Power of narratives
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NARRATIVES have, for millennia, shaped the way societies and nations create identities, forge empires, develop breakthrough technologies, and overcome challenges.
The story of the Iron Age transformation in the Biblical-Quranic tradition illustrates this power — the image of metal “melting in the hands” of Prophet David symbolises not just technological progress but divinely inspired human potential. Conversely, Sarah Polley’s 2012 documentary Stories We Tell reveals the destructive capacity of narratives through competing recollections of her family history. Such competing truths can erode a social unit’s identity and self-worth in ways that leave permanent scars. This is as true for nations as it is for families.
In organisational, political, and social spheres, identities coalesce around the stories we nurture and choose to amplify. Yet in contemporary discourse about Pakistan, we find ourselves trapped in cycles of despair, repeating critiques so frequently that their original purpose and validity demand re-examination. This repetitive negativity has become a self-perpetuating cycle, where each iteration reinforces the last. If our aim is to alter Pakistan’s economic trajectory or forge a shared vision for progress, we must replace these corrosive narratives with constructive ones that narrate success.
Our challenges are indeed substantial, but not insurmountable. History shows that nations have overcome far greater obstacles when united by inspiring narratives. The scriptures remind us that burdens are placed upon us according to our capacity to bear them. And these burdens — challenges — are inseparable from the narratives built around them. Positive, restorative narratives possess the same self-sustaining power as their negative counterparts, creating virtuous cycles where confidence breeds achievement.
Nations overcome obstacles when united by inspiring narratives.
In both political and organisational contexts, narratives are deliberately crafted instruments that serve as the invisible architecture of culture and collective psychology. Within corporations, they energise teams, reinforce values, and advance strategic aims through subtle but powerful psychological mechanisms. While leadership is crucial in setting the direction, the most potent stories often emerge organically from below rather than being imposed from above. It is these grassroots, bottom-up narratives that help us contextualise decisions and events, creating mental frameworks that guide understanding and action more effectively than top-down communication.
Research confirms that institutional memory consists not of actual experiences but of how those experiences are remembered and retold — a testament to storytelling’s enduring influence on how organisations perceive their past and envision their future. Stories change behaviour faster than policy, white papers and memos can.
This phenomenon appears with troubling frequency in academic treatments of Pakistan’s energy transition where, for example, I observed a pattern that should make us think. In my research, critical narratives appeared to replicate themselves uncritically with each successive analysis, but subsequent authors building upon previous condemnations, without examining their continued relevance or validity, create an echo chamber of recycled criticism.
While such echo chambers may seem inconsequential within academia, their migration to the national discourse through media and policy circles has grave implications for national morale. At scale, these self-reinforcing negative narratives degrade institutional confidence, tarnish collective identity, and undermine pride in achievement — the very psychological resources needed for improvement. Yet Pakistan has demonstrated significant accomplishments that cou-
nter this pessimism — from public sector reforms to Covid-era resilience — achievements that risk being forgotten if not properly storied and celebrated.
The current moment demands conscious narrative stewardship from all thoughtful observers of Pakistan’s trajectory. Our cross-border challenges represent not just geopolitical tensions but competing storylines vying for dominance in the regional consciousness, each seeking to define reality through selective interpretation.
To navigate these trials and achieve inclusive growth, we must cultivate positive, restorative narratives — both for domestic cohesion and international perception — that balance assessment of challenges with recognition of progress and potential. The choice between these narrative paths will shape Pakistan’s trajectory as profoundly as any policy decision, for it is ultimately the stories we tell about ourselves that determine what we believe possible, and what we’re therefore willing to attempt and endure to make real.
The writer is an academic with an interest in renewable energy and project management.
Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2025
