Flash 2: Manage your stories.

Stories are an essential component of culture and civilization, inseparable from the very fabric of society. Intricately woven into the fiber of society are stories. They permeate our conversations, the books we read(literature), the clothes we wear(fashion), the songs we sing(music), the jokes we tell(humor), the movies we watch(cinema) and even the adverts we view. These stories, that are constantly being told around us, consciously and sub consciously shape our thoughts and perceptions about life.

Throughout history, story telling has proved to be the most potent tool in influencing individual’s understanding of themselves and the world. This is because of its ability to convey beliefs, norms and values thus leaving a profound impact that continues to be felt in the world of politics, commerce, education, religion, science and so forth. One only needs to look at the frenzied mass production of movies and songs in our day to understand the significance of story-telling. However, beyond the stories being told, we need to analyze the repercussions thereof.  

It has often been posited that to change a society, simply change the stories and the narratives that they consume. Consider the case of the renowned poet Dante Alighieri who in writing his masterpiece ‘The Divine Comedy’, employed the use of Tuscany, a local dialect of his days. As his works gained popularity, his decision to use Tuscany as opposed to the generally accepted Latin of his time helped elevate Tuscany into the legitimate language we now call Italian! While Dante may not have intended to establish Tuscany as the cultural standard of his day, yet the power of his narrative in shaping the language is undeniable. 

Conversely, a story is told of the Nazi regime. While most of us are familiar with the atrocities the Nazi committed against the Jews, few understand the role that narratives and story telling played in the advancing of Nazi ideals in Germany. In order to control all areas of the cultural life of Germany, the Nazi regime established the Reich Chamber of Culture, a department split into seven divisions covering the press, art, theatre, radio, music, films and literature. Through this department, the Nazi formulated a systematic plan that propagated narratives that undermined the Jews, communists, socialists and any other opponents that were perceived as a threat to Aryanism. These stories fostered a culture of intolerance in Nazi Germany that led to the killing, torture and persecution of countless individuals who did not align with the Aryan ideal of the day.

Our own personal lives are replete with experiences that further underscore the impact of storytelling. Think of that time you developed a hobby after constantly reading or watching it on television, or maybe that time you developed mental health issues after listening to some heavy metal rock music with constant themes of death and suicide, or even that time you found inspiration after hearing another man’s story of triumphing over adversity. While we may not always have control of the stories we encounter, yet we can always choose the stories we actively listen to, as well as the stories we tell. Therefore, the imperative remains: Manage your stories.  

Happy reading. I look forward to your comments. 

Shilako Abutaka.