--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best stories proceed from a…" description: "\"“The best stories proceed from a mysterious truth-seeking impulse that narrative has when revised extensively; they are complex and baffling and ambigu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/george-saunders-317_good-enough_the-best-stories-proceed-from-a-mysterio_1444603.jpg" --- # The best stories proceed from a mysterious truth-seeking… ![“The best stories proceed from a mysterious truth-seeking impulse that narrative has when revised extensively; they are complex and baffling and ambiguous; they tend to make us slower to act, rather than quicker. They make us more humble, cause us to empathize with people we don’t know, because…” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/george-saunders-317_good-enough_the-best-stories-proceed-from-a-mysterio_1444603.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/george-saunders-317_good-enough_the-best-stories-proceed-from-a-mysterio_1444603.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/george-saunders-317_good-enough_the-best-stories-proceed-from-a-mysterio_1444603.jpg) > ““The best stories proceed from a mysterious truth-seeking impulse that narrative has when revised extensively; they are complex and baffling and ambiguous; they tend to make us slower to act, rather than quicker. They make us more humble, cause us to empathize with people we don’t know, because they help us imagine these people, and when we imagine them—if the storytelling is good enough—we imagine them as being, essentially, like us. If the story is poor, or has an agenda, if it comes out of a paucity of imagination or is rushed, we imagine those other people as essentially unlike us: unknowable, inscrutable, incontrovertible.”” [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories that explore deep, ambiguous truths can slow our reactions, fostering humility and empathy by helping us see strangers as similar to ourselves. **In simple terms:** Complex stories promote humility and empathy. Key Takeaway Seek nuanced narratives that challenge assumptions. Themes empathy humility storytelling complexity reflection Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading literary fiction - writing workshops - diversity training - cross‑cultural dialogue Key Concepts psychology narrative theory social cognition Questions to Reflect On - How does narrative complexity affect your willingness to act? - What role does empathy play in interpreting ambiguous stories? A Different Perspective If a story is shallow or agenda‑driven, it can reinforce alienation instead of connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Imagine Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine-storytelling-2840019/) [Impulse Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse-narrative-4003971/) [Like Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-story/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Narrative Revised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-revised-5177917/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) ## Related quotes > [“In the beginning, there’s a blank mind. 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It's quite dramatic and the kind of story I absolutely wouldn't draw if it were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/i-really-like-the-story-of-bardock-goku-s-father-it-s-quite-dramatic/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [I know it's trash: just another story made up to scare wicked females and correct unruly children. But it's all I have. 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But, for the story, it's just present and what you have left ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-atwood/sometimes-you-have-dreams-about-the-day-or-something-like-that-but/) [Colleen Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-atwood/) > [Life is like a story; each day is a brand new chapter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-a-story-each-day-is-a-brand-new-chapter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was so worried that people wouldn't like me or my story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-so-worried-that-people-wouldn-t-like-me-or-my-story/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“When you read a book, you don't give up on it. You might soon feel like your part of the story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/when-you-read-a-book-you-don-t-give-up-on-it-you-might-soon-feel-like/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) ## More by George Saunders > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. 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