Action Quote by Jonathan Gottschall
“Humans simply aren’t moved to action by 'data dumps,' dense PowerPoint slides, or spreadsheets packed with figures. People are moved by emotion. The best way to emotionally connect other people to our agenda begins with “Once upon a time”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Business leadership talk, 2022
People respond more to stories than raw data; narratives trigger emotions that drive action.
In simple terms: Stories move people more than facts.
Key Takeaway
Use storytelling to inspire.
Themes
communication
emotion
influence
Mood
inspirational
strategic
Type
persuasive
motivational
When to use this quote
- marketing
- policy advocacy
- team motivation
Key Concepts
narrative persuasion
psychology of decision making
Questions to Reflect On
- What story could illustrate your data?
- How can you balance facts and feeling?
A Different Perspective
Data can still be essential for credibility.
![“There will just always be a distance between you and the people around you. Now, [Hillary Clinton] can clearly emotionally connect with her intimates within the zone of trust. It's just the wall outside the zone of trust is so impermeable.” quote by David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/515/david-brooks-644_clinton_there-will-just-always-be-a-distance-bet_3111339.jpg)
![“It's important for presidents to emotionally connect, with the country in times of crisis, but also with people in Washington. If you can't emotionally connect - and [Barack] Obama is not the greatest, but he can at least do it - then people won't be with you when the times are hard.” quote by David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2a6/david-brooks-644_barack_it-s-important-for-presidents-to-emotion_2274357.jpg)
