In her article, "Narrative, Memory, and Life Transitions," Michele Crossley speaks about narrative as an organizing principle for human life. She says that Sarbin, "proposes what he calls the 'narratory principle'...the idea that human beings think, perceive, imagine, interact and make moral choices according to narrative structures." All our choices are based on those stories we see in the world around us. We make choices in accordance with the groups we associate ourselves with. This tells the story that we are associated with this group, that we believe what they do. We also look to the story we want to tell. For example if we want others to see us as responsible, we will act accordingly. If we want others to see us as smart, we will work hard to get good grades.
Sometimes we forget that we are telling a story that is being read by those around us. During these times, our inward perception tells us that what we do doesn't matter and that we can do what we want. This is like a story within a story. We have withdrawn in ourselves to that inward story we feel inside us. Sometimes I feel that no one cares what I do. I may act in ways that I shouldn't because I feel like it's unimportant, like I can put my "story" on hold and pick up when I'm not so stressed or not angry anymore; in reality, the film has been rolling the whole time.
Another way we make our choices based on narrative structures is in our moral decisions. We have a narrative of religious beliefs and the way we should live. My narrative for decisions is the Bible. It guides the way I want to live my life. I do not always follow the guidelines which I believe are correct, but I am convicted of my errors.
The author goes on to say that, "we are inculcated from a very early age to seeing connections between events, people and the world in a certain way through the stories and narratives told within our families." What our family believes and teaches us is the foundation of what we will believe. If we have a good experience with our family, we tend to accept their ideas and apply them to our lives. If we choose to go a different way, we base this decision on the foundation we have been given by our family. My own family has always been very supportive of me and my life. I was raised in a Christian home where I was taught that everything I do affects someone. This idea, along with many others has brought me to where I am today. I have not always made the right choices, but I've remember what my parents taught me. The consequences in part were the guilt I felt to have disappointed my parents, as well as feeling that I had marred my story, the story I knew that others were reading. Knowing that our self is based in part on what we are taught by our families, should make us realize that what we teach our children will help shape them as well.
The article, "Narrative Identity and Eudaimonic Well-Being", adds to the points of the previous article. It says that, "narrative identity is closely tied to the subjective interpretation of oneself as happy." This idea looks at those things which we think gives purpose and fulfillment to our lives. This is based on our perception of what makes us happy. This is multi-dimensional in that it looks at the many facets of what pleases us. This can include our long-term and short-term goals, what our friends want, what our significant other wants, and what our moral beliefs tell us.
The self is a complicated being that incorporates all those things that are encountered in life. The stories that are told around us are compiled to make up our story. Some parts are bigger than others while some have been smothered by the dominant parts of our story.
Question: Which parts of your family's story are dominant in your own story? Which ones are not?
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