Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, an author from Nigeria, delivers a powerful and insightful address to the dangers of a single story. To illustrate the concept of a single story and its affects Adichie uses her example of reading mainly British books as a child. As a young and impressionable child growing up in a middle-class, well educated family in Nigeria Chimamanda saw the character's portrayed in those books as the only images in literature. She built an imaginary world of snow, apple trees, blond hair and pony tails within her. This imagery established barriers for her to see herself in these stories, or any Nigerians for that matter. Until she discovered African authors telling African stories with real African characters and realities Adichie's only perception of the literary was narrow and misguiding.
The power of the story can insight emotions, distort facts, create false assumptions, and shape the beliefs of its audience among other things. Adichie describes power as the ability to tell a definitive story of another person. This can be positive or negative, and with an abundance of power it can even change the perception of events in history. History is often written by the victorious, and while we may believe these stories to be true there are always other alternative endings, plots, and accounts of historical events. It all boils down to the author/storyteller's perception and power.
However, just as Adichie realized there are more narratives to the stories she had digested as a child we can all learn a valuable lesson when facing a single story. We must seek out the story from different perceptions to gain a better knowledge and understanding of our world. In the book Messages listening with openness is an important step in effective listening which lends to seeing differing views and formulating more rounded ideas or beliefs rather than judgements or assumptions. The authors describe the downfalls of judgements (or assumptions) to include the inability "to grow intellectually because you only listen to viewpoints you already hold" and "dismissal of otherwise worthwhile people (or stories) because you disagree with their ideas". I believe this is very closely related to believing a single story as the basis of your reality. Placing stock in the single story limits us in growing as individuals as well as societies.
Imagine how our ideas of the colonization of America might differ if the story were told from the Native Americans. I bet our concept of Thanksgiving and Pilgrims with cornucopias would be slightly different than they are now, or the manifest destiny of westward expansion might paint a much different picture if told from the plains people. To invest our imagination and beliefs in a single story "flattens our experiences" as Adichie describes. We need to seek a balance to gain a complete understanding of our stories. The single story tells only one perception which can establish a mental picture of reality that can limit our views of the world in which we live. Stories matter, and there is never a single story!
JP
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html
The power of the story can insight emotions, distort facts, create false assumptions, and shape the beliefs of its audience among other things. Adichie describes power as the ability to tell a definitive story of another person. This can be positive or negative, and with an abundance of power it can even change the perception of events in history. History is often written by the victorious, and while we may believe these stories to be true there are always other alternative endings, plots, and accounts of historical events. It all boils down to the author/storyteller's perception and power.
However, just as Adichie realized there are more narratives to the stories she had digested as a child we can all learn a valuable lesson when facing a single story. We must seek out the story from different perceptions to gain a better knowledge and understanding of our world. In the book Messages listening with openness is an important step in effective listening which lends to seeing differing views and formulating more rounded ideas or beliefs rather than judgements or assumptions. The authors describe the downfalls of judgements (or assumptions) to include the inability "to grow intellectually because you only listen to viewpoints you already hold" and "dismissal of otherwise worthwhile people (or stories) because you disagree with their ideas". I believe this is very closely related to believing a single story as the basis of your reality. Placing stock in the single story limits us in growing as individuals as well as societies.
Imagine how our ideas of the colonization of America might differ if the story were told from the Native Americans. I bet our concept of Thanksgiving and Pilgrims with cornucopias would be slightly different than they are now, or the manifest destiny of westward expansion might paint a much different picture if told from the plains people. To invest our imagination and beliefs in a single story "flattens our experiences" as Adichie describes. We need to seek a balance to gain a complete understanding of our stories. The single story tells only one perception which can establish a mental picture of reality that can limit our views of the world in which we live. Stories matter, and there is never a single story!
JP
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html
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