August 27, 2024 • 16 mins
What is your Earth Archetype? Take the Quiz!
https://quiz.eartharchetypes.com/
On this last episode of Earthmates Season 1, Amber gets meta on you by telling stories about telling stories.
In this bare bones, direct to camera style, join this 3 act journey with me.
Act 1: Six Plot Lines
Act 2: Climate in all Six
Act 3: What happens when we change the middle?
If you like this episode, listen to how the Earth Archetypes came to be in the very first episode “5 Earth Archetypes Explained: Origin Story”
If you like this episode, you'll also enjoy my other solo podcast “The Science and Story of AWE”. Episode 9
Connect with the Community:
Watch episodes on YouTube
Check out the Website
Take the What is Your Earth Archetype? Quiz
Follow Earth Archetypes on Instagram
Or how about Earth Archetypes on Facebook
Pick Your Favorite Way to Join:
Direct with Earth Archetypes
Through Patreon
Via Buy Me a Coffee
iHeart’s Supporters Club
Apple Podcast’s Subscription
https://quiz.eartharchetypes.com/
On this last episode of Earthmates Season 1, Amber gets meta on you by telling stories about telling stories.
In this bare bones, direct to camera style, join this 3 act journey with me.
Act 1: Six Plot Lines
Act 2: Climate in all Six
Act 3: What happens when we change the middle?
If you like this episode, listen to how the Earth Archetypes came to be in the very first episode “5 Earth Archetypes Explained: Origin Story”
If you like this episode, you'll also enjoy my other solo podcast “The Science and Story of AWE”. Episode 9
Connect with the Community:
Watch episodes on YouTube
Check out the Website
Take the What is Your Earth Archetype? Quiz
Follow Earth Archetypes on Instagram
Or how about Earth Archetypes on Facebook
Pick Your Favorite Way to Join:
Direct with Earth Archetypes
Through Patreon
Via Buy Me a Coffee
iHeart’s Supporters Club
Apple Podcast’s Subscription
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
All right, versus slash width, take two, marker.[step, step, step, step] [off camera] good to go when you are...
(00:03):
Welcome to the Earthmates podcast.
Together, we explore how to find your path from climate anxiety to community action by asking,
(00:27):
"Who are you?" because just like any relationship, that matters.
So get ready to be raw and real, but also playful and silly with me,
Chief Relationship Officer Amber Peoples, as we discover what's possible through the lens of the five Earth Archetypes.
(00:50):
Curiosity and subscription buttons highly encouraged.
In the entire history of Western storytelling, there are six main plotlines.
That's it, and they're super simple.
Amid all the swashbuckling tails when the hero wins through every rom-com that makes you laugh and cry.
(01:16):
During every true crime thriller where you question who done it,
six stories have a three-word formula,
and that formula centers on the same key word.
It's a word that drives the plot through twists and turns,
exalts a protagonist through hardships, and follows a series of cause and effect,
(01:41):
as heroes defeat evil, truth is set free, and love prevails.
Any guesses what that middle word is? What all Western stories revolve around?
Because it's time for the reveal.
The word is versus V-E-R-S-U-S,
(02:03):
so it's not the lines to your favorite song, but a word that signifies contrast and opposition.
For example, this versus that.
Him versus her.
Fear versus hope.
Basically, a conflict between two choices.
(02:25):
That's it. That's Western storytelling in a nutshell.
But today's episode doesn't end there, after all, we're not even two minutes in.
I've got a couple more surprises that must leave.
Let's first finish revealing the six main Western plotlines.
They are man versus self.
(02:48):
Man vs man.
Man vs society.
Man vs technology.
Man vs nature.
And man vs fate.
You probably noticed that versus is not the only word repeated in this formula.
Each one also starts with man.
(03:09):
Side notes.
We could deep dive into the use of man compared to human or character,
but for this podcast episode, I'm asking for your patience to stick with the old standby.
If you agree, great.
Keep listening because we got some juicy stuff coming up.
So to review Western plotlines require one main person to achieve a goal against one of six factors.
(03:38):
And thanks to a guy named Aristotle, that journey is often divided into three acts beginning, middle and end.
Okay.
