The Collapse of the Promised Story
One of the more fascinating features of human beings is their willingness to believe a story simply because they want it to be true. Not because the storyteller has a particularly impressive record of accuracy. The story is embraced because it fits an imagined reality, and imagined realities are often far more attractive than actual ones. Reality, after all, has a terrible habit of being stubborn. The promised narrative is usually easy to recognize. It arrives with confidence. Problems will be solved. Outcomes are all but guaranteed. The future is painted in bright colors and reassuring language. Those delivering the narrative position themselves as agents of change, architects of solutions, navigators of complexity. They know the way forward. The promised narrative offers comfort, and comfort is a powerful currency. The alternative stories - the ones filled with caution, uncertainty, probabilities, and unpleasant complications - are far less attractive. Nobody wants to hear from the l...