Self-Explanation Effect
We all love a good origin story, such as where Apple's logo came from or how Havana came to be known as the unofficial classic Cadillac capitol of the world. Psychologically, it is believed that there is more going on in our minds than mere curiosity when we seek out those answers.
Understanding a story's origins can increase our own comprehension of a subject and give us a deeper, more saturated handle on the subject in a process known as the Self-Explanation Effect. Origin stories add a layer of depth to a situation and brings the process down from an external understanding to a level that approaches intuition.
It's important that we know the origins of the things we surround ourselves with. They give us a personal sense of the situation and internalize the process that brought it from what it was 'then' to what it is now. Only when we respect and understand the past are we ready to start designing the future.
