The Narrative

Whether you notice or not, your mind narrates countless thoughts that shape the way we see – also known as your perspective.

In my family, which includes a husband and four children, we like to play “Would You Rather?” A multiple-choice question with only two options. As we each explain our choice, the answers illustrate the narratives that interpret how we each see the world.

Here’s an example.

Would you rather be the best player on the losing team?
OR
Would you rather be the worst player on the winning team?

Here were the answers from my family.

Three sons (all answered the same): I would want to be the worst player on the winning team because one, at least I’m on the winning team and two, I can get better because I have others to challenge me.

I answered the same as my sons.

Husband: I would want to be the best player on the losing team because I can serve my team by helping them get better and mentoring them.

And on a different day, someone might say, “I choose choice C – I don’t like playing team sports.”

In this simple example, the narratives in my family’s minds affect how they answer. For me and my sons, you could say we value being identified with the winners, even if individually we aren’t the best. For my husband, he values helping others grow in their skills above the being a winner.

The variety of narratives are immeasurable. Being aware of your narratives can help you better understand others and most importantly, yourself.