#9. How One Thousand and One Nights can transform us into Ethical Storytellers
From the section "The Story That Saved the Day” of The Sunday Tales.
The Story that Saved the Day is a section of The Sunday Tales that will inspire you through recounting fantastic brand stories. What makes them fantastic? Each of the featured brands were "saved" by implementing storytelling elements and methodologies in their business. Taken from a variety of industries and standpoints, these stories will show you how storytelling is a flexible and adaptable tool that, if used correctly, can produce exciting concepts and incredible achievements.
Along with some storytelling methodologies, I will also list some takeaways and lessons we can learn from each brand story. So get ready to take notes!
In a world devasted by war and violence incited by "stories" that lead men to kill, create discrimination and inflict violence, one question haunts me. How can stories bring about change and understanding?
In my Domestika course and during my upcoming workshop, “The Power of Storytelling” I will discuss ethical storytelling extensively. I believe that once we understand our power as storytellers and how stories can shape reality, we must use that power for good.
So, I have used this particular section of The Story that Saved the Day to explain more about becoming an Ethical Storyteller. I am answering my own question, using an emblematic book that demonstrates how the power of storytelling can inspire change.
The emblematic book in question is One Thousand and One Nights.
One Thousand and One Nights is an ancient collection of stories from the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa, brought together into a framework narrative. The book has a fascinating structure and is unique in its genre.* Sometimes, a character featured in one story will go on to tell the other characters a different story of their own, with other stories told within those. This method of tales-within-tales creates a rich layer of interconnected stories that feature believable, well-rounded protagonists.
In this article, we will learn three important takeaways on how storytelling with purpose can inspire change, persuade others, and even save lives.
* The Neverending Story has a similar structure, and it serves the same purpose: by telling the story, Bastian can keep the princess and the world of Fantastica alive.
The Plot: Create anticipation and suspense to keep your audience engaged and focused on the core message
The book’s central narrative revolves around Scheherazade, a young woman married to King Shahryar. The king has sworn to kill each new wife the morning after their wedding night, to avenge the hurtful betrayal of his first wife (clearly this is not a reasonable excuse, but it is part of the story all the same!)
However, Scheherazade is a wonderful storyteller and uses her talent as a strategy to save her life. Every night, she tells a story to the king, creating suspense and anticipation that stokes his curiosity and keeps him intrigued.
The cliffhangers (she interrupts each story at dawn, just before its climax) compel the king to spare her life for one more night, creating a continuous cycle of storytelling.
The narrative structure of each of Scheherazade's stories is cyclical. Her stories are interrupted at the end of Act 2 and just before the climax, and the following story starts from the climax of the previous tale and stops at the end of Act 2.
Takeaway
Scheherazade’s mastery of pacing and suspense makes her stories irresistible, because they focus on what matters most. The strategic use of suspense and anticipation is not just about entertainment, but guiding the audience through a story with intention and purpose.
Application
This technique works in various contexts, whether you are crafting a marketing campaign, delivering a keynote speech, or asking the user to explore more on your website, like this #Behindtheseam: a website that through scrolling (discovery) and visual storytelling (irresistible illustrations that are animated, for example with a stream) inform and convey the message behind eco-sustainable clothing.
#Behindthescene: Ready to explore GOTS?
The Audience: Understand their mindset and values
The best stories create a connection with their audience. This, in fact, is the golden role of storytelling.
Scheherazade’s storytelling is tailored to King Shahryar’s psychological state. She knows that he is bitter and angry, and that his sense of trust is broken. This means she must connect with his deeper emotions, beliefs, and experiences.
According to Don Norman in Emotional Design, creating an emotional connection requires engaging the reflective part of the brain—the part that processes and reflects on experiences.ù
Scheherazade’s stories are entertaining and wisely crafted; focusing on themes of justice, betrayal, loyalty, and compassion to gradually shift the King's worldview from distrust and anger to understanding and transformation.
Emotional Levels by Donald Norman: the 3 levels of emotional connection that impact behaviour according to Don Norman.
Takeaway
Ethical storytelling builds bridges between different perspectives, using empathy, research, and visual data as the foundation for transformative change. It encourages listeners to question their assumptions, imagine the world with new eyes and embrace new ideas.
Application
This technique is the golden rule of storytelling. This website about deforestation helps us understand our connection to the world we live in, the destruction our planet, who and what are responsible, what future we may face – and how we can be part of a much-needed change.
The forest is the lungs of our planet. The disappearance of forests is a global problem that can lead to the disappearance of humanity.
The Interactions: Storytelling as a vehicle for imparting wisdom and offering guidance
Scheherazade’s stories often contain moral lessons.
Many of her tales feature characters who face life or death situations and make choices that will lead to either salvation or ruin.
Her stories are crafted to show the consequences of greed, corruption, or cruelty, and conversely, the rewards of wisdom, justice, and kindness. She narrates the character arc of her protagonists to guide the King into adopting the same behaviour.
By narrating these lessons, Scheherazade is not only saving her life (and the lives of future wives) but indirectly guiding King Shahryar towards a more just and humane path.
The simple path of transformation. Four steps according to Lisa Cron in her book "Story or Die”.
Takeaway
Scheherazade’s stories focus on problems of her time and propose solutions that inspire action. In the same way, Ethical Storytellers don’t just tell people what the problem is; they also provide narratives that offer hope, guidance, and steps toward resolution.
Application
With AI reimagining reality, the health and beauty brand Dove has started a campaign to address the bias of AI towards "Real Beauty", providing a solution and a new narrative while educating AI precisely in the same way the company has done in the past 20 years; educating communities of women to acceptance and inclusiveness.
The Code: keep beauty real.
Final Thoughts
Stories have the power to transform their audience, which means it's important for us to tell them in a way that promotes a better and more equal world.
I believe in telling stories ethically and with purpose. While shock and fear can be effective in driving change and bringing attention to social problems, Scheherazade shows us that stories with magic, morality, and diversity can also bring about healing and emotional growth.
So, your mission is to choose a path that leads to ethical storytelling, and effect a little positive change in the world.
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