After reading the mind is a storyteller, the next piece of material I read was about conspiracy theories. I read more about Alex Jones and his truth rallies as well as David Icke. The Alex Jones article and David Icke's website both go right along with the title of this chapter; The mind is a storyteller. What I understand from that article is that people take a bit of information and create these stories that create more drama. We as a people love a good story and create them to tell. I really like in Gottschall's book it describes conspiracy theories and says they are "emotionally satisfying version of reality". We have talked a lot about how as a population we desire drama and story. The best kind of story are full of emotion. That is why conspiracy theorists can gain the hearts of so many people. http://www.infowars.com/media-kills-911-truth-rally-by-lying-about-it/
http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/2013/09/29/
I thought about how this information could be useful with my emphasis. It was easy to relate it to communication because with proper communication between the media and the people all of this conspiracy theory stuff would dissolve. It was a little more difficult to relate it to business management. But, after some thought I came to the realization that when managing a business proper communication is a neccessity or you could have people thinking about things in their own way. This causes conspiracy theories and a lack of loyalty to the company as well as open rebellion.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Hell is story-friendly
After reading this week's assignment I thought for sure that I was going to have plenty to disagree with when it comes to Gotschall's writing. The previous weeks I have found quite a bit that I havent agreed with, but of course now that it is the emphasis of the assignment, I find very little that I disagree with.
I like when he refers to fiction as a universal grammar. No matter where you are in the world fiction usually contains or has similar characteristics. The book sayas, "in life, conflict often carries a negative connotation, yet in fiction, be it comic or tragic, dramatic conflict is fundamental because in literature only trouble is interesting". I have been all around the world spending a couple years on the island of Borneo in East Malaysia. All of the literature or stories I came across all contained those common characteristics of fiction. Trouble and drama that is barely overcome.
I also like how we uses the example of the flight simulators and how fiction trains us for real life stories. "Just as flight simulators allow pilots to train safely, stories safely train us for the big challenges of the social world". This made me think about childrens books and how they try and give kids a little taste to what life will be like when they grow older. His readings always make me reconsider my thinking on seemingly average things such as childrens books.
I started to search the internet for articles that also state the importance of fiction in our life. I found everything from it being implemented in our minds from when we were born to the fact that fiction gives us joy and thats what we want. I think it is a combination of both of those extremes and we can't escape it.
One of my emphasis is communication which is always easy to relate to but my other is business management. I started to think about how Gotschall mentions that we "literally experience the same feelings ourselves" when we watch it on the big screen. I know that when I watch a sports movie or a racing movie I want to drive home super fast and be a part of that movie. I think in managing a business as well as employees this would be something I want want to emulate. Giving people the desire to become better.
I like when he refers to fiction as a universal grammar. No matter where you are in the world fiction usually contains or has similar characteristics. The book sayas, "in life, conflict often carries a negative connotation, yet in fiction, be it comic or tragic, dramatic conflict is fundamental because in literature only trouble is interesting". I have been all around the world spending a couple years on the island of Borneo in East Malaysia. All of the literature or stories I came across all contained those common characteristics of fiction. Trouble and drama that is barely overcome.
I also like how we uses the example of the flight simulators and how fiction trains us for real life stories. "Just as flight simulators allow pilots to train safely, stories safely train us for the big challenges of the social world". This made me think about childrens books and how they try and give kids a little taste to what life will be like when they grow older. His readings always make me reconsider my thinking on seemingly average things such as childrens books.
I started to search the internet for articles that also state the importance of fiction in our life. I found everything from it being implemented in our minds from when we were born to the fact that fiction gives us joy and thats what we want. I think it is a combination of both of those extremes and we can't escape it.
One of my emphasis is communication which is always easy to relate to but my other is business management. I started to think about how Gotschall mentions that we "literally experience the same feelings ourselves" when we watch it on the big screen. I know that when I watch a sports movie or a racing movie I want to drive home super fast and be a part of that movie. I think in managing a business as well as employees this would be something I want want to emulate. Giving people the desire to become better.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
The Riddle of Fiction
I think Gottschall is trying to say that humanity as a whole desire drama and gossip and other things of this nature. I don't really agree with him on that but, he does make several strong arguments. Fiction, does always seem to be full of drama and trouble. I would like to think of it from a different perspective than Gottschall. We create trouble and drama in our minds because ultimately people like to be the hero and the problem solver. We make up problems just so that we can solve them.
