Chapter 5 and 6

By telling stories people are open to hearing, and understanding how we can fit our concerns into stories people already tell themselves, we can get them to listen to what we have to say and look at what we want to show them.” pg 194


I chose this quote because I thought it was interesting how important it is to choose topics that people are already aware of/concerned about. When presenting anything, the medium is the message and the way people choose to showcase their projects influences how they are received. People do more research/pay attention to topics that already interest them.



“Surprise is our secret weapon. As we’ve established, the problem with our thinking is that most of the time we’re really not thinking much at all. We often act on autopilot, making associations and following patterns that have worked for us in the past. Because they’ve worked, we see no reason to challenge or change them. Unless… we are surprised.” Pg 195


We, as a society, always stick to our comfort zone without even having the think about it. It’s surprising to step out of your comfort zone, yet it is incredibly important. This quote talks about surprising people to momentarily pause the autopilot their brain is acting on. It’s a hard thing to do, yet it allows the person to be more conscious in themself and ultimately make better decisions because they are thinking.


“Every day, marketers are hard at work trying to change the way we think. Using signs, symbols, stories, and spectacle, they labor to persuade us that our lives will be better, that we will be more attractive, powerful, successful, and happy, if we only drink Coke, drive a Lexus, or brush our teeth with Crest. And beyond influencing out ideas, they impact our behavior.” Pg 212


This quote reminded me of a theory developed by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Lewis Shaw in a study in 1968 on the presidential election deemed “The Chapel Hill Study.” It mainly focuses on news media specifically, although it can be applied to other forms of media such as marketing. Essentially, the theory boils down to the media not telling you what to think, but it does tell you what to think about. By the usage of framing (the process of selection and emphasis) the media can influence us into beliefs/actions that we wouldn’t otherwise even think about. Marketing absolutely does this, without all the billboards or ads being pushed in our faces constantly we wouldn’t be compelled to by items we have no need for.






One art piece that has really stuck with me is Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) (1991) by Félix González-Torres. I’ve always admired his work and gone to multiple exhibitions of his as they are always so powerful. This artwork represents the body of Ross (González-Torres’s partner) who passed after a long battle with AIDS. Allowing the public to interact represents the diminishing parallels of how the disease depleted his body. The original mass of candy is 175 pounds, the weight that Ross was while he was healthy. This piece is beautiful and powerful as it shows the impact of AIDS and also the real life consequences. The audience connects more with the meaning of the artwork as they are physically keeping a piece of Ross. Félix González-Torres was so talented and dedicated to his craft, it is incredibly inspiring.