--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: you need a story to replace a story" description: "\"“you need a story to replace a story”\" — Nassim Nicholas Taleb" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_need_you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story-3001_3001584.png" --- # you need a story to replace a story ![“you need a story to replace a story” quote by Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_need_you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story-3001_3001584.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_need_you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story-3001_3001584.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_need_you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story-3001_3001584.png) > ““you need a story to replace a story”” [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. New narratives must replace old ones to adapt to change **In simple terms:** Replace outdated stories with fresh perspectives Key Takeaway Continuously update your mental models Themes adaptation storytelling change Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - business strategy - personal growth - media analysis Key Concepts narrative theory cognitive flexibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify when a story is outdated? - What process helps create better narratives? A Different Perspective Old narratives can linger despite new ones ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Need Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-story-653514/) [Replace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/replace/) [Replace Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/replace-story-4767864/) [Story Replace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-replace-4767865/) ## Related quotes > [You need a story to displace a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-need-a-story-to-displace-a-story/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Corporations take the humanity out of trade - they take the happiness out and replace it with something that is ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/corporations-take-the-humanity-out-of-trade-they-take-the-happiness/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Being there for people but no one being there for you when you need them seems to be the story of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-there-for-people-but-no-one-being-there-for-you-when-you-need/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We need myths to get by. We need story; otherwise the tremendous randomness of experience overwhelms us. Story is what penetrates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coover/we-need-myths-to-get-by-we-need-story-otherwise-the-tremendous/) [Robert Coover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coover/) > [If I'm to remain queen I'll need a story for when I go back to Andalasia. What about 'a giant, dangerous monster appeared and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enchanted/if-i-m-to-remain-queen-i-ll-need-a-story-for-when-i-go-back-to/) [Enchanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enchanted/) > [“WE all need a story of where we came from and how we got here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monique-truong/we-all-need-a-story-of-where-we-came-from-and-how-we-got-here/) [Monique Truong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monique-truong/) > [We have this thing as human beings: we have a profound need for story. That's what kids need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/we-have-this-thing-as-human-beings-we-have-a-profound-need-for-story/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [We, in America, love a story - we need a story to get involved in. But then everything becomes more about how the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/we-in-america-love-a-story-we-need-a-story-to-get-involved-in-but/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [It has been said that sometimes we need a story more than food in order to live. p 374](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/it-has-been-said-that-sometimes-we-need-a-story-more-than-food-in/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [I need another story something to get off my chest. My life gets kinda boring need something that I can confess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-republic/i-need-another-story-something-to-get-off-my-chest-my-life-gets-kinda/) [One Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-republic/) > [I need another story, something to get off my chest. My life is kind of boring, needs something that I can confess till all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-republic/i-need-another-story-something-to-get-off-my-chest-my-life-is-kind-of/) [One Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-republic/) > [“all of us need a story outside ourselves, a form through which we imagine ourselves as players in the game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/all-of-us-need-a-story-outside-ourselves-a-form-through-which-we/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [There's a certain amount of world-building that I hold off on until I need it for the story. World building in advance isn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-van-eekhout/there-s-a-certain-amount-of-world-building-that-i-hold-off-on-until-i/) [Greg van Eekhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-van-eekhout/) > [“You have information for us? No, you have all the information you need in your head, what you want, what you need, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v/you-have-information-for-us-no-you-have-all-the-information-you-need/) [V](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v/) > [“No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-kahneman/no-one-ever-made-a-decision-because-of-a-number-they-need-a-story/) [Danny Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-kahneman/) ## More by Nassim Nicholas Taleb > [To become a philosopher, start by walking very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/to-become-a-philosopher-start-by-walking-very-slowly/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Wittgenstein's ruler: Unless you have confidence in the ruler's reliability, if you use a ruler to measure a table you may also be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/wittgenstein-s-ruler-unless-you-have-confidence-in-the-ruler-s/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My nightmare scenario is that the government saves Citibank once again, as well as the other banks, and business resumes as usual. Then, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/my-nightmare-scenario-is-that-the-government-saves-citibank-once/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [You know, children philosophize more than adults - and they are critical of adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-know-children-philosophize-more-than-adults-and-they-are-critical/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“One needs to go out and buy a lottery ticket in order to win. Does it mean that the work involved in the trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/one-needs-to-go-out-and-buy-a-lottery-ticket-in-order-to-win-does-it/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Individuals should think about the worst-case scenarios and plan for them. The world will be crazier than you think it will be. Put money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/individuals-should-think-about-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-plan-for/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“If you are looking for your misplaced wallet in your living room, in a trial and error mode, you exercise rationality by not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-are-looking-for-your-misplaced-wallet-in-your-living-room-in-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We learn the most from fools ... yet we pay them back with the worst ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-learn-the-most-from-fools-yet-we-pay-them-back-with-the-worst/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment-view-that-the-world/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“loss of bone density and degradation of the health of the bones also causes aging, diabetes, and, for males, loss of fertility and sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/loss-of-bone-density-and-degradation-of-the-health-of-the-bones-also/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“It takes a huge investment in introspection to learn that the thirty or more hours spent “studying” the news last month neither had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/it-takes-a-huge-investment-in-introspection-to-learn-that-the-thirty/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Explore all 635 Nassim Nicholas Taleb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More Need quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [A draft doesn't produce the people we need to satisfy our real manpower shortage. We need specialists to keep our jets flying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/a-draft-doesn-t-produce-the-people-we-need-to-satisfy-our-real/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [U dount need eny cuz when u get in a relaishondhip u love it forever not for crying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-athors-name-i-made-it/u-dount-need-eny-cuz-when-u-get-in-a-relaishondhip-u-love-it-forever/) [No Athors Name I Made It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-athors-name-i-made-it/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [Inequality is pervasive but invisible. It's hard to see. You need a sort of tool to make it visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hito-steyerl/inequality-is-pervasive-but-invisible-it-s-hard-to-see-you-need-a/) [Hito Steyerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hito-steyerl/) > [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) > [I really like female singers; I've got zero interest in working with male singers. Any male voice I need to do, I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-really-like-female-singers-i-ve-got-zero-interest-in-working-with/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [Receiving the care that you need, and are entitled to, shouldn't be a struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-walsh/receiving-the-care-that-you-need-and-are-entitled-to-shouldn-t-be-a/) [Marty Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-walsh/) > [Anything you pray for, you need to prepare for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-franklin/anything-you-pray-for-you-need-to-prepare-for/) [DeVon Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-franklin/) > [If the system should not need parts now, the worker should not produce because you are just absorbing instead of producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliyahu-goldratt/if-the-system-should-not-need-parts-now-the-worker-should-not-produce/) [Eliyahu Goldratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliyahu-goldratt/) > [I really don't think you need a letter on your jersey to be a leader on a hockey club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-price/i-really-don-t-think-you-need-a-letter-on-your-jersey-to-be-a-leader/) [Carey Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-price/) > [The more I trust you, the less details I need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-i-trust-you-the-less-details-i-need/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 14,164 Need quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“you need a story to replace a story”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Need" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_need_you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story-3001_3001584.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_need_you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story-3001_3001584.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_need_you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story-3001_3001584.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“you need a story to replace a story” — Nassim Nicholas Taleb", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“you need a story to replace...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-need-a-story-to-replace-a-story/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```