Chimamanda Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story
“I’ve always felt that it is impossible to engage properly with a place or a person without engaging with all of the stories of that place and that person. The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar.”
Discussion Questions
What resonated with you from this talk?
How does nkali play a role in health care disparities?
When have you worked to engage with “all of the stories” of a person and how did it change the interaction?
How do we perpetuate the single stories that are most prevalent today?
How can we overcome our tendency to only listen to the single story?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“I've spent a lot of time this year trying to diversify my bookshelf, but I've neglected to check into the diversity of where I'm consuming my news. What narratives am I missing by not broadening my perspective? It reminded me to be more curious.” —@rayesenbran
“It made me think of epistemic injustice, and how it is ingrained into the medical system. In the healthcare system, patients often are denied prerogative of interpretation for their own experiences. Medical reports create an alternate reality.” —@OdyO11
“Social media is such a double-edged sword in this regard. Sometimes unique voices are allowed to rise and tell many stories, but more often we see our single-story beliefs reinforced by algorithms, echo chambers, and monolithic beliefs (e.g. #MedTwitter)” —@amarkelkar
“I think the most critical ingredient is patience. If we notice we are falling into a reductive generalization, we need to be patient with ourselves to question why. Recognition that we are focusing on one story at the expense of others is an important first step.” —@juliagracecohn
About this #MedHumChat
The Danger of a Single Story was the focal point for a #MedHumChat discussion on August 5, 2020. This chat was curated by Dr. Becca Omlor, a palliative care and geriatrics physician at Wake Forest Baptist Health.
About the Speaker
Chimamanda Adichie is a world-renowned author and speaker whose TED Talk is one of the most-viewed of all time. Her work covers a broad range of topics from politics to religion to love.