Who's telling the story?
Hope the week is being kind to all of you. Remember, you’re supposed to have off days & moments, your value resides in how you manage them and have them do the least amount of damage to the good times.
Without further ado, let’s jump into it:
Sam’s dad couldn’t keep his son from playing videogames. He grabbed a hammer and fixed the problem once and for all.
What did the dad do?
An answer, as usual, at the end.
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Mind the source
One of the most important things I think I learned during my young adulthood is that the source of a story is just as important as the story itself.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “history is written by the victors”. In today’s world, the victors are the ones with the most accessible and engaging media machines.
The example below has become quite popular, but even if you know it, it’s a good way to illustrate what I mean.
It’s time to elect a new national leader. Choose between the candidates below:
Candidate A: He associates with crooked politicians and consults with astrologists. He’s had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.
Candidate B: He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a bottle of whisky every evening.
Candidate C: He is a decorated war hero. He is a vegetarian who doesn’t smoke. He drinks an occasional beer and has never committed adultery.
Choose one before moving forward.
It’s not very difficult, is it?
Presented like this, it’s pretty obvious we’d choose Candidate C. But there’s obviously a catch.
Those are the descriptions of Roosevelt (A), Churchill (B) and Hitler (C).
It’s shockingly easy to twist a story and make reality seem extremely different. You might say it doesn’t matter, yet a lot of our core values are formed around the stories we’re told as a child.
If you’re exposed at a young age to a certain way of framing things, you’ll most likely carry that throughout your years.
It’s why Hollywood invested heavily in movies - they’re an amazing propaganda machine.
It’s why Japan is investing in anime - great way to express Japanese values to large audiences.
And why China is now investing in videogames like crazy - it’s another great form of getting your message across.
One way to counter being manipulated is to keep in mind the source of the message - as well as your emotional relationship with the source.
Knowing that will change the way you see and value most stories.
Answer: The dad build a shelf and placed the console on it. The child could not reach it.