Power of Stories
Summer is winding down here in New England, and most of the non-immunocompromised world had made the mental shift to accepting COVID19 in essentially the same manner as they accepted influenza before 2020. People are getting back to “normal” routines, with the caveat that some changes in lifestyle and work-style driven by the pandemic are likely here to stay. Of course the COVID19 pandemic is not actually over. Thousands of new cases are still recorded daily in the US. The difference is that a) many people are simply exhausted from trying to fight off the virus for >2.5 years now, and b) the combination of much more widespread immunity and effective therapeutics have resulted in few people now dying from COVID19 infections. Especially for those who are adequately vaccinated, the risk of a serious outcome is negligible, and this is welcome news for all. Nonetheless, we should not forget that there are still millions of elderly and immunocompromised people who continue to live with significant risk of hospitalization or death from COVID19.
This mental shift back to “life before COVID” has been facilitated by stories of normality shared among friends and family, and through television, print, and digital media. I’ve been reflecting on the power of stories as we consider attitudes towards the pandemic, as well as public health, politics, the war in Ukraine, the state of the economy, cultural debates around diversity and equality, immigration, education, personal freedoms and choice - among other things. Over the summer I read several books that directly or indirectly reinforced the importance of storytelling in our culture, how approaches to sharing stories have evolved over history, and how important this skill can be for writers, artists, scientists and entrepreneurs. Actually anybody who is committed to accomplishing a mission can benefit from being able to effectively share stories.
For entrepreneurs, the ability to convey sharp, compelling and memorable messages that resonate with your audience is an absolutely critical skill - whether that audience be candidates for jobs, employees, partners, your Board, prospective and existing investors, analysts, customers, or the general public. I read two excellent short books by Steven Pressfield that are jam packed with practical advice for storytellers, regardless of their field: “The War of Art” and “Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t.” Although written primarily for writers, these books should be read by any aspiring entrepreneur.
The main message in “War of Art” is about overcoming what Pressfield refers to as “Resistance”, which can appear in many forms, but in whatever manifestation, interferes with our ability to get things done. The key message in “Nobody Wants to Read…” is about adjusting your perspective and messaging to be compelling to the audience. Grabbing their attention, focusing on sharing thoughts they really care about, and leaving them wanting to follow on and learn more. Both of these summaries are very superficial, and Pressfield has so much more to offer that I strongly recommend these books for all aspiring entrepreneurs.
In a more indirect manner, I read three other books that reminded me of the critical role that oral storytelling has played over history, especially in times when writing or more modern forms of documentation did not exist. In “Origin” by Jennifer Raff, she discusses how human beings came to populate the Americas, and draws upon the tools of modern molecular genetics, carbon dating, as well as oral stories passed down from generation to generation by indigenous peoples.
In “Ebola” by David Quammen, the mystery of locating the reservoir for Ebola virus in Africa was pursued in part by paying attention to stories shared by tribe members in the Congo who only had oral stories to share of events such as deaths of villagers, or of gorillas, that were likely due to Ebola outbreaks.
In “Mayflower” by Nathaniel Philbrick, much of the detailed history of the early colonization of New England in the 1620s, and what life was like for indigenous Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans, comes from stories shared verbally over generations among surviving descendants of tribes such as the Mashpee Wampanoag on Cape Cod, MA.
Speaking of the power of stories passed down over generations, I’d be remiss at this time of year if I did not point out the importance of first hand accounts of the Holocaust. Many of these stories have since been documented in writing and other forms of media. They were kept alive in the first place, however, thanks in large part to the willingness of survivors to share their personal experiences, and their descendants’ commitment that these were events that humanity should never forget.
For those who celebrate the Jewish holidays beginning this weekend, Shana Tova, Happy New Year.