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transfer ideas from one set of concepts
to another; a simile is a metaphor that
uses ‘like’ or ‘as’ to make the description
more emphatic, while an analogy is a
comparison between two things, for
explanation or clarifi cation.
All of us enjoy a good story, whether
it’s a novel, a movie, or simply a friend’s
anecdotes. Why is it that we feel more
engaged when we hear a narrative?
Research says that whilst listing to a
narrative, not only are the language
processing parts in our brain activated,
but other areas in our brain that we would
have used while experiencing the event
fi rsthand are also activated!
Quite literally, a story has the inherent
capacity to put our whole brain to work!
Preaching or advocating or
recommending a course of action neither
works with children nor with adults.
Whereas the message within a story
becomes apparent to the reader who
often thinks ‘I know this’ even as the
person is reading the story. The belief or
consequential course of action is therefore
self-initiated by the readers themselves.
Why do we have a narrative mind?
Simply put, we’re wired that way. All day
long, from the time we wake up until we go
to sleep, we think in terms of narratives;
the ‘to-do’ list, grocery shopping, work,
friends, and family. We make up short
episodic narratives in our heads for practi-
cally every action and conversation. Talk-
ing to yourself, narrating personal stories,
and engaging in gossip makes up almost
100 percent of our conversations.
Whenever we hear a story, we want to
relate one of our lived experiences with it.
That’s why metaphors work so well with
us. The simpler a story, the more likely it
will embed itself into our subconscious
mind. The best way to truly learn and
relate is through a short story with simple
language and low complexity.
Metaphorical thinking is fundamental
to cognition, communication, and our
narrative mind. This makes it a valuable
tool for helping friends, family, colleagues,
and clients gain new perspectives. Using
a metaphor is a helpful way of talking
about emotional and relational experience.
The mind has the innate capacity to
understand new ideas by relating them to
familiar concepts.
The book is
an anthology
of a hundred
stories from
different
sources,
ranging from
Grandmother’s
tales to Zen.
Each little
story in
the book is
intended to
leave a defi nite
imprint on the
subconscious
mind.
Using metaphor has been a tradition
in all the major schools of therapy
and is a particularly helpful way of
talking about emotional and relational
experience. No number of lectures, power
points or vision and mission statements
can so pithily and impressively convey
what a story can.
The book is an anthology of a hundred
stories from different sources, ranging
from Grandmother’s tales to Zen. Each
little story in the book is intended to leave
a defi nite imprint on the subconscious
mind, changing the way we think and
behave by instilling new ideas, relating
them to concepts, and creating new values
and morals; thus inspiring you to greater
heights.
It is a wonderful read for all age
groups as each story can easily be related
to our lives and the lives of people
around us. None of the stories preach
and yet, they often carry a profound
message that leaves its mark on the
mind of the reader. The stories can take
you back to real life events that often
go unnoticed, whether during one’s
childhood, student years, or adult life.
Each story is different, and one can
choose to pick a story at random and be
surprised that it makes perfect sense.
The hundred stories are crisp, short, and
succinct with not a single word wasted.
The book makes a wonderful object
to have around at home and is also a
wonderful gift to inspire and motivate
those around us. P & M
Vol. 9 Issue 6 • Sep-Oct 2018, Noida / Pre-Event Edition |
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