Though it's tempting to put those who seem to be disconnected from reality, into homogeneous groups, I think greed, lust for power, fear, ignorance, naivety and life-long political allegiances also play different parts for different people. Social media and profit driven "news" networks are major drivers of the narrative or story which appears to take on a life of its own with their assistance.
It seems that our minds tend to abhor ambiguity and discordance when our mental or observable evidence is contradictory, to avoid a vacuum, the mind races towards an explanation, a story, rather than the self directed ‘hard work’ of disambiguation and clarifying. It’s a personal choice whether to ‘engage’ and pursue clearness and alignment or abandonment. Story weavers can easily manipulate the personally weak by ‘plausible, appealing’ stories. The listener has already abdicated....
As you say, "Our brains need stories … as I learned from Mary Catherine Bateson long ago when she said, 'Our species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.'" As a fiction author, I tend to think in metaphors. My husband is a scientist and tends toward literalism. Somehow we balance each other out. If only more of the world could do that....
I think you are on to something, although cult leaders and tyrants are famous for selling dark and distorted stories to followers who are looking for meaning, a way to make sense of a world they don't fit into. Most storytellers share their visions to entertain or inspire and even to persuade. But the tyrants and terrorists do so to manipulate and deceive and to benefit themselves, some dark death wish to a people or way of life they hate. Yes, there is a dark side to storytelling.
Yep, it’s all about the stories we tell ourselves, right? I don’t have a Kindle, but I’m considering purchasing one, or I may order the book to read in time for the chat day.
Tom — I loved your article. The “open cage” in which so many of us feel trapped is very real. I'm reminded of a line from the film Harold and Maude, where Maude (a wildly unconventional character) says, “Ah, my. How the world still dearly loves a cage.”
And as for approaching Jesus as a little child would do, well.... Children have open minds, open hearts, and they are always asking “why.” If only we could all approach more of life like that.
“Ah, my. How the world still dearly loves a cage.”
Thank you for that, Robin. :) Stories and storytelling are all well and good, for what would childhood be without them? It's the unconscious and hypnotic process of storying ourselves that creates division and conflict. And those who desire influence and power are skilled at tapping into and appeasing that fearful identity with their manipulative, cause and effect narratives, a.k.a. stories.
Agreed. As in the fable about the eagle/chicken, too many of us fear the consequences of breaking out of the open "story" cage we've either built for ourselves or we've allowed others to construct around us, a cage we believe we need because we're trying to figure out the workings of the world. This is especially problematic when those others have an agenda of domination.
Though it's tempting to put those who seem to be disconnected from reality, into homogeneous groups, I think greed, lust for power, fear, ignorance, naivety and life-long political allegiances also play different parts for different people. Social media and profit driven "news" networks are major drivers of the narrative or story which appears to take on a life of its own with their assistance.
It seems that our minds tend to abhor ambiguity and discordance when our mental or observable evidence is contradictory, to avoid a vacuum, the mind races towards an explanation, a story, rather than the self directed ‘hard work’ of disambiguation and clarifying. It’s a personal choice whether to ‘engage’ and pursue clearness and alignment or abandonment. Story weavers can easily manipulate the personally weak by ‘plausible, appealing’ stories. The listener has already abdicated....
As you say, "Our brains need stories … as I learned from Mary Catherine Bateson long ago when she said, 'Our species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories.'" As a fiction author, I tend to think in metaphors. My husband is a scientist and tends toward literalism. Somehow we balance each other out. If only more of the world could do that....
I think you are on to something, although cult leaders and tyrants are famous for selling dark and distorted stories to followers who are looking for meaning, a way to make sense of a world they don't fit into. Most storytellers share their visions to entertain or inspire and even to persuade. But the tyrants and terrorists do so to manipulate and deceive and to benefit themselves, some dark death wish to a people or way of life they hate. Yes, there is a dark side to storytelling.
Yep, it’s all about the stories we tell ourselves, right? I don’t have a Kindle, but I’m considering purchasing one, or I may order the book to read in time for the chat day.
I agree; human beings love a story, and if we can't find one, we have a tendency to make one up.
There is also a very specific, deliberate strategy being employed here that I'm glad to talk about offline some time if you are interested.
Would love that.
Hi Joyce,
Here’s a short article that may help prompt the discussion:
https://www.tomasacker.com/personal-articles/the-unintended-consequences-of-storying-ourselves
Tom — I loved your article. The “open cage” in which so many of us feel trapped is very real. I'm reminded of a line from the film Harold and Maude, where Maude (a wildly unconventional character) says, “Ah, my. How the world still dearly loves a cage.”
And as for approaching Jesus as a little child would do, well.... Children have open minds, open hearts, and they are always asking “why.” If only we could all approach more of life like that.
“Ah, my. How the world still dearly loves a cage.”
Thank you for that, Robin. :) Stories and storytelling are all well and good, for what would childhood be without them? It's the unconscious and hypnotic process of storying ourselves that creates division and conflict. And those who desire influence and power are skilled at tapping into and appeasing that fearful identity with their manipulative, cause and effect narratives, a.k.a. stories.
Agreed. As in the fable about the eagle/chicken, too many of us fear the consequences of breaking out of the open "story" cage we've either built for ourselves or we've allowed others to construct around us, a cage we believe we need because we're trying to figure out the workings of the world. This is especially problematic when those others have an agenda of domination.
Hi Tom ... great addition to the conversation to come ... I'll add a link to it on the invitation to the conversation. Hope you join us .
I’ll try! Let me know the time and how to join when you know.
will do!