THE STORIES WE ASSUME
BOLDideas: A Weekly Newsletter for BOLD Thinkers | May 4, 2025 | Volume 25 Issue 01
by Stephanie Sabrina Warren
Above: Stories shape outcomes. Which stories are worth shattering?
In this issue: The Stories We Assume | Narrative Reversals |Storytelling That Breaks The Cycle |The Most Important Stories You’'ll Ever Tell
The Stories We Assume
I came across this video last year when it went viral, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
It’s called “Assume That I Can”, and if you haven’t seen it yet, stop reading and watch it below. If you have, watch it again. It’s that powerful.
Launched for World Down Syndrome Day 2024, the campaign was created by CoorDown (Italy) in partnership with international Down syndrome organizations. The short film stars Canadian actress and advocate Madison Tevlin, who looks straight into the camera and challenges the assumptions so many people have about her:
|“You assumed I couldn’t live alone. Or enjoy a cocktail. Or perform Shakespeare.”
These assumptions, harmless to some and damaging to others, don’t just exist in our heads. They shape actions, limit opportunities, and become self-fulfilling prophecies.
It’s a stunning example of narrative reversal in action.
What Is Narrative Reversal—and Why Does It Hit So Hard?
Narrative reversal is one of the most emotionally charged tools in storytelling because it doesn’t just flip the script; it flips our expectations, beliefs, and identities in real time.
It works by first lulling us into familiarity. We think we know where the story is going. We recognize the stereotype. We’ve heard this before.
Then, just as we start to feel certain, it turns. And that turn isn’t just a plot twist for shock value. It reveals a deeper truth that’s been buried beneath our assumptions.
In Assume That I Can, the reversal lands when Madison Tevlin boldly says:
|“Assume that I can… so maybe I will.”
It’s not just a statement. It’s a confrontation. It shatters the narrative of limitation and replaces it with a quiet, defiant hope.
Why does it make us feel so much?
Because it forces us to examine ourselves:
- What assumptions have I unconsciously made?
- Who have I underestimated because of their diagnosis, appearance, background?
- What limiting beliefs have I placed on myself, and quietly accepted as truth?
That emotional gut-punch comes from recognizing our complicity, and then being offered a path to redemption.
It moves us from guilt to possibility. From blind bias to conscious empathy. From old stories to new ones.
Narrative reversal works because it makes us feel seen, then shaken, then changed.
It doesn’t just entertain, it transforms.
And the best part? It invites us to be part of the rewrite.
The Loop of Belief → Behavior → Outcome
This brings us to a storytelling device and psychological phenomenon that I believe every leader, coach, teacher, and business owner should understand: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.
Coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton, the self-fulfilling prophecy is the idea that when we expect something to happen, we often behave in ways that make it so. It works in both directions:
- A teacher who assumes a student isn’t smart gives them less opportunity, and the student underperforms.
- A leader who assumes their team lacks potential stops investing in them, and performance drops.
- A person who believes they’re unworthy of love pushes others away—and ends up alone.
These aren’t just stories.
|They’re quiet scripts that shape real outcomes.
Storytelling That Breaks the Cycle
good will hunting
Think of the movie Good Will Hunting.
Will believes he’s broken. That belief drives him to sabotage his relationships, his opportunities, and his potential.
But the moment he begins to question his internal narrative, the entire trajectory of his life shifts.
That’s the power of a well-told story.
That’s the power of choosing a different ending.
Dove’s Real Beauty
Narrative reversal doesn’t just belong in heartfelt PSA videos or Oscar-winning films. Some of the most effective brands in the world use it to reshape entire industries.
Take Dove’s Real Beauty campaign.
For decades, beauty ads fed us the same narrow narrative: perfection is airbrushed. Beauty is youthful. Thin. White. Flawless.
It was the dominant story…until Dove flipped it.
They didn’t just show “real women.” They challenged the very definition of beauty.
They said:
|Beauty isn’t a standard you chase—it’s confidence, diversity, and self-acceptance. “You are more beautiful than you think.”
That reversal didn’t just spark emotion, it sparked a global movement. Dove built trust and loyalty not by selling soap, but by telling a new story. One that resonated deeply with how women wanted to see themselves.
That’s the power of narrative reversal:
It doesn’t just grab attention—it earns belief. It breaks cycles. It builds brands, inspires audiences, and reclaims identity.
When you flip the expected story to reveal something more truthful, more human, and more hopeful you don’t just shift perception.
You change what’s possible.
THE impact of narrative reversal by the numbers
Narrative Reversal Works and the Results Speak Loudly.
Assume That I Can: Campaign impact
The “Assume That I Can” campaign impact underscores the campaign’s success in challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusivity for individuals with Down syndrome. The results are impressive:
- 150 million views across platforms within one week of launch
- Over 10 million views, 1.57 million likes, and 17,000 shares across 16 posts in just one week
- Engagement rates exceeded 100% on Instagram and TikTok, with Instagram leading at 352% and TikTok at 267%
-The campaign's video achieved 4.1 million views on TikTok, 5 million on Instagram, and was widely shared on X (formerly Twitter)
Sources: Forbes/Campaign Live/CBS News
Good Will Hunting: Film impact
- The film grossed over $225 million worldwide, a significant return on its modest $10 million budget.
