Meaning and Development
When a person begins to study a new topic, one of the first questions they ask is something like, “What does this mean to me?” Discovering relatable meaning is paramount to understanding because of how we integrate knowledge. To know something is to properly situate it in a mental structure of how the world works. But the way we structure how the world works is not like a textbook, primarily using facts, categories, and definitions. While all those play a part in understanding, they are all wrapped up in something larger: a story. Particularly our own story. To answer the question, “What does this mean to me,” is to find the place where the new knowledge makes sense in the narrative of experiences. If the placement is not supportive enough or doesn’t seem to fit the surrounding elements, then the new knowledge tends to be lost over time. Why? Because understanding is structured in story. Particularly our own story.
In the modern age most stories are experienced as films. And looking up the most famous movies of all time I found something fascinating. All the best stories seem to be echoing a larger story. Either they are opening you up to a new universe, like sci-fi and fantasy, connecting to a monumental time in history, or creating characters that promise more depth than seen in the original show. The point is, that we are drawn to the idea that what we are experiencing is just an echo of a larger story, a meta-story. Why? Maybe because at some level we understand that’s how life is.
Maybe we structure understanding in narrative because, fundamentally, we are an echo of a larger reality structured in narrative. And if that is true, then it makes sense that to understand our story better, we must seek out the truth of the larger story and understand it better. So, how is this related to development?
The better you understand the meta-story, the better you can properly place your story in it. The better you can properly place your story, the more likely you will live your story well and with greater impact.
There has been a revival of the impact of the Biblical narrative over the last many years and more and more fields of study have realized how influential the Biblical narrative is in their field of study. Since my focus is on personal development, this has been especially exciting in psychology. The psychological ramifications of a person as they understand their proper alignment with the world, with God, and even their placement in time and space, are beyond being able to be expressed fully.
Let me just encourage you by saying if you want to pursue deeper development, put your efforts into understanding this story better. It’s why sequels work (when they do), because they give us a broader view, helping us answer questions that just the one picture could never answer. There is a wider view of your story with answers to questions beyond what your experiences can deduce. It’s either true or it’s not. If it’s not, you are no worse off today than you were yesterday or will be tomorrow. But if it is, then there are depths to explore and galaxies to discover as you pursue the question, “What does that mean to me?”
In the modern age most stories are experienced as films. And looking up the most famous movies of all time I found something fascinating. All the best stories seem to be echoing a larger story. Either they are opening you up to a new universe, like sci-fi and fantasy, connecting to a monumental time in history, or creating characters that promise more depth than seen in the original show. The point is, that we are drawn to the idea that what we are experiencing is just an echo of a larger story, a meta-story. Why? Maybe because at some level we understand that’s how life is.
Maybe we structure understanding in narrative because, fundamentally, we are an echo of a larger reality structured in narrative. And if that is true, then it makes sense that to understand our story better, we must seek out the truth of the larger story and understand it better. So, how is this related to development?
The better you understand the meta-story, the better you can properly place your story in it. The better you can properly place your story, the more likely you will live your story well and with greater impact.
There has been a revival of the impact of the Biblical narrative over the last many years and more and more fields of study have realized how influential the Biblical narrative is in their field of study. Since my focus is on personal development, this has been especially exciting in psychology. The psychological ramifications of a person as they understand their proper alignment with the world, with God, and even their placement in time and space, are beyond being able to be expressed fully.
Let me just encourage you by saying if you want to pursue deeper development, put your efforts into understanding this story better. It’s why sequels work (when they do), because they give us a broader view, helping us answer questions that just the one picture could never answer. There is a wider view of your story with answers to questions beyond what your experiences can deduce. It’s either true or it’s not. If it’s not, you are no worse off today than you were yesterday or will be tomorrow. But if it is, then there are depths to explore and galaxies to discover as you pursue the question, “What does that mean to me?”
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