| The way people talk about their pasts
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| | middle age. They also describe several
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| reveals a lot about how they approach and
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| | crucial scenes in detail, including high
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| write the future
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| | points (the graduation speech, complete
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| For more than a century, researchers have
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| | with verbal drum roll); low points (the
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| been trying to work out the raw
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| | college nervous breakdown); and turning
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| ingredients that account for personality,
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| | points. The entire two-hour session is
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| the sweetness and neuroses that make the
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| | recorded and transcribed.
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| sluggishness and sensitivity that make
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| | In analysing the texts, the researchers
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| Andrew Andrew. They have largely ignored
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| | found strong correlations between the
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| the first-person explanation -- the life
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| | content of people's current lives and the
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| story that people themselves tell about
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| | stories they tell. Those with mood
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| who they are, and why.
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| | problems have many good memories, but
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| Stories are stories, after all. The
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| | these scenes are usually tainted by some
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| attractive stranger at the airport bar
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| | dark detail. The pride of college
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| hears one version, the parole officer
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| | graduation is spoiled when a friend makes
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| another, and the PTA board gets something
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| | a cutting remark. The wedding party was
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| entirely different. Moreover, the tone,
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| | wonderful until the best man collapsed
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| the lessons, even the facts in a life
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| | from drink. A note of disappointment
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| story can all shift in the changing light
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| | seems to close each narrative phrase.
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| of a person's mood.
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| | By contrast, so-called generative adults
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| "When we first started studying life
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| | -- those who score highly on tests
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| stories, people thought it was just idle
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| | measuring civic-mindedness -- tend to see
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| curiosity stories, isn't that cool?" said
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| | many of the events in their life in the
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| Dan P McAdams, a professor of psychology
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| | reverse order, as linked by themes of
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| at Northwestern and author of the 2006
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| | redemption. They flunked sixth grade but
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| book, The Redemptive Self. "Well, we find
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| | met a wonderful counsellor and made
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| that these narratives guide behaviour in
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| | honour roll in seventh. They were laid
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| every moment, and frame not only how we
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| | low by divorce, only to meet a wonderful
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| see the past but how we see ourselves in
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| | new partner. Often, too, they say they
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| the future."
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| | felt singled out from very early in life
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| Researchers have found that the human
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| | -- protected, even as others nearby
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| brain has a natural affinity for
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| | suffered.
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| narrative construction. People tend to
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| | In broad outline, the researchers report,
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| remember facts more accurately if they
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| | such tales express distinctly American
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| encounter them in a story rather than in
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| | cultural narratives, of emancipation or
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| a list, studies find; and they rate legal
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| | atonement, of Horatio Alger advancement,
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| arguments as more convincing when built
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| | of epiphany and second chances. Depending
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| into narrative tales rather than on legal
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| | on the person, the story itself might be
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| precedent.
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| | nuanced or simplistic, powerfully
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| During a standard life-story interview,
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| | dramatic or cloyingly pious. But the
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| people describe phases of their lives as
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| | point is that the narrative themes are,
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| if they were outlining chapters, from the
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| | as much as any other trait, driving
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| sandlot years through adolescence and
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| | factors in people's behaviour.
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