No. 289 · Evidence · Human Nature and Judgement
Narrative Instinct
We turn events into stories, and often see intention and meaning where there is only chance.
In the Almanac
“Heider and Simmel’s triangles”, 1944 · “Significant Objects”, 2009
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Narrative Instinct?
The Narrative Instinct is the urge to make sense of the world through stories. Viewers of a simple film of moving triangles saw bullies and lovers, and thrift-store junk sold for about twenty eight times its cost once each item had a story.
How do you use Narrative Instinct?
Use it in two directions. When deciding, ask what you'd think without the story. When persuading, wrap your numbers in one human example. And before reacting to others, imagine a few different stories that could explain what happened.
When does Narrative Instinct matter?
Narrative Instinct is one of the 68 mental models for evidence, the situations where you ask: Is this really true? Within that, it belongs to “Where information comes from”, alongside Bias from Incentives, Echo Chambers and Filter Bubble.
What is an example of Narrative Instinct?
Two stories show it at work: Heider and Simmel’s triangles (1944) and Significant Objects (2009). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Narrative Instinct?
Anecdotal Evidence, Clustering Illusion and Hindsight Bias. Narrative Instinct itself comes from human nature and judgement.