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I'm a true believer in story. I think when you just tell people to think, people tend to get resistant and defensive and feel like you're accusing them of not thinking.
Jordan Peele
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Storytelling is a powerful tool for communication and understanding, fostering openness rather than defensiveness.

In this quote, Jordan Peele emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a means to convey ideas and provoke thought. He suggests that direct appeals to think can trigger defensiveness, while stories invite individuals to engage with concepts more freely and reflectively. By framing ideas within narratives, he believes that people are more likely to connect and open up, making it a more effective approach to communication.

Themes

StorytellingCommunicationThinkingNarrativeEngagement

In practice

Example use cases

In a workshop on creativity, one might use this quote to promote the value of narrative in brainstorming sessions.

More from Jordan Peele

Each one of my movies is going to be about one of these different social demons. The first one, being 'Get Out,' is about race and neglect and marginalization.
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I'd been taught from an early age that I was in the 'other' category on the standardized tests. You know, I had to go down the checklist - Caucasian, African-American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, and then, you know, at the bottom is other. So, you know, very early on I was taught, in a way, that I was somehow this anomaly.
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Part of what horror is, is taking risks and going somewhere that people think you're not supposed to be able to go, in the name of expressing real-life fears.
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I love getting cheers. I love giving scares. Anything that really works with the audience makes me happy.
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The best comedy and horror feel like they take place in reality. You have a rule or two you are bending or heightening, but the world around it is real.
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You hear it said time and time again by successful directors: You have to make a movie for yourself. Don't make it for anyone else.
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