PICTURE: REUTERS Humans are a storytelling species that is immersed in and perceives the world through the narratives that shape its emotional and ethical realities.The transference of history and communal memory through narrative solidifies a collective identity that binds a people together. It is through stories that humans know who they are, make sense of the present, and imagine and plan for the future.In a rapidly globalising world characterised by deepening inequalities, economic uncertainties, deadly terrorist attacks and unprecedented human migration, there is heightened insecurity and fear.Opportunistic and unscrupulous political leaders are adept at conjuring the regressive and unrealistic story lines that feed these insecurities. Paranoid narratives were evident in the campaign pursued by the pro-Brexit Boris Johnson in the UK. They are staple fare for Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump in the US election.Such narratives can provide the populace with...
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