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Narrative Fallacy

9. Narrative fallacy

Narrative Fallacy causes us to infer stories where there are none — either to explain the past, or to try and predict the future.

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In Short: Our world is a chaotic one, and chaos produces anxiety. Stories, on the other hand, produce serenity — so much so that we regularly invent them just to make ourselves feel more secure.

For Example: When attempting to explain the meteoric rises of highly successful figures, biographers often credit some combination of supportive parents, childhood trauma, and work ethic. Indeed, these factors can produce high-achievers, but much more often, they don’t. For every one Serena Williams there are millions of dedicated athletes who don’t hit it big, but Williams’ story is so moving that we often mistake it for universal truth.

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