- Academy Awards: At the 70th Academy Awards, Good Will Hunting received nine nominations, winning two Oscars: Best Supporting Actor for Robin Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
- Critical Acclaim: The film holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating widespread critical acclaim.
- Cultural Impact: The success of Good Will Hunting launched the careers of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, establishing them as prominent figures in Hollywood.
These achievements underscore the film's significant impact both commercially and culturally.
|"Good Will Hunting is not only an intelligent and emotional story—it’s one of the year’s best films. It has the kind of honesty and emotional clarity that cuts through Hollywood formula." - Roger Ebert
Sources: Wikipedia/IMDB/The Numbers
Dove’s Real Beauty: Campaign Impact
Overall, Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" not only achieved significant commercial success but also played a pivotal role in promoting inclusivity and redefining beauty standards worldwide.
- 4.6 billion media impressions: The "Real Beauty Sketches" video alone generated over 4.6 billion PR and blogger media impressions globally.
- Educational initiatives: Dove's Self-Esteem Project, launched alongside the campaign, has reached over 20 million young people globally, aiming to boost self-confidence and promote body positivity.
- Sales growth: Following the launch of the Real Beauty campaign, Dove's sales increased from $2 billion to $4 billion within three years.
- The "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign won the prestigious Titanium Grand Prix at the 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Sources: Google Business/Wikipedia/Time
what this means for you: irl impact
When You Flip the Script, Everything Changes-Including You
If you’re a business leader, the assumptions you make about your team—consciously or unconsciously—shape the culture you build.
If you’re a parent, the stories you tell your children—about who they are and what they’re capable of—become the voice they carry with them for life.
If you’re a teacher, the expectations you hold for your students become the foundation they rise (or fall) to meet.
And as a human, the narrative you carry about yourself—your worth, your talent, your potential—becomes the life you live.
ASK YOURSELF:
- What assumptions am I making about myself or others?
- Are they expanding possibility or limiting it?
- What new story could I tell that opens a different outcome?
Assume that you can…
And maybe—just maybe—you will.
Opinion: The most important stories you’ll ever tell
Recently, I got a firsthand lesson in the power of personal narratives.
Kate was a respected C-suite executive: smart, successful, and admired. Yet I often found her personal stories exaggerated, overly polished, and full of hyperbole. I was constantly surprised that so many people embraced her narratives without question. It wasn’t until her retirement speech that my perspective began to shift.
Speaking to a crowd of over 200 attendees, Kate reflected on her career journey. She recounted her first “career pivot” in college, switching majors from economics to engineering, which she credited as the defining first step toward becoming a CEO. My initial reaction? Eye-roll city. “A career pivot? In college? Before you even have a career? I can't believe she’s extending her nonsense into retirement!”
And then it hit me:
Kate wasn’t trying to mislead anyone. She genuinely believed her own narrative. That was the key difference. While most people might see changing majors as a result of indecision, immaturity, or academic struggles, Kate framed it as a deliberate, empowering choice that set the course for her future. This narrative not only shaped her perspective but also influenced how she leveraged that experience to advance her career later on.
It turns out,
|The difference between Kate and others wasn’t in her experiences, but in how she narrated them.
While many downplay their decisions, Kate elevated hers. The internal narrative of her stories empowered her to achieve greatness.
This isn’t about delusion or deceit but about being intentional with the narratives we choose to tell ourselves. Too often, we create self-limiting narratives: “I changed majors because I was struggling,” “I was lacking direction,” or “I just got lucky.” These narrations keep us small and limit our ability to fuel our future potential. Women, in particular, are conditioned to minimize our narratives, including our accomplishments, reinforcing societal pressures to stay small.
Our internal narratives are among the most powerful tools we have. The thoughts we replay evolve into stories that shape our actions, which, over time, compound to form our identity. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”
Your narrative matters. Craft it with intention, and let it empower the future you dream of.
THANK YOU!
Thanks for being here for the very first issue of BOLDideas. If this resonated with you, pass it on to someone who might need a reminder that they can too!
Let’s keep rewriting the stories that hold us back.
interesting READs ON PERSONAL NARRATIVES + SELF LIMITING BELIEFS
Untamed By Glennon Doyle - A powerful reclamation of her narrative: an invitation to stop living by others’ expectations and start trusting the voice within. This memoir is all about rewriting the narrative of who you're "supposed to be" in order to fully become who you truly are.
Greenlights By Matthew McConaughey - I love Matthew McConaughey's approach to life: he views roadblocks as red lights, redirecting him toward different paths where new opportunities or the "green lights" await.
A Man’s Search for Meaning By Viktor E. Frankl - A profound exploration of how we interpret suffering and find purpose through the stories we tell ourselves, even in the darkest circumstances.