Now that I've introduced plotlines as the main character of this podcast,
we can rev up the action and move into act two to kick things off.
I'm going to quickly raise the stakes like when a bombshell arrives on day one of the reality TV show Love Island.
(04:04):
And if that's not your cup of tea, imagine the Lion King when scar pushes move fast off the cliff.
So here goes.
Climate change runs through all six Western plot lines.
No wonder the issue can feel daunting.
(04:27):
Thankfully, the simplicity of the plot structure can also help us grapple with it more easily.
So let's break it down.
For step is man versus self.
This is the plot line you are hearing when people talk about behavior changes and carbon footprints.
This story can be empowering because you have the option to act to make different choices.
(04:53):
And a weird twist it can also be a way that industries like fossil fuels redirect blame on individuals rather than take responsibility for their own actions.
In fact, it was the fossil fuel industry that came up with the idea of carbon footprint in the first place.
(05:14):
Now in the midst of this dilemma, I do believe we have a powerful way to play out the man versus self story.
Through reflection.
These stories exemplify the existential crisis of climate change that we must tackle.
For example, what worldview and values influence your climate choices?
(05:41):
Do you see yourself as the top of a hierarchy or part of the whole?
What skill sets do you have and how do you use them? Are you contributing or extracting?
Man versus self asked you to take an honest look at yourself. It's a big one.
The episode where I talk with Lawrence Cole about technologies of belonging and connection will help.
(06:07):
So what about the second plot line man versus man?
Often these stories are rooted in competition such as Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader David versus Goliath and even the great British bake show.
The tricky part about this plot is the emphasis on winners and losers. Nothing in between.
(06:33):
It's so pervasive that I bet it would be hard for you to think of a man versus man story that doesn't have these roles.
I'll wait a bit more.
How to go.
It's tough.
Now, not totally against competition.
(06:56):
It is a part of nature and can indeed bring out the best in us as we strive to create beauty, increase athleticism and improve conditions.
Other times it can bring out the worst in us through greed manipulation and deceit like on big brother or survivor.
(07:18):
Even more problematic is when man versus man stories require other way.
It's a process where one person views another as less than and thus deserving of poor treatment.
Unfortunately, history is full of examples of this conflict being applied to whole groups of people and thus creating a man versus society plot line.
(07:49):
This is when we get discrimination and exploitation of all kinds.
In a fascinating plot twist, man versus society can also be in the reverse where individuals fight back against oppressive systems.
To hear about more how this can play out in stories about climate justice, I suggest you listen to the podcast with the metaphor type Heather Fips.
(08:15):
She's really.
Now the conflict just keep getting bigger as we look towards man versus technology.
The climate space technology can be seen as both the hero and the villain.
The first industrial revolutions reliance on burning fossil fuels to extract and consume is certainly right for villain status.
(08:36):
While solar panels electric cars and carbon capture are seen as super heroes coming to save the day.
As we head into the fourth industrial revolution center gone AI hope and fear are both driving stories as we face questions like.
But at what cost?
(08:57):
For more on that question check out the episode with molecule type Nathaniel bar.
From a climate lens, this question is also key to man versus nature plot line.
Historically it's used when a protagonist must face things beyond their control.
The natural world throws things at them with a vengeance including storms dangerous animals and even plays.
(09:25):
Often there is no force we can even communicate with.
We must simply survive.
Find it almost ironic that we've perpetuated this story so fully that it's coming true at the grand scale of climate change.
Why the heck would we do such a thing to ourselves?
(09:49):
Perhaps it has to do with our final western plot line.
Man versus fate, which is often grouped together with man versus nature.
Even in our contractual law we use terms like acts of God to refer to a severe unanticipated natural event for which no human is responsible.
(10:11):
Yet in regards to climate, how can we possibly avoid responsibility?
Maybe the stories we need follow a protagonist's destiny as they try to avoid but inevitably must face it.
Oushta.
(10:32):
That was a lot of conflict.
Let's take a moment to check in with our bodies.
How's your breath?
You are welcome to do a couple deep breaths with me right now.
We'll start by breathing in.
Two, three, four, and out.
Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
(10:58):
And in.
Two, three, four, and out.
Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Now how about checking with your toes?
Perhaps even wiggle them a bit.
