The most powerful example of narratives was Donald Trump’s victory in 2016

With no prior political experience or credibility, he defeated Hillary Clinton, who came with decades of experience, credibility, and knowledge. 

Trump had crafted a story for his campaign that he repeated

According to him, America was being bogged down by the immigrants stealing the jobs of native citizens, increasing crime rates, and causing a ruckus. 

He asserted that America is no longer the country of dreams and that he is the messiah stepping up to Make America Great Again! 

Did America lose its glamour? 

That’s a difficult question to answer. It is a laborious task to get all facts in one place and fully comprehend the effects of immigrants on America. 

We don’t know if immigrants were the cause of the problem. Still, the easier way to explain America’s issues would be to find scapegoats and build a compelling story around them. 

A story that is easier to believe. 

Narratives are these explanations in the form of stories that connect the dots and make it easier for people to comprehend. Such stories build trust and receptivity. 

We are surrounded by narratives that shape our world. 

The important life lessons and ideas taught to us as children are in the form of fairy tales and fables. 

The narratives around gods and religions provide an easier explanation to things beyond our comprehension as science focuses on just facts and admit we don’t have answers to many things in life. 

Brands build stories around their product to make them more appealing and bring loyalty among their customers. 

People invest in the stock market because of the popular narrative that the needs are always supposed to go up in the long run.

The business world also relies heavily on narratives. The story behind the ‘Why’ of your business is necessary to persuade the users on why the market needs/wants your product. 

While narratives are essential to paint a simple and appealing picture to the people, they are also often used to mislead the masses.

A classic case in point in the world of startups can be WeWork’s rise and fall. 

CEO Adam Neuman’s phenomenal storytelling skills made it seem that WeWork was not just a company that would make money but is also going to change the world, i.e., “Raise the world’s consciousness”.  

The narrative was gripping and attracted several investors, employees, and customers who jumped in as they wanted to be part of something great. 

Eventually, we all know how WeWork’s valuation crashed when it filed for an IPO. 

Similarly, politicians often use narratives with selected or half-baked facts to influence the masses and gain votes. 

While most people don’t hold a very good image of Donald Trump, he was still a genius in comprehending human psychology and using it to his benefit. 

Most voters don’t have the time or the knowledge to understand a country’s complex problems in depth, and a leader who paints a simple picture is the one who gains traction. 

Most people just get swayed by the emotional aspect of such stories. 

In fact, we can argue that narratives work more potently when the topic at hand is complex. Politics, science, and business are taken hostage by narratives trumping nuance.

e live in a world that runs on narratives. Elon Musk is an influencer who incidentally sells cars and makes rockets. His presence in our minds is much higher than the impact his businesses create

Narratives can be those tools that help you to fake it till you make it, powerful to will a vision of the world you have

Next time if a story seduces you, look deeper to see the narrative