It's time to stand up and tell our stories | Samantha Packwood | TEDxStGilgenInternationalSchool
The speaker argues that we can influence our self-perception and the perceived value of things by consciously authoring our personal stories. The challenge of past narratives is illustrated using the selective attention test, showing our bias, while overcoming current expectations requires adopting a clear, proactive vision, as Abraham Lincoln did. The central call to action is to "give yourself a great writer" and choose the narrative angle that serves personal growth. ## Speakers & Context - Unnamed speaker, reflecting on childhood questions and personal narrative construction. - Initial anecdotes involve asking three- and four-year-old boys what they want to be: one wants to be a "policeman," and the other wants to be "A robber." ## Theses & Positions - The critical question to ask oneself is, "How do you want to be when you grow up?" - Personal narratives can be consciously influenced to change one's self-perception and the perceived value of objects. - The core mechanism for self-improvement is recognizing and actively redirecting one's own story, rather than letting others or the past define it. - The speaker posits that individuals must transition from reacting to externally generated profiles to proactively curating their own digital content. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Self-Narrative:** The "hidden invisible stories" we carry about who we are, how we are, and what others think of us. - **Perceived Value:** The assignable worth of objects that can be increased through associated stories. - **Typecasting:** Being stuck in an expected "character" that others assume one will play in their lives, making deviation difficult. - **Selective Attention:** The cognitive bias demonstrated in the test, where focus on one detail causes the observer to miss obvious, relevant information (like a gorilla). ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Storytelling for Value:** Rob Walker's experiment demonstrating that 200 thrifty store items, each assigned a story, sold for an average of $40 each, compared to their initial $1.25 average value. - **Overcoming Expectation Bias:** Requires developing a "crystal clear vision" of the desired new story, exemplified by Abraham Lincoln's practiced commitment to specific character traits. - **Identifying Cognitive Blind Spots:** Using the selective attention test to reveal overlooked data points (e.g., missing the gorilla while tracking ball passes). - **Proactive Content Curation:** Instead of reacting to data gathered by companies (from late-night searches, etc.), one actively searches *from the position* of the desired new story to "feed content that fits your new story." ## Timeline & Sequence - Childhood anecdote involving three- and four-year-old boys. - Demonstration using Rob Walker's 2006 eBay auction of thrifty items. - Discussion of typecasting limitations, using scenarios like a "class clown" wanting better grades. - Description of the Daniel Simmons and Christopher Chabris "selective attention test." ## Named Entities - **Rob Walker** — journalist who conducted the eBay story experiment. - **Daniel Simmons** — researcher associated with the selective attention test. - **Christopher Chabris** — researcher associated with the selective attention test. - **Abraham Lincoln** — historical figure cited for diligently practicing desired character traits. ## Numbers & Data - Number of items in the eBay test: **200**. - Average initial value of items: **$1.25**. - Average final selling price of items: **$40**. - Number of years of TV viewing expectation: "years and years and years." ## Examples & Cases - **The eBay Art:** 200 thrifty store items sold for $40 average due to narrative context. - **The Clown/Partygoer:** Examples of roles someone might be typecast in (forgetful friend, class clown, partygoer). - **The Selective Attention Test:** Watching a video to count white-shirt passes, then being asked, "Did you see the gorilla?" while the gorilla walked across the screen. - **Lincoln's Practice:** Lincoln having a list of character traits he "diligently worked towards" and practiced daily. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **eBay:** Platform used in the 2006 sale of story-infused items. - **Google:** Mentioned as a tool for potential future research/self-guidance. ## References Cited - **Daniel Simmons and Christopher Chabris:** Researchers who conducted the selective attention test. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The initial challenge in narrative control is the human tendency to expect and maintain existing roles (typecasting). - The speaker acknowledges that current technological profiles are largely *reactive* to past behavior. ## Methodology - **Experimentation:** The eBay story-crafting experiment (Walker, 2006). - **Cognitive Study:** Observing the selective attention test for evidence of cognitive bias. - **Self-Reflection:** The speaker's personal attempt to re-scour memories for evidence that supports a desired new self-story. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The ultimate goal is to discard biased past views and proactively search for a "more favorable" story angle. - The key action is to "pick up a pen and give yourself a great writer." ## Implications & Consequences - Failure to author a narrative results in being defined by the data collected by others or the limiting expectations of others. - Adopting a proactive authorial stance allows an individual to guide how they are "rewarded back by the technology." ## Verbatim Moments - *"Boys, what do you want to be when you grow up?"* - *"How do you want to be when you grow up?"* - *"We can definitely change the value or the perceived value of objects through stories."* - *"He even stops to beat his chest for a minute before continuing."* - *"What if instead of being reactive to this, you were proactive, you were the curator of your own content?"* - *"if you’re the author, you can choose the angle."* - *"pick up a pen and give yourself a great writer."*