5 Stories that Make Complex Issues Compelling

As human beings, we love stories. We love to hear them and we love to tell them. We are always telling stories – sometimes to others and sometimes to ourselves.

All else being equal, the best story wins.

Another good reason to learn to tell better stories is because people don’t make rational decisions. They make them emotionally and then rationalize them by selectively focusing on everything that supports the decision they have made.

Learning to tell good stories is not an overnight exercise. However, you can start by observing good stories. I have chosen a few videos that showcase storytelling in action.

1. The Story of an Apple Seed

A short 2-minute video by Johnny Kelly that explains the story of an apple seed.

2. The Story of the Credit Crisis

Almost everyone is still affected by the US Credit Crisis. But what is the genesis of this crisis? Here is a quick video by Jonathan Jarvis that explains it brilliantly.

3. Social Media in Plain English

Social Media is the latest buzz everywhere. Here is a 4-minute video from the brilliant folks at Common Craft that explains social media.

4. Effects of High Blood Pressure on Your Body

This 3-minute video from Kreative Vistas brilliantly explains the effects of high blood pressure on your body. It is only 3-minute but it’s scary enough to shake you up and take guarding against high blood pressure seriously.

5. How Small Things Make a Huge Difference

This 2-minute video by folks at Stresslimitdesign was created for Environmental Defense Fund. The video is a call to action on saving energy.

Over to You

How do you tell the story of your business? How do you want to improve on it?

What’s a great narrative or metaphor to tell your own story?

Feel free to share a story or a link where you see great storytelling in action.

About the Author: Rajesh Setty is an entrepreneur, author and speaker based in Silicon Valley. Rajesh has maintained a blog at Life Beyond Code since 2005 where he has published more than 1,400 articles. You can also find him on Twitter at @UpbeatNow