Excellent. I'm fully on board with the idea of the power of words, and I love this from Spielberg: "I'm as culpable as anyone in having exalted the image at the expense of the word."
Spielberg's observation puts me in mind of "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion" (2012) by Johnathan Haidt.
If I understand Haidt correctly, he makes a case that the first reaction to an opinion/event/image/idea/concept etc. is one of emotion, and that reaction, which may occur subconsciously, governs the second response: the nature of the reaction of the individual's intellectual, conscious brain.
Much simplified, his point is that the initial emotion is very powerful (if subconscious) and colors the final logical response. It is also "cemented" into the mind. ( 1.)
It seems to me that powerful images (still or movie) force you to recognize an emotion almost instantaneously and in a confined context. The person is hit with the conclusion and is almost forced to a decision in a matter of a few seconds.
That decision will be "emotion" governing "intellect" and is what Anthony Pratkanis calls a "Rationalization Trap."(2.)
While images (sensu lato) are a quick and crude way to control thought, a well-crafted word-story can add, in a leisurely and subtle way, dimension and perspective to increase the reach and power of a story.
1. This "emotion-first, logic-following" is IMO a product of evolution. It is a product of over 600 million years of evolution, and has been retained by H. Sapiens from way before our species became separated from our common ancestor (some form of Old World hominoid).
2. "The rationalization trap is based on the premise: Get the person committed to the cause as soon as possible. Once a commitment is made, the nature of thought changes. The committed heart is not so much interested in a careful evaluation of the merits of a course of action but in proving that he or she is right."Pratkanis, Anthony (1995) How to Sell a Pseudoscience. https://cdn.centerforinquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/1995/07/22165104/p21.pdf
A provocative post. Stories are how the brain absorbs information most durably. Isolated facts we learn are usually quickly lost unless we weave them into an image or story. Stories are better remembered and their content is readily cross-referenced with other memories when there is a concept, plot or timeline to fit them into, i.e., a storyline. Many tricks to improve memory involve creating a story-roadmap to link the information into something cohesive—more evidence that the brain likes to work in stories. Songs, too, are simple stories and are among the very last memories to fade away as the brain looses its power to recall and synthesize. Reading expands the brain's library of experience, pattern recognition and language. All of which are needed to tell stories. Thank you for this interesting post.
Excellent. I'm fully on board with the idea of the power of words, and I love this from Spielberg: "I'm as culpable as anyone in having exalted the image at the expense of the word."
Spielberg's observation puts me in mind of "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion" (2012) by Johnathan Haidt.
If I understand Haidt correctly, he makes a case that the first reaction to an opinion/event/image/idea/concept etc. is one of emotion, and that reaction, which may occur subconsciously, governs the second response: the nature of the reaction of the individual's intellectual, conscious brain.
Much simplified, his point is that the initial emotion is very powerful (if subconscious) and colors the final logical response. It is also "cemented" into the mind. ( 1.)
It seems to me that powerful images (still or movie) force you to recognize an emotion almost instantaneously and in a confined context. The person is hit with the conclusion and is almost forced to a decision in a matter of a few seconds.
That decision will be "emotion" governing "intellect" and is what Anthony Pratkanis calls a "Rationalization Trap."(2.)
While images (sensu lato) are a quick and crude way to control thought, a well-crafted word-story can add, in a leisurely and subtle way, dimension and perspective to increase the reach and power of a story.
1. This "emotion-first, logic-following" is IMO a product of evolution. It is a product of over 600 million years of evolution, and has been retained by H. Sapiens from way before our species became separated from our common ancestor (some form of Old World hominoid).
2. "The rationalization trap is based on the premise: Get the person committed to the cause as soon as possible. Once a commitment is made, the nature of thought changes. The committed heart is not so much interested in a careful evaluation of the merits of a course of action but in proving that he or she is right."Pratkanis, Anthony (1995) How to Sell a Pseudoscience. https://cdn.centerforinquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/1995/07/22165104/p21.pdf
Just my ramblings.
A provocative post. Stories are how the brain absorbs information most durably. Isolated facts we learn are usually quickly lost unless we weave them into an image or story. Stories are better remembered and their content is readily cross-referenced with other memories when there is a concept, plot or timeline to fit them into, i.e., a storyline. Many tricks to improve memory involve creating a story-roadmap to link the information into something cohesive—more evidence that the brain likes to work in stories. Songs, too, are simple stories and are among the very last memories to fade away as the brain looses its power to recall and synthesize. Reading expands the brain's library of experience, pattern recognition and language. All of which are needed to tell stories. Thank you for this interesting post.