The Need To Tell A Good Story
The quality of life rests on the standard of your storytelling.
UFC 308 was this weekend. Before every event, a press conference occurs. Chaos is common. Fighters and their camps have to be separated. Things are thrown. Emotions are high. Kids’ ears are covered.
During the press conference, reporters and the crowd ask the fighters questions. The questions range from their mindset heading into a fight where the other person wants to bash their head in, the preparation and camp leading up, how they feel about their opponent, etc. However, this press conference was different. A man named Dorobshokh Nabokov stepped to the microphone to presumably ask Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria, the two fighters in the main event, a question. The story diverges when he doesn’t ask a question but begins to tell a story.
He addresses Dana White, the UFC CEO, and begins to explain why he deserves an opportunity in the UFC.
“I am an undefeated, elite athlete from Tajikistan. Nine wins, zero losses. Dana, I don’t have a question, I came here for a fight.”, “I did it all by myself.”, “I’m ready, give me a chance please.”
It was a guy who took a chance. He spoke broken English, waited in line, braved all the embarrassment that comes with public humiliation and internet trolls, and asked for a chance to prove himself. He knew that a good story captivates, and it is hard to resist one. By the end of his story, the crowd was cheering and Dana invited him on stage and passed him off to someone to discuss his prospects.
The power lies in telling a good story.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, was a guest on the How I Write podcast. David Perrell, the host, and Sam Altman dish on their writing processes. They discuss how to write, the best note-taking method, and lessons from Peter Thiel and Paul Graham. Sam Altman romanticizes the power of a small notepad and pen when writing.
“There are all these fancy notebooks in the world, you don’t want those. You definitely want a spiral notebook because one thing that is important is you can rip pages out, frequently. And you also want it to lie flat and open on the table… You also want something that can fit in a pocket. I think the uniball micro .5 pen is the best pen overall.”
It is a fancy, captivating way to say I enjoy writing with pen on paper.
It makes sense. Sam Altman and Open AI raised $6.6B recently. Numbers and dollars are great when selling someone on your vision, but a great story is a necessary complement. A great story moves people. It convinces them to invest. It gets them excited about the future. The story is a foundational piece of the puzzle. A story helps you sound educated and informed. A new coach gets fans excited for the season with stories on why this team will achieve success. Politicians deliver anecdotes on their past and future successes to secure your vote. Fiction writers captivate you with stories that pull on the strings of your heart.
I see it in my writing. My sister has constantly preached the necessity of telling stories. My best pieces are those with stories, not with platitudes. In Life Is Not A Game Of Chess, I talk about the life rewarding me for repetition and effort, not strategy. In Flirting With Life, I share the story of Scottie Scheffler and his Olympic goal to “Have Fun”. The best writing is rooted in stories.
Stories are an invitation for connection. They invite you into someone else’s world and show we aren’t too different after all. The world continues to innovate and become more technologically driven. Eventually, AI will have its day but it will never diminish the power of telling a story. Humans are complex beings. We have feelings we can’t rationalize and replicate. Stories move us in ways that other things can’t. No matter how advanced this world becomes, the power of a good story will always remain. The quality of life rests on the standard of your storytelling. How you tell your story can elevate you to places you never thought possible.
As for Dorobshokh Nabokov? He showed up as a fan and left as a fighter. He will fight on Dana White Lookin’ For A Fight on December 14th. If he wins, the UFC will award him a contract. I’ll be tuning in.
-Scantron
Appreciate you reading.
Telling good stories is my #1 priority when writing at the moment