Name of podcast: Brains Podcast, Host: Courtland Allen, Julian Shapiro. Guest: Jason Silva and Tim Urban.
One time, I tried to convince my African mother that her pastor was selling her tap water as holy water. It's fake, and she should not buy it. I think we can both guess how that went.
Today's newsletter is your guide to becoming a master storyteller. Here are my notes from this episode.
You'll learn how to weave powerful stories into your own marketing and communication strategies as a builder, explore how successful brands use stories to build loyalty and equip you with practical tips and techniques.
Just some context about the Guests:
Jason Silva: host of the National Geographic documentaries Brain Games and Origins, He blogs about the most fascinating ideas of human Nature and society.
Tim Urban: “Wait But Why” blog posts hold remarkable talent for breaking down complex topics into entertaining narratives that show how the world operates. Recently, he delved into the interesting realms of Elon Musk, SpaceX, and the art of storytelling to convey deeper meanings.
This is a two-part series, and you're reading Part 1. Let's get started!
People Don’t Have Ideas, Ideas Have People
The fact that you think of an idea doesn't make you own it. You are simply a tool for the idea, helping to spread it, test it, or actualize it.
Ideas inspire their beholders to tell stories that support them, and these stories empower the most effective individuals to lead their industries.
Take Trump or Dave Chappelle, for example. Dave Chappelle tells more stories than punchlines, and that helps him connect more with his audiences on a personal, emotional level.
Another way to look at it is from culture. Cultural activities are key moments from past stories that serve as nodes to different identities and our emotions.
Great stories survive because they:
Get the people, the believers of them, to evangelize the stories.
Silence other stories in different ways so they stand out.
These stories help craft meaning for the believer (a sense of Identity).
Take for example the Story of Jesus.
How Narratives Shape Stories
Take, for example, death. The only way we can cope with death is through the stories we tell ourselves about it. When a person dies, it often marks one of the most emotionally challenging experiences for many individuals.
The stories we create about where they've gone or why they're gone help us handle it. Sometimes, we create reasons to make sense of their death.
When next you see a sign saying "Call to glory" or "Rest in Power," remember that these are stories used to cope.
According to Ernest Becker, who referred to the human character as a "vital lie," there are three stories that serve as solutions to the problem of death that we experience as humans.
Which are:
The religious solutions (the religious story we tell about life).
Romantic solutions (true love).
Creative solutions (comedic, heroic, etc.)
This is the sustaining narrative humans can’t leave without, this helps keep us in our “sane state”. But to gain power over this, this next point is vital.
Keep Your Identity Small
By keeping your identity small, gives you the freedom to see the truth and how to use that truth to sell your product to any market. Wrap the truth using emotional narrative to give you an edge to control what story you want to tell and how to sell it.
Wonder why people get so riled up about politics, or politicians, during election time. This is when we have the lowest number of people using facts to vote, but rather people using emotions to vote.
Because they have attached their identity to the story the politician is telling.
This phenomenon isn't limited to politics, the same goes for Apple. When the CEO tells you how the new iPhone "improves family connection," they're not just listing features, they're putting together a narrative that resonates with your desire for a closer family experience.
Just like my mom couldn't initially believe the water was fake, her belief in her pastor is entangled with her identity as a church member. That helps her sleep better at night. I tried talking to her again, and you won't guess what happened next.
But how do you do that? How do you tell stories that resonate with people at a deeper level and build genuine connections? How do you tell a story about your product, service, or company that helps people sleep well at night?
This is just a taste of what Part 2 holds! In the next section, we'll delve deeper into how to leverage the power of storytelling, human connection, and empathy to craft impactful narratives that resonate with your audience and unlock more.
Part 2 dives deeper into:
Why facts often take a backseat to emotions.
Learning from religious narratives and their power over identity.
Crafting stories that resonate with your audience's experiences.
Building emotional connections and fostering "being heard."
Actionable tips for using storytelling effectively in your marketing efforts.
Thank you for reading.
Since this is a closed community, I kindly ask one thing: could you please take a screenshot of your personal best part of today's notes, something that challenged your thoughts, and share it with me?
You can do this by emailing them, sending them via WhatsApp, or making a tweet about them and tagging me @D_rounz. Thank you!