(11:21):
When overwhelmed by feelings of contrast and opposition, returning to your sensations can help us regulate our nervous system.
A vital part of making change.
Let's focus on that during act three of this episode.
It starts with a surprise discovery on the aid while writing the script.
(11:44):
The word versus is not a verb.
It doesn't drive action.
Despite all the power we give it in our stories, the word doesn't do anything.
No running, no jumping, no flying.
So then what is it?
Well, versus actually a preposition.
(12:08):
Well, for those of you who haven't run across these things since high school English class, let me help prepositions are words that show relationships.
They show connection.
For example, over and under are prepositions that describe the relationship to a location.
(12:29):
And the words before and after are in relation to time.
Besides how much y'all know I love the word relationships and all of it it means the next set of questions is where it gets really juicy.
What is versus in relation to certainly not location or time, but instead to distinct forces.
(12:52):
So if versus shows these forces in conflict.
What's the opposite relationship?
And what's that preposition?
I've been dragging this on long enough, so let me do a little short putt here and just tell you.
With the word with a word of collaboration.
(13:14):
So this gets me thinking can we shift climate stories from verses to with.
Can humans versus nature become humans with nature?
According to most story consultants I've talked to.
The answer is a resounding no.
(13:37):
It's actually kind of fascinating to watch because these word experts don't even really know what to say when I ask this.
Their cheeks get red, their breath quickens.
I can almost see them do everything they can not to hurl insults at me.
Yet in all that huffing and puffing I've naturally never really got an answer.
(14:00):
The closest I got was when I was sitting around a fire and a friends backyard not too long ago.
Most of the people there had ties to theater in particular stay chance that work behind the scenes doing things like light sound and sets.
One of them shared an interesting thought.
Versus focuses on story suspense and cliffhangers while with focuses on education guidance and wisdom.
(14:29):
This idea continues to bang around in my head especially as I consider stories from people all across the world who have close relationships with nature.
And these tales range from Native American origin stories to Irish immram journeys.
They are entertaining and they share knowledge in fact as I learned from Indigenous ecologist and writer Melissa K. Nelson.
(14:54):
These stories honed over centuries hold vital information about ecology art and natural law.
Right now, those are all some really big cliffhangers.
Stories centered around the word with are right for entertainment and transformation curiosity surprise and awe will keep us on the edge of our seats laughing and crying as we continue to evolve.
(15:24):
I dare say that flipping the script from verses to with will be crucial for humans to have any stories at all.
Whether about self others society technology nature or fate.
Are you with me?
(15:48):
Hey Earthmate, how did that episode resonate? Did it stretch you inspire you or perhaps orc you?
I'm here for it so please reach out. Besides the socials we have a community to practice with on our website eartharchetypes.com where more earth archetypes can guide your path and become dear friends.
(16:12):
A great place to start is the quiz to discover your type.
Oh, and on your way, I'd love for you to hit the subscribe button. See you again soon.
[Music]
[Music]
Brrrrrrp!Wooooooo! That was a good one.
(16:34):
[off camera] We're with you!You're with meeeeeeeee!
All right, versus slash width, take two, marker.[step, step, step, step] [off camera] good to go when you are...
(00:03):
Welcome to the Earthmates podcast.
Together, we explore how to find your path from climate anxiety to community action by asking,
(00:27):
"Who are you?" because just like any relationship, that matters.
So get ready to be raw and real, but also playful and silly with me,
Chief Relationship Officer Amber Peoples, as we discover what's possible through the lens of the five Earth Archetypes.
(00:50):
Curiosity and subscription buttons highly encouraged.
In the entire history of Western storytelling, there are six main plotlines.
That's it, and they're super simple.
Amid all the swashbuckling tails when the hero wins through every rom-com that makes you laugh and cry.
(01:16):
During every true crime thriller where you question who done it,
six stories have a three-word formula,
and that formula centers on the same key word.
It's a word that drives the plot through twists and turns,
exalts a protagonist through hardships, and follows a series of cause and effect,
(01:41):
as heroes defeat evil, truth is set free, and love prevails.
Any guesses what that middle word is? What all Western stories revolve around?
Because it's time for the reveal.
