How come Story came to rule over the Kingdom of Lies?

          “Satan- he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jesus) 

20 years ago, trying to convince organizations to use story as a powerful means of communication and change was like Sisyphus rolling the stone uphill. Then, somewhere, sometime, the rock  stayed put, and everyone signed on to the Gospel of Narrative. Good News, the way to go. We story evangelists had won!

What no one expected was that “story”would become the main tool of the darker arts, of lying, cheating, confusing, and fear mongering. Politics, Government, Corporations, Media and Con-Men, ( I know, I repeat myself),  even good old-fashioned fascists, misogynists, and racists rallied to spread their poison, to create the kingdom of the Lie, the realm that stories now rule.

It is time to become disenthralled, as Lincoln said. It is time to counter this disease, but with what? If we narrative specialists know how to build a story, we know how to dismantle one too, especially the story we tell about story.We are fooling ourselves, half the time.  Its time we recognize the “Seduction of Story” (Peter Brooks)  and “the Story Paradox “(Jonathan Gottschall).

What tools of recognition and discernment can we develop to spread a narrative criticality, one that protects people from the art of the con, and reclaim story for its power to humanize and harmonize the savage heart.

Come join our Seminar in October and join forces to rescue story from the Kingdom of Lies. Darth Vader, be warned, we are coming after you.