Ken Burns once said, “The common stories are one plus one equals two. We get it, they make sense. But the good stories are about one plus one equals three.” That’s leverage. The most persuasive stories are about what you want to believe is true, or are an extension of what you’ve experienced firsthand. Poet Ralph Hodgson put this well when he said, “Some things have to be believed to be seen.” Poor evidence can be a very compelling story if that story scratches an itch someone wants to go away, or gives context to a belief they want to be true. Stories get diverse people to focus attention on
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