The word is versus V-E-R-S-U-S,
(02:03):
so it's not the lines to your favorite song, but a word that signifies contrast and opposition.
For example, this versus that.
Him versus her.
Fear versus hope.
Basically, a conflict between two choices.
(02:25):
That's it. That's Western storytelling in a nutshell.
But today's episode doesn't end there, after all, we're not even two minutes in.
I've got a couple more surprises that must leave.
Let's first finish revealing the six main Western plotlines.
They are man versus self.
(02:48):
Man vs man.
Man vs society.
Man vs technology.
Man vs nature.
And man vs fate.
You probably noticed that versus is not the only word repeated in this formula.
Each one also starts with man.
(03:09):
Side notes.
We could deep dive into the use of man compared to human or character,
but for this podcast episode, I'm asking for your patience to stick with the old standby.
If you agree, great.
Keep listening because we got some juicy stuff coming up.
So to review Western plotlines require one main person to achieve a goal against one of six factors.
(03:38):
And thanks to a guy named Aristotle, that journey is often divided into three acts beginning, middle and end.
Okay.
Now that I've introduced plotlines as the main character of this podcast,
we can rev up the action and move into act two to kick things off.
I'm going to quickly raise the stakes like when a bombshell arrives on day one of the reality TV show Love Island.
(04:04):
And if that's not your cup of tea, imagine the Lion King when scar pushes move fast off the cliff.
So here goes.
Climate change runs through all six Western plot lines.
No wonder the issue can feel daunting.
(04:27):
Thankfully, the simplicity of the plot structure can also help us grapple with it more easily.
So let's break it down.
For step is man versus self.
This is the plot line you are hearing when people talk about behavior changes and carbon footprints.
This story can be empowering because you have the option to act to make different choices.
(04:53):
And a weird twist it can also be a way that industries like fossil fuels redirect blame on individuals rather than take responsibility for their own actions.
In fact, it was the fossil fuel industry that came up with the idea of carbon footprint in the first place.
(05:14):
Now in the midst of this dilemma, I do believe we have a powerful way to play out the man versus self story.
Through reflection.
These stories exemplify the existential crisis of climate change that we must tackle.
For example, what worldview and values influence your climate choices?
(05:41):
Do you see yourself as the top of a hierarchy or part of the whole?
What skill sets do you have and how do you use them? Are you contributing or extracting?
Man versus self asked you to take an honest look at yourself. It's a big one.
The episode where I talk with Lawrence Cole about technologies of belonging and connection will help.
(06:07):
So what about the second plot line man versus man?
Often these stories are rooted in competition such as Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader David versus Goliath and even the great British bake show.
The tricky part about this plot is the emphasis on winners and losers. Nothing in between.
(06:33):
It's so pervasive that I bet it would be hard for you to think of a man versus man story that doesn't have these roles.
I'll wait a bit more.
How to go.
It's tough.
Now, not totally against competition.
(06:56):
It is a part of nature and can indeed bring out the best in us as we strive to create beauty, increase athleticism and improve conditions.
Other times it can bring out the worst in us through greed manipulation and deceit like on big brother or survivor.
(07:18):
Even more problematic is when man versus man stories require other way.
It's a process where one person views another as less than and thus deserving of poor treatment.
Unfortunately, history is full of examples of this conflict being applied to whole groups of people and thus creating a man versus society plot line.
(07:49):
This is when we get discrimination and exploitation of all kinds.
In a fascinating plot twist, man versus society can also be in the reverse where individuals fight back against oppressive systems.
To hear about more how this can play out in stories about climate justice, I suggest you listen to the podcast with the metaphor type Heather Fips.
(08:15):
She's really.
Now the conflict just keep getting bigger as we look towards man versus technology.
The climate space technology can be seen as both the hero and the villain.
The first industrial revolutions reliance on burning fossil fuels to extract and consume is certainly right for villain status.
(08:36):
While solar panels electric cars and carbon capture are seen as super heroes coming to save the day.
As we head into the fourth industrial revolution center gone AI hope and fear are both driving stories as we face questions like.
But at what cost?
(08:57):
For more on that question check out the episode with molecule type Nathaniel bar.
From a climate lens, this question is also key to man versus nature plot line.
