Transcripts

Annette Simmons:
If you are going to be happy it's because of the story you tell yourself about who you are and why you're here - and if you're miserable, same thing.

Annette Simmons, author of the book Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins…

At one level, story is the DNA of all meaning. I read this book on artificial intelligence, and you can't create a computer that has any kind of intelligence unless you create a computer that can both understand and create a story. Because nothing has meaning except for the story you tell yourself. And a most basic story that anybody can tell themselves is their identity story.

Stories are powerful. Not only the stories you tell yourself but also in trying to persuade others. Annette says, typically in persuasion we use facts and statistics to sway people.

And if you're going to influence people it's important that you not just deliver the facts but also talk from a particular point of view that has meaning to the person who's listening. It's got to be more personal and more experiential - you can't just say, "This is going to make you happy." It's more like, "Imagine waking up in the morning and being able to walk out your door and play golf anytime you want to." It's got to create images and sensory stimulation in the mind of your listener in order for it to feel real.

At somethingyoushouldknow.net I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.