In this fourth episode, we'll talk about narrative thinking and why our world is shaped by our stories.
I could make a list of bullet points you the reasons why I think this is the case, but after you listen to this and go on with your day, you will forget the list. Lists don't have meaning. Lists don't have power. Humans are not made to remember lists, we are made to remember stories. This is how it has always been.
So, allow me to start with a story. This based on a conversation I had with Argoss in my dream.
Story
I was in the wooden cabin, but this time instead of being at the door, I was sitting on the warm floor next to fire. Facing me was Argoss, in his armchair. I could tell he had seen many things just by looking at him. His face was familiar and strange to me at the same time. He had eyes that could see through me. But that's all I can say, because every time I wake up, his features disappear with the sunlight.
Argoss asked me:
Why are stories everywhere?
Because they're easier to remember, I said
And?
Because they're powerful
Exactly. But how are they powerful? Let me tell you a story to explain. This one is titled The little bird in a mice nest
“Once upon a time, a clumsy little bird was waiting for his moma and popa. While waiting, he tripped, fell from its nest and landed in a soft pile of grass. In that pile of grass lived a family of mice. Now, these mice had poor eyesight, so when they found the clumsy little bird, they mistook it for one of their own. They took him in and raised him as a mouse.
The mice, as any mice would know, had stories of danger coming from the sky—of hawks, falcons, and owls that hunted them. The clumsy little bird, growing up among them, learned to fear the sky as any mice would .
One day, an owl swooped down and snatched up the little bird. But when the owl looked at its catch, it was surprised.
‘You’re not a mouse,’ the owl said. ‘You’re a bird! Why didn’t you fly away?’
The little bird, trembling out of fear, replied, ‘Because I’m a mouse. And mice are afraid of the sky.’
The owl didn’t laugh. He simply said, ‘Well, I believe you are a bird. And birds make the sky their home. Maybe you are a mouse. Maybe you are a bird. But either way—you should try to fly.’
The owl released the little bird and it did try to fly, and he loved it. From that day on, he knew: he was not a mouse, he was a bird. The sky was not something to fear—it was his now home.”
Argoss paused after the story
Now, why did the bird fall of his nest?
Because he was clumsy
That's right. So the story is teaching us that being clumsy can get us into trouble. But what if the bird had been reckless and tried to go to close to the edge? Or perhaps one of his nestling had been jealous and pushed him out. With one little detail, you can change a whole story.
Now, why do you think stories are powerful?
I had to think hard.
The little bird believed the sky was dangerous because of the stories the mice told him.
That's right. In fact, we are made of stories. The stories we hear shape us. All of our choices—what we do, what we believe, even who we think we are—come from the stories that we carry within us. These stories we hear, and the ones we tell ourselves.
Pause
But sometimes, stories aren’t the whole truth. For the mice, fearing the sky is a good advice. But for the little bird, it's not. So be careful, because the stories you surround yourself with can shape you in ways you don’t even notice. Just like the little bird, we can believe a story of fear—and we'll grow fearful. If we listen to stories of doubt, we will doubt others and ourselves. But we can also believe stories of courage and possibilities, where the sky is not a threat, but a home. So choose carefully the stories that you believe because those are the stories that will define you.
Now, was the bird wise to believe the story told by the mice?
No he was not. He should not have listened to it because he's a bird.
Argoss shook his head.
Don't be so quick to judge, Malcom. Sometimes there is wisdom in stories that we don't understand yet. In fact, in this story, the owl releases the little bird. But in reality, owls eat little birds as well, and would not have released it. Then the story of the being afraid of hawks and falcons and owls would have been useful, wouldn't it? Stories are stories. They are malleable. And in the hands in a master, they can be very powerful, for the best or the worse.
Then, I asked
But then, Argoss, how do you know which stories are true? What if the story you believe is wrong?”
Argoss smiled for he liked good questions
I believe you already know the answer to this question. Here, let us figure it out together. Let me tell you another story of when I was bitten by a beaver.
“So there I was, paddling down the river, sun on my back, just me and the water. I saw a big pile of wood on the side of the river. Naturally, I got curious and drifted in closer. I didn't know what it was until I was close enough, then it became obvious! It was a beaver lodge! I decided to get even closer to see inside. Maybe I could spot a beaver!
Bad move
Suddenly—SPLASH!—a beaver jumped out of the water like a furry torpedo and launches itself onto my canoe.
We lock eyes. It hesitates.
Then—CHOMP!
Right on my arm. The beaver bit me on the arm!
I yell, nearly flip the canoe, and that beaver just dives back in like it never happened. I was bleeding for days.”
Argoss rolled up his sleeve and showed me a sharp scar on his arm. I was amazed.
What do you think is the lesson of this story?
To not be so curious
Try again, Argoss said
To respect wild animals, even if they're cute
Try again, Argoss said
To leave beavers and their nests alone!
Argoss chuckled.
Maybe. But notice how you have a lot of different answers? Someone else might have said that the lesson is to leave nature alone. Or that we bear the scars of our mistakes. Or that even painful events can become a funny story with time.
The meaning of a story isn't for the teller to decide—it’s for the listener to discover. You can lead the animal to the water, but can’t make it drink it. The same story will be interpreted differently by different people. That is just how it is. Some listener will see things that even you, the person who created the story haven't thought about.
So, the way we hear and understand stories is our choice?
Precisely. Stories are powerful tools, but you cannot force them on anyone.
Argoss smiled .
Now go out into the world and start living your own stories. The greatest stories you can ever tell are the ones you live.
Then, I woke up.
This was story coming from my dreams.
But why did I tell you about the beginning of my dream three times in the first three episodes?
Even if you know a story, sometimes you can discover new things within it. Every time a story is retold, there are a few things that changes. And because I wanted you to experience the recurrence of the recurring dream. Only then you could better understand the lesson.
it's the context that give stories their meaning
But I also used those to introduce our storyteller, Argoss.
Argoss is inspired by my favorite teacher of all time. He was teaching what most people would consider as a boring course, but in his lectures, I remember always being glued to what he was saying. Every change he got, he would slip-in a story. The story of this scientist, or of how that equation came to be, put into context, and always did it with a smile. The scientists and equations became part of a big story.
He took pleasure in telling those stories, just like we took pleasure in hearing them. He was a kind man. He started the semester by saying "If you leave happy, I'll be happy." Eventually, I started to note down his stories in the margins of my notebook. I compiled it all up and named the file "Argoss' wisdom".
There are a few things he would repeat often. "Keep your thinking cap on" and "We are humans, we can do errors. But we are humans, we can think critically. Please use your blessing" was what he said to remind us to be critical.
He would always push to be curious and he would love questions. He would say: "A mind is a precious thing to waste." and often quote the last page of the Whole Earth Catalog, which says: "Stay hungry, stay foolish".
So thank you professor Argoss for sharing your wisdom and inspiring me.