I am usually allergic to buzzwords. A few years ago, when storytelling became a popular metaphor for public speaking, I began to feel a little grumpy. But I have been released temporarily from my distemper. Why? Because I’ve listened to Robert McKee and Barbara Minto, two stalwarts in support of stories with a purpose.
Humans absorb information through stories–we’re designed that way. We tell ourselves stories about the past (history), stories about what’s going on in the present moment (news and commentary), and stories about the future (setting a course for a more perfect union.)
According to some, we are failing to tell these important stories in effective ways.
Arthur Miller, the great American playwright, pointed out that when we elect our presidents, we are electing an archetype. We elect a great father who will provide and protect–a hero who will create safety for us and lead us in the fight against those who mean to do us harm.
In essence, said Miller, we elect a metaphorical killer. We choose someone who is brave enough to step onto a battlefield. Of course that battlefield can be in the halls of Congress, the mountains of Afghanistan, or the bully pulpit of Sunday morning TV. Our metaphorical killer should take out our enemies and come back with their scalps.
The present seems to be swarming with intractable problems. Likewise, the future is a frightening blankness fraught with a range of horrific possibilities. We need and want someone to tell us a story about how we got here, how we can get out of this mess, what the future can be and how we can shape it.
The stories cannot be fiction. They must be stories with a purpose–stories that are constructed to win hearts and minds. We are in need of a leader with the intellect, the passion, and the belief that we can set things right.
We need a great father or a wise mother, or both.