We live a story. Stories take a few facts and weave them together to create something that makes sense. We can't wait until we understand things. We are still trying to figure things out, but have to carry on living, and so we tell ourselves and those around us stories. I am a big fan of the placebo effect. Sometimes things work because of the story we tell ourselves. You can take this in one of two ways. You can be incredibly skeptical about everything and try and strip out the 'story premium' that you pay for everything. You can focus on the facts. The thing is life will be less fun. The fact that it is the story that added value does not mean that value wasn't added. If you keep your wits about you, I think there is a better life to be lived by leaning into some stories and 'faking it'. Seth Godin is a master storyteller, and believes that we are all marketers. He is very open with his approach and writes a bite sized daily blog.
His books are worth reading. The heart of his message is to be authentic and consistent, and to remember that most of what we believe, do, and buy is based on a story. The facts are important, but they are important as part of a story of consistency. They earn trust in a world where that is rare. They prevent holes from appearing. One litmus test he suggests in 'Permission Marketing' is whether your story would be missed if it didn't appear. A lot of marketing used to be about broadcasting. There were only a few TV channels and everyone watched them. Teachers, Artists, Business People, Religious Leaders etc. weren't fighting for attention. That has all changed. You can't just shout and expect people to listen. You have to understand them and help them create their story. Or they will just go somewhere else.
If we know that people are trying to tell us stories, and we don't want to be taken for a ride, what do we do? I think you need to allow a 'Bull Quota'. You need to suspend disbelief to enjoy people's stories. Listen to them and try to understand their world view. Don't take looking for the holes as a starting point. Find the the reason why those holes are worth having. It doesn't mean you have to take on the holes in your own story. When you watch a movie, you don't remember the whole thing. You take some of the flavour. You remember an anecdote or two and the way the movie made you feel. If you allow people some leeway, you can get to see how their story makes them feel. Once the movie ends, you can tear it to pieces and dissect it with all your sceptical superpowers to your heart's content. You get the best of both worlds.
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