A funny story from ‘Two Popes”. A church follower goes to the spiritual director and asks if it’s permitted to smoke while praying.
The spiritual director replies, “No, of course not!”
Another follower asks the same thing but slightly differently. “Is it permitted to pray while smoking?” You can guess the answer.
It’s all about the way you tell it.
Narrative is an account of events (real or fictitious) conveyed in a meaningful form. The narrator, however, makes the choice of events to relate and in what order to relate them in order to shape the perception of the receiver.
A narrative is a paradox as it seeks to convey the truth by hiding it. The storyteller arranges the events in such a way that information is revealed gradually, getting you to focus on exactly the things the narrator wants you to focus on.
Narratives exist all around us. From politics to religion. Advancement of science to social movements. And from the company’s marketing initiatives to its legal compliance.
A well planned and executed narrative has the power to influence and alter the belief of its audience.