The narrative about Matthew Mayer—that his overconfidence is why he used to turn down shots as often as an alcoholic on $2 fireball night—is wrong. That’s a blunt way to start a profile, but most of the time, we only remember one big narrative about someone or something years later.
In an era of constant information, and an educational system that rewards knowing about something long enough to pass a test, our long-term memories are decimated. Well, at least mine is. Maybe you wrote a series of magnificent essays at 15 about “Animal Farm.” But years later all most folks remember about that book is that communism doesn’t work.