The stories we tell

As human beings we are storytelling creatures. But we have a problem with this in-built hunger for meaning. We're too quick to come up with explanations for things we don't really understand – preferring the sensational to the relevant. We think we spot the caricature in a few brush strokes and the apparent cause in a few effects. We weave full and intricate stories from random threads - fashioning a simple order out of complexity. In the face of uncertainty we lack the humility to express ignorance or doubt. Understanding how to act in the presence of incomplete information is an urgent challenge for humanity. If only we could tell our stories without the need to write our arrogance into every chapter.