How to Be a Better Human What to do when the truth isn’t enough to be believed (w/ Dina Nayeri)
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Mar 11, 2024 Dina Nayeri discusses the power of storytelling and the challenges of truth in society. She highlights the importance of critical thinking and questions why certain stories are more likely to be believed. The podcast delves into belief systems, power dynamics, and the impact of personal narratives on shaping perceptions.
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Childhood Flight That Sparked an Obsession
- Dina Nayeri recounts fleeing Iran as a child and arriving in Oklahoma where cultural codes made her and her family feel disbelieved.
- That shock drove her lifelong obsession with why some people are believed and others are not.
Tarof Confuses Cross-Cultural Shoppers
- Nayeri tells a cultural-misunderstanding story in an Iranian shop where an offer of free goods confused her European ex-husband.
- The anecdote illustrates how different storytelling codes and social scripts cause misinterpretation abroad.
Four Flawed Paths To Belief
- Nayeri defines four common ways people decide what to believe: senses, data, experts, and instincts.
- She argues all four are fallible because they are culturally shaped, manipulated, or unrepresentative.