The Power of Storytelling
TLDR; An intro into this week’s theme, it’s IT Visionaries’ 100th episode, the story of us, and a history of persuasion.
“The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor.” — Jonathan Haidt
Dear Reader,
Like the foundation of a house, stories are the base of our sense of self. The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves become who we really are. Society functions in much the same way. The stories we tell ourselves collectively drive education, religion, justice, and politics. But what does this look like in action?
Last week, we talked about the function of storytelling in society — how it defines our personal values, outlines our motivations as a collective, and is one of the most effective ways to communicate in life and in business. We also teased at the idea that not all stories or types of story consumption are helpful in building a well-rounded society.
All of this has lead to one overarching conclusion: Consuming powerful stories is only helpful if you pair it with your own direct experience in the real world.
But what happens when these powerful, life-changing stories aren’t ‘good’ or don’t promote ‘good’ values? What happens when they do the opposite?
(Note: What is ‘good’ or ‘moral’ is highly subjective, but we use this language here — and throughout the week — very loosely to differentiate between positive or negative impacts on society.)
This week, we continue our exploration into storytelling, but from a different perspective. Instead of defining the function of stories, we’ll examine the power of stories. Throughout the series, we will encounter instances of story power being used for good to connect, unify, or build a positive future. But we will also entertain examples of times when stories have been used to control, to sell, and to connect people for the wrong reasons.
There’s a famous childhood saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
It’s an age-old phrase that teaches children resiliency in the face of bullying. But in action, we often find that words are more effective in changing behavior than sticks or stones ever will be. Torture a man into compliance and he will run away the moment he gets a chance. Change what that man believes and he will never leave your side.
The stories we tell hold power. This series, The Power of Storytelling, will not only share examples of that power, but it will also force you to ask yourself:What stories do I tell? What stories do I believe? What stories hold power over me?
By the end of the week, you’ll realize that, like all technology, storytelling is neutral. And, while stories can be wielded for either good or evil, most of the time, they live in a gray area where impact and morality can be exceptionally hard to define. To reshare a quote we shared last week by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.”
Hot Off The Press 🔥
Exciting news! We published our 100th episode of IT Visionaries today! The episode is a great conversation with Craig Walker, the Founder and CEO of Dialpad. It’s got a little bit of everything our ITV audience has grown to love — nerding out about tech, looking toward the future, and the role innovative technology will play in how we live our lives, and more!
Just recently IT Visionaries topped the Apple charts as the №1 Tech podcast, and we eclipsed 250,000 downloads. Thanks to everyone for your support for our first 100 episodes and if you want to hop on the ITV fan train, it’s never too late to like and subscribe here! 🥳
In the world of Marketing. We were recently joined by Carrie Palin, CMO and SVP at Splunk! On this episode of Marketing Trends, Carrie walks us through her extensive career and explains the leadership lessons she has learned along the way. She also talks about how to succeed as a new CMO, what to do when you’re a leader in an organization that’s being acquired, and much more!
Mission News 🗞
This section features the best of what the team at The Mission HQ is reading, watching, listening to, playing, doing, and meditating on. 🤗
Reading 📚
Food for thought: The Story of Us
“There’s a pretty worrisome trend happening in many of our societies right now, but I’m pretty sure that if we can just see it all with clear eyes, we can fix it. The Wait But Why community is full of people determined to make the future as good as it can be for as many people as possible. The goal of this series is to enhance the clarity of that community, helping us better understand ourselves and the world around us so that we can do our part in nudging the future in the right direction. As with all Wait But Why posts, everything in this series is open for debate — it’s my latest draft in a never-ending work in progress. As the posts come out, reading your comments will help enhance my own clarity.”
Watching 🎬
Humans have been telling stories since they could communicate in more than grunts. So… have all the plot lines already been used? Here to argue for that idea is today’s silly YouTube video: The Walking Dead vs Toy Story
Listening 🎧
From On The Media: A History of Persuasion: Part 1
“Infinite scrolling. Push notifications. Autoplay. Our devices and apps were designed to keep us engaged and looking for as long as possible. Now, we’ve woken up from years on social media and our phones to discover we’ve been manipulated by unaccountable powers using persuasive psychological tricks. But this isn’t the first time. In this three-part series from our colleagues at The Stakes, a look at the winding story of the science of persuasion — and our collective reaction to it. In part one, a once-famous psychologist who became embroiled in controversy, and how the Unabomber tried to kill him.”
Giveaway Time ⏰
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Sign Off ✌️
Happy Monday! Welcome back to another week of newsletters. Have feedback, questions, or comments? Our door is always open! Hit us up by responding to this email or sending us a message on the socials @TheMissionHQ. We read every single one! 😄
If you like what you read, join us on our mission.
