The Science Of Storytelling With Will Storr - TWMJ #1027
Release Date: 03/15/2026
The Science Of Storytelling With Will Storr - TWMJ #1027
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1027 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). is an award-winning author, journalist and storytelling researcher whose work explores one of the most powerful forces shaping human behavior… the stories we tell ourselves about the world. Over the course of a career that blends psychology, neuroscience, investigative journalism and narrative craft, Will has become one of the most compelling voices examining how stories shape identity, belief and culture. His bestselling books include , , and , each offering a deeper look at the hidden forces driving...
info_outline
Getting Your Strategy Right With Kevin Ertell
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1026 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when strategy has become a kind of corporate theater… carefully crafted presentations, ambitious roadmaps and bold declarations that rarely survive first contact with reality… has spent a career focused on the harder question: why execution so often fails. Kevin is the Founder and CEO of and a veteran operator whose three decades of experience include leading large-scale retail and e-commerce operations at global brands like , , , and . Over the years he has developed a reputation as a...
info_outline
What Is Happening With AI With Ann Handley - TWMJ #1025
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1025 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when panic travels faster than proof, few marketers are as clear-eyed… and as human… as . A pioneering digital marketing strategist (), bestselling author ( and ), longtime champion of writing that actually means something and dear friend (also, if you’re not susbscribed to her newsletter, , you really should be), Ann has built a career reminding businesses that the point of content isn’t velocity… it’s connection. In her recent essay, , she pushes back against the apocalyptic...
info_outline
Making The Internet Suck Less With Cory Doctorow - TWMJ #1024
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1024 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when the digital infrastructure that underpins modern life feels increasingly hostile, few voices have been as prescient... or as relentless... as . A science fiction novelist, journalist and technology activist, Cory serves as Special Advisor to the and has long stood at the intersection of storytelling, policy and power. Over the course of a prolific career (one that includes bestselling fiction, influential tech policy books like and , and his widely read blog) Cory has chronicled how...
info_outline
Distrust, Polarization And Hypocrisy With Michael Hallsworth - TWMJ #1023
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1023 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). In an era where outrage travels faster than reflection, few accusations carry as much moral force as the charge of hypocrisy… and yet few concepts are as misunderstood. is Chief Behavioral Scientist at the and a leading voice in behavioral economics, with academic appointments at the and a career devoted to understanding how real people actually think and act in complex systems. His research spans public policy, organizational behavior and social judgment, examining how incentives, norms, and...
info_outline
Real Transformations With Phil Gilbert - TWMJ #1022
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1022 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when organizational change is too often treated as a mandate rather than an experience people choose to embrace, has spent his career proving that transformation only sticks when it earns genuine buy-in. Phil is a design executive, transformation leader and former General Manager of Design at , where he architected one of the largest cultural and operational shifts in corporate history, helping nearly 400,000 employees across 180 countries become more entrepreneurial, agile and...
info_outline
Navigating Strategy In The Age Of AI With Roger Martin - TWMJ #1021
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1021 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when strategy is often confused with forecasting and certainty is mistaken for rigor, the work of insists on a more demanding discipline: making clear, integrated choices under uncertainty. Named the world’s #1 management thinker by in 2017, Roger is a , strategy advisor, and the former Dean at the at the , where he served for fifteen years and reshaped how management education engages with real-world complexity. Over decades, he has advised CEOs at companies including , , , , , and ,...
info_outline
Boundless Creativity And Design Mastery With David "Shingy" Shing - TWMJ #1020
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1020 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when technology listens more closely than people realize and advertising feels less predictive than presumptive, understanding how culture, data and human behavior collide has become essential. has spent his career at that intersection, shaping how global brands think about creativity, relevance and the emotional consequences of digital systems. Know as the Digital Prophet at (and then ) and a very influential voice in modern branding and innovation, Shingy has advised companies, leaders and...
info_outline
Leadership Unblocked With Muriel Wilkins - TWMJ #1019
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1019 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when leadership is being tested less by strategy and more by inner capacity, clarity of judgment and emotional steadiness, the work of stands out for its insistence that progress begins from the inside out. Muriel is an executive coach, CEO of , and a trusted advisor to senior leaders navigating complexity at the highest levels of organizations, drawing on more than two decades of experience working with C-suite executives and high-potential leaders. A graduate with a background in consulting...
info_outline
More Humane Work With Joe O'Connor - TWMJ #1018
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1018 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when burnout is normalized and productivity is still measured by hours rather than impact, the five-day workweek is starting to look less like a foundation of modern life and more like an outdated design choice. is the CEO of and one of the world’s leading architects of the four-day workweek, having designed and led large-scale pilots across multiple countries, industries and organizational types. His work sits at the intersection of labor economics, organizational culture and performance...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #1027 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).
Will Storr is an award-winning author, journalist and storytelling researcher whose work explores one of the most powerful forces shaping human behavior… the stories we tell ourselves about the world. Over the course of a career that blends psychology, neuroscience, investigative journalism and narrative craft, Will has become one of the most compelling voices examining how stories shape identity, belief and culture. His bestselling books include The Science of Storytelling, Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed And What It’s Doing To Us, and The Status Game, each offering a deeper look at the hidden forces driving human motivation and social behavior. In his latest book, A Story Is A Deal - How To Use The Science Of Story To Motivate And Persuade, Will explores how storytelling operates as a powerful psychological transaction… a kind of deal between storyteller and audience that shapes what we believe, who we trust and how we act. Drawing on research from neuroscience and psychology alongside examples that range from ancient rituals to modern brand campaigns, Will shows how narratives influence everything from the leaders we follow to the products we buy. In this conversation, Will explores why people so often believe stories before they believe facts, how identity and status shape the narratives we embrace, and why character-driven storytelling remains the most powerful way to influence human behavior. At the same time, he wrestles with the darker side of narrative… the way stories can fuel misinformation, reinforce tribal identities and manipulate audiences when used without care. As artificial intelligence begins to play a role in creating and distributing stories, the conversation also turns to questions of authenticity, creativity and the future of narrative itself. I’m a huge fan of Will’s work and it was truly a honor to host him. Enjoy the conversation…
- Running time: 54:58.
- Hello from beautiful Montreal.
- Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
- Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
- Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
- Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
- Check out ThinkersOne.
- Here is my conversation with Will Storr.
- A Story Is A Deal - How To Use The Science Of Story To Motivate And Persuade.
- The Science of Storytelling.
- Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed And What It’s Doing To Us.
- The Status Game.
- Will’s other books.
- Follow Will on LinkedIn.
- Follow Will on Instagram.
- Follow Will on X.
Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction to Storytelling and Its Significance.
(02:47) - The Power of Story in Belief Systems.
(05:43) - The Role of Story in Climate Change Narratives.
(08:56) - Navigating Complex Conversations and Identity.
(11:45) - Storytelling as a Business Tool.
(15:41) - Consciousness and Story: An Indivisible Connection.
(18:18) - Persuasion vs. Manipulation in Storytelling.
(20:29) - AI and the Future of Storytelling.
(27:29) - The Emergence of AI-Generated Content.
(29:36) - The Emotional Connection to Art.
(31:31) - The Future of Cultural Art and AI.
(32:54) - AI’s Role in Creative Writing.
(36:35) - The Formula of Storytelling.
(40:39) - The Impact of AI on Writing Quality.
(44:14) - The Science of Storytelling.
(49:41) - The Role of Character in Business Narratives.
(56:34) - Understanding Religion as a Status Game.