotional response, we are more likely to act — even if we have a confidence level of less than 40% in that scenario, or if there are still other scenarios to consider.