Final answer:
Teaching stories are spiritual in nature and serve to convey moral or spiritual lessons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main characteristic of teaching stories (compared to personal stories) is that they are spiritual in nature. Teaching stories are often found in religious texts and serve to convey moral or spiritual lessons. They are not everyday lived experiences or observations of places, but rather stories that are meant to inspire and provide guidance. It is important to note that creation stories, which can be considered a type of teaching story, do evolve over time as they are passed down through generations and adapted to different cultures.