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This post is a Storyworthy summary. Specifically, it is a summary of Chapter 19: The Two Ways of Telling a Hero Story.
Storyworthy was written by Matthew Dicks. This chapter summary was written by Sam Fury.
The problem with telling a success story is that you’ll sound like a douche!
Failure is much more engaging than success, and people would much rather hear about failures. They’re more relatable.
However, there is a way to tell a success story, if you really must.
To tell a success story without being a braggart, you must marginalize both you and your success.
Do this by casting yourself as the underdog. Being the underdog makes the audience want to root for you, just like Rocky.
They should expect you to lose, while hoping you will win.
Open your story with failure.
Give your audience examples of how you were bad at doing something before you tell them how you did something good.
For example, if telling a story about how you “got the girl”, you can start by retelling “all” the times you got rejected.
Sam’s Note: I put the word “all” in quotations because, as is true for most guys, it would be ridiculous to list all the times I got rejected. Maybe just list several.
Most overnight successes are not really overnight successes. They are the culmination of many small wins stacked onto each other.
Step-by-step accomplishments are what most people can relate to and understand.
Instead of telling the story of your big accomplishment, share a small step within the bigger accomplishment.
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