Beware the neat story
Humans prefer:
cause → effect
Reality often looks more like:
cause + coincidence + feedback loop + timing + hidden variable → outcome
Narrative is one of our greatest cognitive tools because it makes complexity understandable.
It is also dangerous for exactly the same reason.
The goal isn’t to stop telling stories.
Tell stories that remain editable.
When you catch yourself thinking, “This proves that…”, substitute:
“One possible explanation is…”
That tiny linguistic change keeps your mind open.