The Danger of A Single Story

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Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. In this TedTalk, novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice – and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

I find there are some key truths /principles in this talk, which also apply to other discussions which are currently happening in our world:

  • Judgment toward (or Rejection of) other cultures & races
  • Relationship between Christians of different churches
  • Historical figures or incidents
  • How some peoples & cultures can unwittingly portray themselves simply as victims of injustice, without sharing other aspects of their story, which highlight their gifts, accomplishments etc.
  • How religion and the Christian religion in particular, is viewed nowadays, in western cultures.

Many times, the overarching story that we hear is one-sided and tells only certain stories which cast ourselves /our group into a favourable light. Or which suit us, because it supports our point of view.

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