Why the Book Is Always Better Than the Movie

The book is always better than movie. There’s a reason that this is true. If you read the book first, you’ve already created the picture in your mind. Your pictures are the right pictures. Now some big shot Hollywood director comes along and shares his vision of what the pictures look like, and it’s nothing like your pictures. He gets it all wrong.

The director leaves out some of the scenes that you loved. He takes some artistic liberties and changes things to make the picture flow. He even adds characters that don’t appear anywhere in the book. Even your friends say that the movie isn’t as good as the book.

Related: The Importance Of Developing Your Own Perspective

But your friends wouldn’t like your movie any better than you would like theirs. Your picture is not only different than the director’s picture, it’s different than your friend’s picture too. What you see in your mind, even though you are reading the same text, is uniquely your own, isn’t it?

We can’t see the mental images we conjure up in someone else’s mind. Even when we have words that communicate some meaning, the way we interpret those words can be unique. What is “a long time?” What does “fast” mean? What does “better quality” mean? What does “expensive” mean?

The more work you do to understand and see someone else’s pictures, the greater likelihood that you can help them achieve their vision - this is a tenant of modern sales. The quicker you are to believe that you know what someone else means without grasping their real vision, the more likely you are to disappoint them with the picture that you present.

Questions

What book have you read that you loved way more than the movie?

Why is your picture different than someone else’s?

How do you uncover your prospect’s pictures?

What do you do to ensure you understand what that picture looks like?