There are many traditional alternatives to the linear narrative. These can be found within many cultures, from Jewish to Irish and involve a lattice of telling - characters from different stories intersect, stories intersect - silos do not exist! Even if you think of the indigenous Australians and how they use narratives to orientate their landscape - it is where the stories/characters intersect that you find a particular landscape feature that shows you where you are. I do not think we need to develop new stories to help us explore complexity - they already exist. I think we need to be humble, accept that we are not the heroes in this narrative and turn back to those who wove the stories in our past - stories that can carry us into our future.
Thanks Katrice, you are right that there are already many alternative narrative models for us to turn to. One of the points I was trying to make is that narrative forms go along with political and social forms and systems, and while there are many great traditional models for us to learn from, my suspicion is that we can't adopt any of them wholesale - we can't just 'return' to something from the past - that we will need some sort of hybrid that learns from the past and from many of the rich non-linear narrative forms that exist in various cultures but that is something new.
I like this idea a lot Brett. Tomorrow I am leading a discussion for Systemic Designers on the power of narrative within this work. The idea of adapting the old narrative patterns that we all somehow intrinsically know, to explore current complexities and challenges is what I will be talking about. I read somewhere that when we use those patterns people react to the information as though it was something they already knew but had forgotten, something they are remembering. I feel that is true.
Do you know of the work of Greg Burns at Emory and Paul J Zak regarding story and neuroscience. It is fascinating and forms the main foundation for my work - that and a link into the work of Vince Filetti at Kaiser Permanente.
Loved this Brett. Some theorists have talked about stories as reservoirs, i.e. the model of "narrative accretion". I think Eastern cultures, and older civilizations have always looked at storytelling like a reservoir of wisdom. This doesn't mean it's all "good". Harmful reservoirs exist alongside healing ones. I think the key part is every expanding the reservoir and focusing on what we do with the stories.
You immediately had me thinking of two linear narratives that have collapsed: for the first time in America, young people are less likely to exceed their parents prosperity, and life expectancy has decreased.
And you have me thinking about the need for new shapes and forms, Brett. I'm not sure I agree. Stories about collectives, about paradox, about complexity (as Katrice notes), about untidy endings, all exist - we have to listen for and amplify those. Along with the existing great and revolutionary visual artists working today.
I agree. I think my point is more that for the fundamental change we need, we can't just change the content or the characters in dominant narratives - we need to foreground other narrative forms - whether existing, traditional, new, or hybrid, in order to help shape other sorts of social and political formations.
"The third is revolution: to recognize and accept the crisis, to begin to explore radical alternatives, new narrative forms and formats, and completely new social systems — because at this point, nothing else will do." This whole essay is so spot on. It reflects what I've been thinking about my niche, strategic communications, including the increasing importance of how we are communicating with younger generations so they can advance professionally, socially, and intellectually. A major reset is needed, and I believe that rising leaders are key. The boards that hire them are not equipped for this, though. They need outside support from professionals who can help them develop new frameworks, philosophies, and practices around their communications, in the interest of leading successful organizations that make the world better. I regret to say that the communications consultant industry remains territorial and competitive. Together, there is so much we could do.
Very brilliant text. There's a question I've been asking myself for a while: Are we giving up on the expectation of truth? Or even the idea that there's a common reality?
There are many traditional alternatives to the linear narrative. These can be found within many cultures, from Jewish to Irish and involve a lattice of telling - characters from different stories intersect, stories intersect - silos do not exist! Even if you think of the indigenous Australians and how they use narratives to orientate their landscape - it is where the stories/characters intersect that you find a particular landscape feature that shows you where you are. I do not think we need to develop new stories to help us explore complexity - they already exist. I think we need to be humble, accept that we are not the heroes in this narrative and turn back to those who wove the stories in our past - stories that can carry us into our future.
Thanks Katrice, you are right that there are already many alternative narrative models for us to turn to. One of the points I was trying to make is that narrative forms go along with political and social forms and systems, and while there are many great traditional models for us to learn from, my suspicion is that we can't adopt any of them wholesale - we can't just 'return' to something from the past - that we will need some sort of hybrid that learns from the past and from many of the rich non-linear narrative forms that exist in various cultures but that is something new.
I like this idea a lot Brett. Tomorrow I am leading a discussion for Systemic Designers on the power of narrative within this work. The idea of adapting the old narrative patterns that we all somehow intrinsically know, to explore current complexities and challenges is what I will be talking about. I read somewhere that when we use those patterns people react to the information as though it was something they already knew but had forgotten, something they are remembering. I feel that is true.
Do you know of the work of Greg Burns at Emory and Paul J Zak regarding story and neuroscience. It is fascinating and forms the main foundation for my work - that and a link into the work of Vince Filetti at Kaiser Permanente.
I immediately thought of fairytales, Katrice - and then I saw your expertise!
Loved this Brett. Some theorists have talked about stories as reservoirs, i.e. the model of "narrative accretion". I think Eastern cultures, and older civilizations have always looked at storytelling like a reservoir of wisdom. This doesn't mean it's all "good". Harmful reservoirs exist alongside healing ones. I think the key part is every expanding the reservoir and focusing on what we do with the stories.
Thanks Mehret and I love the idea of a reservoir of wisdom.
You immediately had me thinking of two linear narratives that have collapsed: for the first time in America, young people are less likely to exceed their parents prosperity, and life expectancy has decreased.
And you have me thinking about the need for new shapes and forms, Brett. I'm not sure I agree. Stories about collectives, about paradox, about complexity (as Katrice notes), about untidy endings, all exist - we have to listen for and amplify those. Along with the existing great and revolutionary visual artists working today.
I agree. I think my point is more that for the fundamental change we need, we can't just change the content or the characters in dominant narratives - we need to foreground other narrative forms - whether existing, traditional, new, or hybrid, in order to help shape other sorts of social and political formations.
Yes!
"The third is revolution: to recognize and accept the crisis, to begin to explore radical alternatives, new narrative forms and formats, and completely new social systems — because at this point, nothing else will do." This whole essay is so spot on. It reflects what I've been thinking about my niche, strategic communications, including the increasing importance of how we are communicating with younger generations so they can advance professionally, socially, and intellectually. A major reset is needed, and I believe that rising leaders are key. The boards that hire them are not equipped for this, though. They need outside support from professionals who can help them develop new frameworks, philosophies, and practices around their communications, in the interest of leading successful organizations that make the world better. I regret to say that the communications consultant industry remains territorial and competitive. Together, there is so much we could do.
Very brilliant text. There's a question I've been asking myself for a while: Are we giving up on the expectation of truth? Or even the idea that there's a common reality?