Answers · By Sun Yi, creator of the Myth Sandwich
What is the "real" truth?
Short answerThe "real" truth is not just the opposite of the myth, it's the nuanced idea in between two clichés that makes people say "I never thought of it that way." Everyone has heard both clichés, but they haven't heard the real truth.
Where It Lives
- The real truth sits somewhere in between the myth and the opposite of the myth.
- Both clichés can be true, but the real truth explains when each one is true.
- When you land it, people say "I never thought of it that way", that's the goal.
Find It in Your Life
- The best real truth comes from your own experience, not a book or someone else's idea.
- Look for moments where you used to believe one thing and now believe something different.
- Truth is simple, if your story is vague and long, the real truth probably isn't out yet.
In Sun's words
When we try to bust a myth, most of us go looking in books, YouTube videos, online courses. Then we try to debunk one idea with another idea we found somewhere else. All we're doing is replacing somebody else's idea with another somebody else's idea. What actually lands is when you debunk a myth with your own experience. Your truth. Something you've lived. Go back in your life and find the moments where you used to believe one thing and now you believe something completely different. Start there. Reverse engineer the lesson from your own aha moment. If you debunk a myth with another myth from some book, people will just say 'yeah, I knew that already.' But if it comes from your real life, it hits different.
▶ Watch Sun explain thisI hear a lot of stories that are long but have no specificity at all. That's ego at work. When we're not being honest, we use more words to cover it up. Truth is simple. Lies are complicated. The more vague and general your story is, the less true it probably feels — even to you. When I write anything for the first time, I write it as if not a single human on earth is listening. I include my darkest, deepest secrets. That's when the real trigger comes out. And a lot of times, the trigger is the most vulnerable part — and the most powerful part of the whole story.
▶ Watch Sun explain thisTry itOpen Story Bank and write one belief you used to hold, then write what you believe now, that gap is your real truth.
This answer comes from Sun Yi's Story Bank Library.
The full Library has thousands of Sun's stories and lessons, plus Sun Bot to help you write your own. Get it with Night Owl Nation or Story Bank.
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