My Weekly Reading Roundup 1
"The Power of Storytelling: How Narrative Arc Influences Our Perception"
Welcome to my weekly reading roundup!
Every week, I share a curated selection of interesting articles, essays, and books that I've been reading, along with my personal notes and reflections. This week, I wanted to start off by discussing a thought-provoking blog post I recently read about the power of storytelling by Morgan Housel
As the post argues(I’d suggest to first go through the post here), the person who tells the most compelling story often wins, regardless of the quality or originality of their ideas. For example, Yuval Noah Harari's bestselling book Sapiens presents common knowledge in a captivating way, while Elon Musk's success is largely due to his ability to tell a good story and grab people's attention.
The power of storytelling can be seen in the success of individuals and organizations that are able to tell compelling and engaging stories, even if their ideas are not the most original or groundbreaking. For example, Steve Jobs' ability to craft a compelling narrative about Apple's mission and vision helped to build a loyal fan base and fuel the company's success. Similarly, J.K. Rowling's storytelling skills and her ability to create a rich and imaginative world in the Harry Potter series made it one of the bestselling and most influential literary phenomena of all time. And Pixar's emotional depth and storytelling prowess have made it a leader in the animation industry. These examples demonstrate the extent to which people are influenced by the way information is presented to them.
Stories are like Leverage
They allow us to multiply our force and achieve a greater effect
Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the earth - Archimedes
Next up in line is the way these stories are structured and there’s no better person to explain it than the greatest storyteller of the twentieth century Joseph Campbell in his book “The Hero's Journey”.
The Hero's journey also known as the monomyth is a common story arc that describes the journey of a hero who embarks on a quest, faces challenges and obstacles, and ultimately emerges victorious. This story arc is often seen in epic poems and fantasy stories, such as the legend of King Arthur or the journey of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. The hero's journey is a powerful narrative tool that helps to engage and inspire audiences.
In a story arc we divide the narrative into three parts: the setup, the conflict, and the resolution. In the first act, the main character and the setting are introduced, and the central conflict or problem is established. In the second act, the conflict or problem intensifies, and the main character faces challenges and obstacles. In the third act, the conflict is resolved, and the main character either triumphs or fails. This story arc is often seen in plays, films, and novels.
The rise-and-fall narrative is a story arc that describes the rise of a character to success or power, followed by their eventual downfall or failure. This story arc is often seen in biographies and historical accounts, as well as in fictional stories that explore the consequences of ambition and hubris. Examples of this story arc include the story of King Midas and his tragic pursuit of wealth, or the story of Jay Gatsby and his doomed pursuit of the American Dream(The Great Gatsby).
My Reading List for the week (1st December to 7th December)
Blogs
Books
The Hero's Journey (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
Stay tuned! for next week.