He refers to fairytales and the sadness and drama that is involved with seemingly every single story. But, that is where he ends. As the story continues to unfold there is usually a great message of perserverance and overcoming overwhelming odds. When I was a child, I can remember creating wonderful adventures in my mind that my friends and I would go on. Every one ended with someone saving another or a victory of some sort.
There is no denying that people are completely fascinated with gossip, sex, and scary dramas. I wish there were other ways of knowing happiness and peace other than feeling dissapointment and heartache. Without the bad we would not understand the good. This is what I hope the authors of the fairytales and stories for young children were thinking anyway.
He refers to fairytales and the sadness and drama that is involved with seemingly every single story. But, that is where he ends. As the story continues to unfold there is usually a great message of perserverance and overcoming overwhelming odds. When I was a child, I can remember creating wonderful adventures in my mind that my friends and I would go on. Every one ended with someone saving another or a victory of some sort.
There is no denying that people are completely fascinated with gossip, sex, and scary dramas. I wish there were other ways of knowing happiness and peace other than feeling dissapointment and heartache. Without the bad we would not understand the good. This is what I hope the authors of the fairytales and stories for young children were thinking anyway.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Ch. 2 Witchery of Story
Gottschall keeps intriguing me more and more as the chapters in his book continue. I now think of things in ways that I have never thought of before. He paints a greater picture on exactly how much each of our lives are greatly impacted by stories and the desire for stories. I don't agree with everything he writes but much of it I do.
When he refers to the Whale boat story I am not completely overcome by the story and the words to where I don't notice any of my surroundings. I have always had that problem when I read any type of words on a page I can get easily distracted. Although, with that being said, there is still times when I do lose track of where I am and do become overcome by the story I am reading.
I found it interesting to think about commercials as little stories that break up the large stories or television shows we are watching. I always thought about them as annoying little interuptions. Now, I try to understand the story behind the commercial and I do have a somewhat better appreciation for commercials.
I am fascinated again by the example of dreams, day or night, as stories. The statisitical hours that we spend dreaming in on fascet or another that he gives is incredible. It made me look back on my day and even week thus far and try and remember how much of it I spent in a dream. I do often catch myself in a day dream either trying to be in a better place than I am currently, or replaying an event in my mind but having it go much differently. I often do this after I talk to girls. I try and think of different scenarios in my mind that could possibly better the situation I was in.
I don't think storytelling could ever become a dying art. I think it will continually change the format in which stories are told. But, stories are a neccessary part of life and become such a cutural norm that they will never go away. Everytime we see some one we exchange stories of our day and if we didn't how strange and awkward would this world be!
Neverland is inside all of us. Each of us may have a different place and will describe neverland very differently but, I think everyone has place that they can go to in order to forget about the world. My neverland often takes me to the land of sports where I am prosperous in upcoming games or events. I actually use this to mentally prepare for my games as well.
I learn more and more every week that stories are every where and you don't even have to look that hard you just have to realize where they are.
When he refers to the Whale boat story I am not completely overcome by the story and the words to where I don't notice any of my surroundings. I have always had that problem when I read any type of words on a page I can get easily distracted. Although, with that being said, there is still times when I do lose track of where I am and do become overcome by the story I am reading.
I found it interesting to think about commercials as little stories that break up the large stories or television shows we are watching. I always thought about them as annoying little interuptions. Now, I try to understand the story behind the commercial and I do have a somewhat better appreciation for commercials.
I am fascinated again by the example of dreams, day or night, as stories. The statisitical hours that we spend dreaming in on fascet or another that he gives is incredible. It made me look back on my day and even week thus far and try and remember how much of it I spent in a dream. I do often catch myself in a day dream either trying to be in a better place than I am currently, or replaying an event in my mind but having it go much differently. I often do this after I talk to girls. I try and think of different scenarios in my mind that could possibly better the situation I was in.
I don't think storytelling could ever become a dying art. I think it will continually change the format in which stories are told. But, stories are a neccessary part of life and become such a cutural norm that they will never go away. Everytime we see some one we exchange stories of our day and if we didn't how strange and awkward would this world be!
Neverland is inside all of us. Each of us may have a different place and will describe neverland very differently but, I think everyone has place that they can go to in order to forget about the world. My neverland often takes me to the land of sports where I am prosperous in upcoming games or events. I actually use this to mentally prepare for my games as well.
I learn more and more every week that stories are every where and you don't even have to look that hard you just have to realize where they are.
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