Remarkable Power
I always loved books and stories growing up. I loved them for the adventures and the characters that I got to know so well that I always felt a pang of loss and even loneliness when I finished the book and their world was closed off to me again. But mostly I loved the lingering feeling that stayed with me during and after a story. The power of narrative, of our words, of telling people a story that can make them feel thrilled, hopeful, wise and maybe even brave. Maybe even stronger than they thought they were. That can lift their moods and make them laugh. And as Yuval Harari explained in Sapiens, it’s all just stories; a country, an economy, a legislature, how we wrangle together a civilisation and a sense of order. It’s about people buying into this idea that we need to combine our resources to move towards something better.
But then on the other side of this coin, with the same power of words, people can create division, fear, stoke underlying resentments and encourage people to check out or even destroy the gains of civilisation and moving towards peace and genuine equitable and inclusive progress.
Social media has given everyone a voice, and the ability to amplify it. And when we think of marginalised or repressed people and communities - this ability to broadcast their truth seems incredible. But this ability to amplify is indiscriminate and bad faith actors also amplify words to discourage and undermine. Sometimes it’s even good faith actors who, in a moment of very human anger or fear, or from being on the receiving end of misinformation, also amplify a message of division.
The recent South African election and ongoing coalition negations are emblematic of this. This watershed event of foundational consequence is a remarkable moment of the power of democracy in upholding accountability in governance, with a coalition being a maturation of government and an electorate. But insidious commentary has also been proliferating from dubiously motivated individuals whose aims seem to be the destruction of a country that has stood as global testament in an increasingly divided world that people from all creeds and persuasions can comes together, live together and together create a peaceful nation united in the pursuit of freedom, equality and a better life for all.
This is the power of storytelling, and of the words we say and speak. A conversation and a comment, whether online or in person, can make those hearing or reading it walk away with that lingering feeling of hope and excitement, with that lingering feeling of the thrill of a challenge - whether it be nation-building or perhaps just the courage to pursue an audacious dream or even just the courage to pursue love.
The human experience is complex, terrifying and wonderful. From the deepest uncertainty, to a moments when we feel immersed in grace. But always, and at almost every moment, a choice that comes with remarkable power: to create and spread words and stories of hope, or to stoke resentments.
At the very least, it’s worth trying. When I started sharing publicly my story - how I spent almost all my life feeling like a failure and the crazy journey of moving towards… gosh who even knows - perhaps at the root of it self acceptance - with enough authenticity to make some squirm; I got responses from people, mostly strangers, who told me with equal authenticity how much that story had meant to them and encouraged them in some profound way. Not because I have the wisdom of the Buddha but because a very ordinary human experience shared openly but with a relentlessly positive outlook can and does change peoples lives for the better. I keep every single one of these messages and can say with certainly that genuine connection with people that leaves them feeling hopeful has been one of the best and happiest parts of my life.
There is no reward is creating fear in others. There is nothing good or worthwhile down the path of division or encouraging societal rage - nothing. But there is joy and meaning in creating impeccably superb vibes - whether its a laugh or the feeling of being understood.
I hope that whoever reads this comes to realise that with their words and their stories and their bravery we can shape our collective narrative for the better. In this most critical of years - the largest year of democracy in humanity’s history, with hugely consequential decisions being taken in regards to climate change, large scale conflict and other existential threats - the solutions lie, as it always has, in collective action that has to be grounded in a collective hope and knowledge that the future is worth it - worth us overcoming our differences, worth us overcoming negativity and resentment. Worth us telling a good story and rising above ourselves.
Freedom is worth it. Democracy is worth it. The world is worth it.