Sharing Experiences: Fuel for Growth and Connection

Each of us strives to share our experiences not merely as a narrative of everyday life, but as an attempt to understand the accumulated life experience and feel our uniqueness. From an early age, people experience an acute need to be heard and understood, and the opportunity to share joy, pain, friendship, or betrayal becomes a powerful tool for self-expression and emotional growth.

At the same time, sharing small acts of kindness—whether it’s a simple smile or a desire to help those around us—reveals our deep need for spiritual connection. Instances where even a small kind deed leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of others inspire us to reach for new achievements and remind us that each of us has the power to make the world a little brighter.

It is important to remember that the support and positive perception from loved ones play a decisive role: they are the ones who help us confidently share our experiences, feel connected, and secure. Ultimately, the exchange of emotions and stories becomes not only a way to understand who we are, but also a stimulus for further personal and communal development.

What motivates people to share the events of their day with others, and what psychological needs underlie this?

People are driven to share the events of their day by the desire to be understood, to feel connected to those around them, and to receive emotional support, as well as by the need to record and make sense of their accumulated life experience. As one source indicates, people strive “to discuss what they have experienced – both joy and pain, betrayal and friendship – so that in the future they can compare their experiences and perhaps smile at life” (source: link , page: 56). This approach implies not merely recounting mundane events but a profound personal acknowledgment of one’s journey, which allows a person to feel significant and experience the uniqueness of their life.

Furthermore, the motivation for telling stories can stem from the desire to share love and kindness—a small act, a kind deed, or even a simple smile is perceived as a sign of peacefulness and a wish to make the world a better place. For example, the third source describes how a boy, choosing to forgo sugar to help others, expresses his deep need to share warmth and care (source: link , page: 101). This example emphasizes that by sharing even a small kind act or word, a person satisfies their need for spiritual connection and leaves a lasting imprint on the lives of others.

However, it is important to note that responses to emotional and social needs may vary depending on the context of communication. For instance, in situations where negative reactions from close ones (as illustrated in the first source) lead a child to stop sharing events, it becomes clear that a positive and supportive response is an indispensable part of the psychological need for interpersonal relationships (source: link , page: 44).

Thus, by sharing the events of their day, a person attempts to fulfill the needs for self-expression, finding meaning in their life experience, and strengthening interpersonal bonds, all of which help them feel important and heard.

Supporting citation(s):
"Is each of us ready to have an in-depth conversation on serious topics? The simplest question: what have you understood in life? Even if you are eighteen, by that age you have already experienced enough pain and joy... So tell about it. Otherwise, write it down. Ten years later, you’ll read it and have something to smile warmly about, and you'll have an opportunity to compare yourself with yourself." (source: link , page: 56)

"One boy learned that some house was running out of sugar. He came home and told his parents: 'I will not eat sugar for three days and give it to those in need.' The boy wholeheartedly wanted to share his love with those around him..." (source: link , page: 101)

"A child quickly understands that it’s better for mom not to talk too much about the father because she becomes angry or jealous... And next time, when the daughter is out with her father somewhere, he might directly ask her not to tell her mother about it. In such cases, it is very difficult to ensure that the child shares the details of her life without fear." (source: link , page: 44)