Facts don’t matter...

Nothing compels the human brain like a story and that’s why a great story will trump the facts every time. But why is that?

Video Transcript:

If you think that you can convince people to change their firmly held beliefs by wowing them with hard data and facts, you're wrong. People will believe a well-written story over a list of facts. A story that follows the rules of story that have existed for centuries. Since the days of Aristotle, nothing compels the human brain like a story. And that's why a great story will trump the facts every time. But why is that? Well, human beings are drawn to information that supports and reinforces their pre-held beliefs and opinions. A great story, draws people in at an emotional level. It highlights what's at stake. It touches on what people value and enables what's called narrative transportation. This is what happens when you watch a great movie for example. You're sucked into the story, you laugh and cry with the characters and jump out of your seat in a horror movie. You feel those emotions because you've experienced narrative transportation. The same happens when political leaders run their election campaigns. Often they don't win votes with facts and figures, they win by agitating a problem that offends our values. They talk about what's at stake. They talk about negative consequences that they will help us avoid if we give them our vote. So the next time you're arguing or negotiating with someone that just won't budge, think about using the power of story to enable them to empathise and see a different perspective. The facts don't matter, unless you are able to give them context with a story that matters. And that is the key.