The Danger Of A Story

Written by a human, for humans, always.

Have you ever...

Heard a story...

Read an article...

Listened to a perspective...

And after taking it in...

Came to the conclusion that either you or the world needed to change in a certain way?

I certainly have.

Many people would consider the ability to do this as good storytelling.

The ability for one person...

To tell a story in such a way...

As to cause others to want to change their outlook on something.

And...

It really can be beneficial.

Good storytelling has been used to improve the world.

At the same time...

Good storytelling has also been used to make the world significantly worse.

Every positive and negative thing that has been done in the world...

Has started from a story.

Bad nations and groups have risen from good storytelling...

Good nations and groups have been eliminated and wiped from the earth by good storytelling.

What most people fail to realize...

Is that storytelling is a tool...

But one which can be used either to build or destroy...

To help or to harm.

Just as a hammer can be used in construction or used to break bones...

So, too, are stories utilized.

How is it, though, that this happens?

The answer lies in two aspects of storytelling...

A perspective...

And control.

See...

In every story ever told, there is a perspective that is provided.

But...

With that perspective comes also control over what the story says and where it is going to end.

A villain can be turned into a hero when the story comes from the villain's perspective...

And they decide which aspects to keep...

Which aspects to hide...

What areas of the story to skew so that they appear in the best light possible...

And where the story will end.

By having control of the story...

The perspective can be heavily influenced.

What makes this vastly more dangerous...

Is that, often, the person who tells the story has a specific perspective and intention in the story...

Which very well may be misinformed.

They may honestly believe that their perspective is right and just...

And that their solution will bring about some benefit...

Which, with control of the story...

Allows them to design the story in such a way as to make it appear as if they are correct...

When in reality...

They may actually be completely incorrect in their assessment.

There may be pieces of information that they have missed completely...

Values they have that are not actually benefiting them...

Virtues they believe they are highlighting that are not lived up to in reality.

But what makes this all truly problematic...

Is that by controlling the story...

The problems in the perspective can become hidden...

Therefore convincing others that the perspective is justified...

Even righteous...

Allowing that perspective to spread...

But instead of bringing hope, love, peace, kindness, and a better world...

It instead infects minds like a virus...

Causing people's lives and the world to move in detrimental directions...

Often, without them realizing it.

It becomes even worse...

Because the skewed perspective can then be fueled further by things like confirmation bias or the sunk cost fallacy...

Which ends up cementing the detrimental story instead of helping us see the truth.

So, here is my challenge to you.

Take a moment and ask yourself...

Has your life become significantly better in the past 10 years?

Under the right stories, you should be able to see noticeable positive changes in 5 years...

And if your life has not become better in 10 years...

Either having remained about equally bad or having become worse in that time...

There is a high likelihood the reason is that the stories you are actively listening to...

Are actually skewed in such a way that they are detrimental to your own life...

Intentionally or unintentionally.

Perhaps you are not seeing benefits...

Because you are surrounding yourself with sycophantic information instead of getting the help and stories that will actually improve your life.

Perhaps if you stop listening to what the stories tell you that you are supposed to receive or attain...

And instead pay attention to what the results are in reality...

You may be able to see the truth in your life...

Instead of falling prey to the danger of a story that does not fit how the world works.

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