Historically it's used when a protagonist must face things beyond their control.
The natural world throws things at them with a vengeance including storms dangerous animals and even plays.
(09:25):
Often there is no force we can even communicate with.
We must simply survive.
Find it almost ironic that we've perpetuated this story so fully that it's coming true at the grand scale of climate change.
Why the heck would we do such a thing to ourselves?
(09:49):
Perhaps it has to do with our final western plot line.
Man versus fate, which is often grouped together with man versus nature.
Even in our contractual law we use terms like acts of God to refer to a severe unanticipated natural event for which no human is responsible.
(10:11):
Yet in regards to climate, how can we possibly avoid responsibility?
Maybe the stories we need follow a protagonist's destiny as they try to avoid but inevitably must face it.
Oushta.
(10:32):
That was a lot of conflict.
Let's take a moment to check in with our bodies.
How's your breath?
You are welcome to do a couple deep breaths with me right now.
We'll start by breathing in.
Two, three, four, and out.
Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
(10:58):
And in.
Two, three, four, and out.
Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Now how about checking with your toes?
Perhaps even wiggle them a bit.
(11:21):
When overwhelmed by feelings of contrast and opposition, returning to your sensations can help us regulate our nervous system.
A vital part of making change.
Let's focus on that during act three of this episode.
It starts with a surprise discovery on the aid while writing the script.
(11:44):
The word versus is not a verb.
It doesn't drive action.
Despite all the power we give it in our stories, the word doesn't do anything.
No running, no jumping, no flying.
So then what is it?
Well, versus actually a preposition.
(12:08):
Well, for those of you who haven't run across these things since high school English class, let me help prepositions are words that show relationships.
They show connection.
For example, over and under are prepositions that describe the relationship to a location.
(12:29):
And the words before and after are in relation to time.
Besides how much y'all know I love the word relationships and all of it it means the next set of questions is where it gets really juicy.
What is versus in relation to certainly not location or time, but instead to distinct forces.
(12:52):
So if versus shows these forces in conflict.
What's the opposite relationship?
And what's that preposition?
I've been dragging this on long enough, so let me do a little short putt here and just tell you.
With the word with a word of collaboration.
(13:14):
So this gets me thinking can we shift climate stories from verses to with.
Can humans versus nature become humans with nature?
According to most story consultants I've talked to.
The answer is a resounding no.
(13:37):
It's actually kind of fascinating to watch because these word experts don't even really know what to say when I ask this.
Their cheeks get red, their breath quickens.
I can almost see them do everything they can not to hurl insults at me.
Yet in all that huffing and puffing I've naturally never really got an answer.
(14:00):
The closest I got was when I was sitting around a fire and a friends backyard not too long ago.
Most of the people there had ties to theater in particular stay chance that work behind the scenes doing things like light sound and sets.
One of them shared an interesting thought.
Versus focuses on story suspense and cliffhangers while with focuses on education guidance and wisdom.
(14:29):
This idea continues to bang around in my head especially as I consider stories from people all across the world who have close relationships with nature.
And these tales range from Native American origin stories to Irish immram journeys.
They are entertaining and they share knowledge in fact as I learned from Indigenous ecologist and writer Melissa K. Nelson.
(14:54):
These stories honed over centuries hold vital information about ecology art and natural law.
Right now, those are all some really big cliffhangers.
Stories centered around the word with are right for entertainment and transformation curiosity surprise and awe will keep us on the edge of our seats laughing and crying as we continue to evolve.
(15:24):
I dare say that flipping the script from verses to with will be crucial for humans to have any stories at all.
Whether about self others society technology nature or fate.
Are you with me?
(15:48):
Hey Earthmate, how did that episode resonate? Did it stretch you inspire you or perhaps orc you?
I'm here for it so please reach out. Besides the socials we have a community to practice with on our website eartharchetypes.com where more earth archetypes can guide your path and become dear friends.
(16:12):
A great place to start is the quiz to discover your type.
Oh, and on your way, I'd love for you to hit the subscribe button. See you again soon.
[Music]
[Music]
Brrrrrrp!Wooooooo! That was a good one.
(16:34):
[off camera] We're with you!You're with meeeeeeeee!
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