How To Win Every Story Contest

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Here's a cool experiment to do next time you're at a party, or hanging out socially.

Watch how people talk to one another when there's no real subject.

When the conversation just kind of bounces around.

Look at human conversation through the model of a "conversation contest."

You can look at any behavior through any frames, but this one is helpful.

If you specifically look to find evidence of this "conversation contest," you'll see some interesting things.

Each person will take a turn talking. There are no set rules, just an instinctive way of behaving.

And each "chunk" of conversation will take the form of a "story."

And each "story" has three elements.

Hook, climax, and resolution.

The hook is meant to grab interest, the climax is meant to build maximum interest through conflict or "dissonance," and the resolution is meant to resolve or satisfy the climax or "dissonance" and bring the conversation back to resonance.

It's an overly complicated way of looking at things, since we normally think about this stuff unconsciously.

But if you look for it, these three elements, (hook, climax, resolution) will usually be there.

"Dude, I saw this homeless guy playing the harmonica, it was pretty sweet. He had a hat full of change."

That above "story" takes a few seconds, but it has everything.

Hook (dude!) Conflict (homeless guy playing the harmonica) and resolution (hat full of change).

The "conflict" doesn't need to be a fight or anything, just something to peak the interest of the listener. To present some question that needs answering.

In this case, what the deal was with the homeless guy playing the harmonica.

When doing your observational experiments, notice how the conversation bounces around.

It's as if each person has a chance to throw their "story" in the ring.

And as soon as they do, all the other "players" try and "outdo them."

If they don't have a story of their own, they try to "outdo" each other with their comment about a previous story.

But it's very easy to go META.

To tell stories in such a way, you can leave their brains spinning.

And it won't be just to "win" the story contest, it's a very clever way to slip ideas into their brains.

What ideas?

Any ideas (or desires or suggestions or even commands) that you want.

All wrapped inside silly stories that make them giggle while they try and figure out what the heck you are talking about.

Learn How:

Hypnotic Storytelling