While we feel with our hearts, we think with our brains. So, our perspective on a given issue is defined by how we frame it in our mind. To change the way we act, we need to change the frames through which we see the world.
When we successfully reframe the way we communicate environmental issues, we change the way the public views the environment. We change what counts as common sense.
To come up with new frames we need to communicate in new and engaging ways. Creating a new way of relating to the living world is about reframing our values and making our unconscious thinking conscious.
The stories we tell everyday and the way we talk about environmental issues really does matter. It’s about being empathetic and acting compassionately.
Policy and documents, facts and figures, charts and data—they will always be part of the conversation. But, they are not how we get people to act. Emotional storytelling does this.
We relate to narratives about real people doing positive things. Accounts of communities that face their challenges are memorable. And, we’re deeply engaged when sharing anecdotes that celebrate our accomplishments. Stories connect us. They frame our perspectives.