The principle of perspective is that stories can be viewed from at least three different perceptual positions.
This is related to the principle of depth, that stories live below the surface, expanded to take human subjectivity into account.
Here’s how it works for a given hero or decision-maker:
- There is the first-person “I” story – the story they tell themselves. Often, this story helps them save face, eliminate cognitive dissonance, or feel good about themselves.
- There is the second-person “you” story – the story they tell other people. This story has more to do with what they want from the external world.
- There is the “third-person omniscient” story – the foundational story with the deep goal/obstacle pair really driving things.
In entertainment, this distinction is important because the screenplay as a whole needs to be structured around the third-person story. At the same time, within scenes and sequences, the hero may act and speak in accordance with their first-person and second-person perspectives. Over the course of the hero’s transformation, these stories often align.
Broadly speaking, a hero who starts the journey thinking, “I’m like this,” might realize at a crucial moment, “I’m really THIS,” which is more in accord with the deep story. With the change in perceived identity, there are new options for behavior, deeper commitment, more courage, a willingness to sacrifice, etc.
This is important for similar reasons in business. Sometimes, decision-makers do not know what they really want (a gap between first-person and third-person perspectives). And, even if they know what they want, that may not express themselves clearly (a gap between first-person and second-person perspectives).
That’s partly why you’re there. You have perspective. You have to consider how the story they are telling you makes them look, what you think they want from you, and what you think is really going on.
The more aware a customer is, the more these three stories are the same. That makes things a lot easier. However, there are frequently layers of story because we all have blind spots, especially when it comes to our own work.