I’ve just watched this TED talk on vulnerability by Brene
Brown. I think it has important conclusions for screen writers and stand-ups
alike. In fact for any artist and perhaps for marketers as well, because after
all we are all telling stories right?
Brown says connection
is what people want beyond anything else. This seems hard to argue with. We all
want the feeling of being known, loved, being part of something. We are at our
best when we are entwined in some way with other people.
As an audience of a film or stand-up show we want to connect
with the characters or the performer, even if it’s just for an hour or so.
Connection, however ephemeral, is wonderful.
We connect best with people who are prepared to be
vulnerable.
In order for connection to happen we have to allow ourselves
to be seen. To be really seen: warts and all. You need a sense of courage: be
upfront about who you are with people, be willing to be naked as Charlie
Kaufman would say. You need the courage to be imperfect, flawed, ridiculous.
We often do not put forward an authentic version of
ourselves because we feel ashamed of who we are. Shame about who we are also causes
us to put forward a diluted version of ourselves. People who experience high
levels of connection live lives of authenticity: they were willing to let go of
who they think they should be, in order to be who they are. Shame is the
feeling of being unworthy of being loved. It’s the feeling of “I’m not good
enough” in some way: “I’m not thin enough” etc. In our culture we feel the need
to perfect, better than we are. We are bombarded with images of beautiful, rich
people we perfect skin and 6 packs.
People who experience connection fully embrace
vulnerability. People might not like them, but they present themselves as
themselves none the less. They put themselves out there despite the risk of
rejection. We often hide our vulnerability because we are afraid that people
won’t like what they see. We want certainty in our social interactions. But we
can never have that, however we present ourselves.
What is the secret to
connecting? The secret to get people to like you as a stand-up, or to get
people to love and care about your characters, or to like you as a person?
Show vulnerability. Present your totality. Admit flaws. Be
authentic, be you. We’re all imperfect, and people find imperfection seductive.
Your imperfections, your characters imperfections, make people feel less
lonely. And if you can make people feel less lonely in a world where love is
scarce, everybody will like you. But you can only get people to like you if you
are willing to present bits of you that are unlikable. It’s a weird paradox.
We are on a never ending search for people who excuse our
own mediocrity. People in which we can confide our weirdness and eccentricity,
or who at least make us feel it is ok. People who don’t stare at us when we
lick all the flavouring off crisps before we eat it. Part of the novelty of a
new relationship is finding someone who doesn’t find us revolting. You see: we
are all losers and that’s why we like them. We all have the feeling that we don’t
want to get found out, that we don’t want people to realise we don’t know what
we are doing and are making it up as we go along, that we have wildly exaggerated
our expertise and competence, that we are scared, that our past is embarrassing.
To be vulnerable is to express this feeling to people, and that way we will
find people who accept us despite of it.
You can have too much vulnerability. People who are too
flawed are difficult to like, people who are too vulnerable are irritating.
Your character, your stand-up persona, you in real life should play jazz with
your emotions. I saw some amazing jazz last night, the bass player, the pianist,
the drummer, the saxophonist took it in turns to play a majestic solo and then
the rest of the gang would join back in at the perfect time when the novelty of
the solo had worn off. It was as if they had a sixth sense for people’s
patience. The note of vulnerability should be given a solo, but remember it is
only part of the band. And it’s when we can play all the instruments at once in
perfect rhythm that we make something truly memorable.
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