Thursday, November 12, 2020

Why I Believe in Mermaids

In whatever you’re trying to convince someone about, keep it honest. Have them focus on what really matters, rather than details that can be disputed

Blogs Newsletters

By André van Heerden, Communications Director

The other night my wife and I were watching the popular 1984 movie Splash! starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. It’s a romantic comedy about a man who falls in love with a mermaid who feels bonded to him. While she’s dry she has legs and looks human, but when she’s exposed to water she becomes a fish from the waist down.

In one part of the movie when Allen goes to work, Madison (the mermaid) explores Manhattan and does some shopping with Allen’s wallet. My wife commented, “Oh, like he wouldn’t have his wallet with him at work?”

I chuckled and asked, “That’s the part of this movie that you find unrealistic?”

It’s remarkable how we can suspend our disbelief in books and movies about the most incredible things (alien invasions, time travel, super heroes, etc.). But if something doesn’t make sense in how a character behaves, or in the simple things of life that we all take for granted, we won’t believe it.

People may accept that there are shiny vampires and werewolves, but if the love story isn’t believable, we won’t accept it. American author Melissa Bank noted that “I guess love is the real suspension of disbelief.”

I remember my father telling me about a question submitted to the publishers of a Superman comic book. The reader asked why in a particular episode Superman was able to crash through a brick wall while riding a bike.

The reader understood that Superman could blast through walls. But how did the bike make it through without being broken into pieces? It seems we’re able to suspend our disbelief only so far.

This is obviously important to understand for those creating dramatic fiction, but it’s also important for anyone trying to convince others of something.

Whether it’s for a presentation at work, or trying to get children to try something new, you have to recognize a common understanding of reality and behaviour. As soon as you step outside of that—like how yummy brussels sprouts look—you’re likely to be called on it and lose your powers of persuasion.

A screenwriting blog noted that movies that succeed in suspending disbelief “avoid arousing curiosity for topics that are not relevant to the plot.” It notes that the movie Zootopia doesn’t try to answer the questions of how predators and prey first learned to live together or what the predators eat. “We’re not given an explanation but we don’t feel the need to ask those questions because we understand that the narrative has nothing to do with this and there are no scenes calling attention to those details.”

I love this line in a gif where a character says, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear you over the little voice in my head screaming ‘what a load of crap.’”

In whatever you’re trying to convince someone about, keep it honest. Have them focus on what really matters, rather than details that can be disputed.

People are willing to follow along with you—just don’t give them an easy reason not to.

Why I Believe in Mermaids

You might be interested in