--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People think that stories are shaped by…" description: "\"People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around.\" — Terry Pratchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/terry-pratchett-19_facts_people-think-that-stories-are-shaped-by_1520516.jpg" --- # People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact… ![“People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/terry-pratchett-19_facts_people-think-that-stories-are-shaped-by_1520516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/terry-pratchett-19_facts_people-think-that-stories-are-shaped-by_1520516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/terry-pratchett-19_facts_people-think-that-stories-are-shaped-by_1520516.jpg) > “People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around.” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories influence people more than people shape stories. **In simple terms:** Stories shape us, not we shape stories. Key Takeaway Pay attention to narrative impact. Themes storytelling influence culture psychology agency Mood thoughtful insightful philosophical Type literary psychological When to use this quote - education - media consumption - political discourse - personal growth Key Concepts narrative theory social conditioning media effects Questions to Reflect On - How do stories affect your decisions? - Can you reshape narratives to empower yourself? A Different Perspective May understate human agency in creating narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it’s the other way around. Stories exist independently of their players. If you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/people-think-that-stories-are-shaped-by-people-in-fact-it-s-the-other/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“It's the shape of the stories that matters, the way belief forms around it. The story has real weight', He pointed at himself. 'Patupaiarehe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-healey/it-s-the-shape-of-the-stories-that-matters-the-way-belief-forms/) [Karen Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-healey/) > [“Real problems aren’t number-shaped, they’re people-shaped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/real-problems-aren-t-number-shaped-they-re-people-shaped/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“we are shaped so much by the events in our lives, but even more than that, we’re shaped by the people that come in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/we-are-shaped-so-much-by-the-events-in-our-lives-but-even-more-than/) [Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/) > [“T-shaped people " those with a depth of knowledge in at least one discipline and a breadth of knowledge about innovation and entrepreneurship that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-seelig/t-shaped-people-those-with-a-depth-of-knowledge-in-at-least-one/) [Tina Seelig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-seelig/) > [I am drawn to the ways in which we are shaped by people and by place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-creech/i-am-drawn-to-the-ways-in-which-we-are-shaped-by-people-and-by-place/) [Sharon Creech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-creech/) > [“Where do you think stories come from, E'lir Kvothe? Every tale has deep roots somewhere in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/where-do-you-think-stories-come-from-e-lir-kvothe-every-tale-has-deep/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [We tell each other stories so we can understand the world better and there's catharsis and we understand the models of what a hero…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/we-tell-each-other-stories-so-we-can-understand-the-world-better-and/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [I think that all stories - if you make movies about zombies and aliens - it has always to do with your personal story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/i-think-that-all-stories-if-you-make-movies-about-zombies-and-aliens/) [Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/) > [Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of the world by telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/humans-think-in-stories-and-we-try-to-make-sense-of-the-world-by/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I try to do stories that make a difference -- stories that affect the way people think, stories that people need to hear --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-curry/i-try-to-do-stories-that-make-a-difference-stories-that-affect-the/) [Ann Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-curry/) > [Doing a story about my mundane, waking life, how much I don't like my job, or breaking up with someone, I don't think so.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/doing-a-story-about-my-mundane-waking-life-how-much-i-don-t-like-my/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [“I never think of stories as made things; I think of them as found things. As if you pull them out of the ground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-never-think-of-stories-as-made-things-i-think-of-them-as-found/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Religion is a huge part of our consciousness. I grew up in the Bible Belt, so it's our mythology. Those are the stories we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ervin-beam/religion-is-a-huge-part-of-our-consciousness-i-grew-up-in-the-bible/) [Samuel Ervin Beam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ervin-beam/) > [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. 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