Monday, August 18, 2008

Being Swayed by Stories

All is art in business, medicine, education, sports, etc. But in The Black Swan Nassim Nicholas Taleb reminds us that aesthetics are not necessarily factual. History is not always so. Taleb speaks of being "swayed by stories," being mainly convinced by narratives and not facts.

All is art in that each profession has a story that draws. (Art draws.) Each profession has a history that is told and told again in laboratories, cubicles, classrooms, and on the baseball diamond. (Think Yogi Berra.) What matters most is not to be "swayed by stories" alone, but by fact.

Are we more "swayed by stories" or fact in the world of work?

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