Getting the Message Right

It was a sunny morning in New York City. A blind held a handwritten sign reading, “I’m blind. Please help.”

Occasionally, a pedestrian would drop a coin into his cup.

Then a woman asked permission to rewrite his sign. Almost immediately, dozens of people began handing the man money and even stopping to say hello.

The story is likely apocryphal. But whether or not it really happened, it provides an example of how a minor rewrite can make all the difference. The words go from just another random ask to a personal invitation to enter into the blind man’s story.

The new wording compelled passersby to consider life from the perspective of the blind man—to live in his shoes if for only a moment. In the process, their imagination and their empathy was awakened.

Imagination and empathy—two of the key products of story, and two of the key ingredients needed to persuade and ignite action.