S08 E13: The Practice of Narrative Humility

This week, Michael McRay prepares listeners for his upcoming conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama, the Irish poet, theologian, conflict mediator, and storyteller who has profoundly shaped Michael's approach to story work over their long friendship. This episode introduces the concept of narrative humility - the practice of remembering that no matter how good a story is (even your own) it doesn't tell the whole truth. Michael explores how our impulse to quickly moralize stories or force neat conclusions actually limits their transformative power. Through examples ranging from a retreat participant's mountain rescue story to the tragic tale of physician Ignaz Semmelweis, Michael demonstrates how our attachment to certain narratives can blind us to deeper truths and alternative perspectives. In this episode, he also discusses:

• How narrative humility differs from narrative intelligence, and why both are essential for transformative storytelling
• The power of asking "what must the story be that would make this behavior feel reasonable?" when facing conflict or confusion
• Why treating stories as windows rather than weapons allows them to do their deepest work of transformation
• How letting stories breathe without interpretation allows them to uncover riches we never saw before

Coming Up Soon

• Tune in next week as Pádraig Ó Tuama joins the storyOS podcast
• STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket!)

Resources Mentioned

• Becoming Restoried
• Join The Circle
• Applied Narrative Intelligence Certification
• Tenx9 Storytelling Community