The Sense Maker’s Manifesto: Rewriting the Stories That Rule Us

Harri Alatalo – The Sense Maker

Why I’m Here

For 20+ years I’ve worked inside corporate systems, watching how stories are engineered to shape perceptions—of products, of people, of power. This is not a criticism – it is just one of those mechanisms organizations use to stay alive.

Another 20 years before that, as a dancer and movement therapist, I learned how narratives move bodies, minds, and even cultures and educate, transmit values or heal.

Now, I’m using those tools to decode the myths that manipulate us – and help you rewrite them.

Why This Matters: There Are Stories That Rule You

We live in a world of engineered stories—and they don’t just influence you. They control you. At three levels:

Individual Stories: for example: “I’m not good enough.”
- This isn’t just self-talk—it’s a script installed in you by parents, teachers, or ads. Some of these scripts are healthy. Others are weapons.
- What you can do: Audit your self-talk. Which stories serve you—and which serve them?
Narratives, like: “Just Do It.”
- Cultural tropes aren’t neutral. They’re recruitment tools. Someone benefits when you believe the myth of the “self-made hero” or the “grind culture gospel.”
- Your move: Ask: Who’s selling this story? Who profits when you buy it?
Meta-Narratives, out of which “The American Dream” is one.
- Meta-narratives are area-wide invisible architectures that shape nations, economies, and sadly, still, wars. They don’t stop at borders. When you cross into another culture, you’re not just a traveler—you’re a carrier of these myths.
- Think about it. Name the meta-narrative you’re part of. Then decide: Do you export it—or resist it?

The stakes?

If you don’t see these stories, you believe them and you become them. And the people who engineered them? They’re counting on that.

But here’s the good news: You’re not a passive consumer. You’re a Sense Maker. And clarity is your first weapon.

⭐ TL;DR: The Story Hierarchy: stories work like a fractal:

Individual: Your self-talk (‘I’m a fraud’).
Narrative: Cultural tropes (‘Hustle = success’).
Meta-Narrative: Systemic myths (‘Capitalism rewards hard work’).

The Sense Maker’s toolkit helps you hack all three levels.

The stakes are getting higher, because AI deepfakes are now rewriting history and shaping reality in real time. Meanwhile, corporations sell us identities—sometimes to inspire, sometimes to obscure. Politicians package complex issues as simple battles to gain votes. Algorithms curate our reality to maximize engagement, not truth. The result? We’re drowning in narratives that simplify, distract, and divide—while the real power stays hidden in plain sight.

But: you’re not powerless. That nagging sense that something’s off? That’s your critical awareness working. It says it’s time to trust it—and act on it.

The Problem: How Myths Are Weaponized

1. For Individuals: The Stories That Shape You

You’re bombarded with narratives every day:

Ads that tell you who you should be.
Social media that curates a reality designed to keep you scrolling (and buying).
Self-talk that whispers, “You’re not enough.”
News that simplifies complex issues into us vs. them.

The trap? These stories are out there AND they’re already in your head, shaping your choices, your confidence, and even your identity.

Example: The story ‘I’m not good enough’ (individual) feeds into the narrative ‘You must hustle to succeed’ (cultural), which reinforces the meta-narrative ‘Capitalism rewards hard work’ (systemic).

But: who said it that you are not good enough in the first place? Whose acceptance are you still trying to gain?

2. For Marketers and Storytellers: The Ethical Dilemma

You’re in the business of crafting narratives. But the rules have changed:

AI-generated content floods the market with shallow, manipulative, or false stories more than you can do manually.
Consumers demand authenticity, but you can see that algorithms reward outrage and simplification.
Old-school tactics (buyer personas, keyword research) aren’t enough, they’re static in a dynamic world.

The dilemma: How do you cut through the noise without contributing to it? How do you build trust in an era of deepfakes and greenwashing?

The Sense Maker’s toolkit helps you:

Audit your brand’s narratives for hidden biases or manipulative patterns.
Design stories that resonate deeply—because they’re human-centered, not algorithm-driven.
Stay ahead of AI by focusing on nuance, ethics, and systemic truth—things bots can’t replicate.

⭐ For Marketers: The Story Hierarchy in Practice *”Your brand’s story isn’t just a slogan—it’s part of a hierarchy:

Individual: How does your messaging affect a single customer’s self-talk? (‘I need this product to be worthy’)
Narrative: What cultural tropes does your brand reinforce? (‘Hero’s journey’ for entrepreneurs)
Meta-Narrative: Does your story challenge or reinforce systemic myths? (‘Capitalism is natural’) Use the Sense Maker’s toolkit to align all three levels with your values.”

3. For Educators and Activists: The Battle for Truth

You’re fighting misinformation, polarization, and systemic erasure, but the tools are outdated:

Media literacy programs focus on spotting “fake news” but ignore how narratives are engineered.
Activist messaging gets co-opted or drowned out by corporate and political spin.
History curricula still center around dominant narratives, erasing marginalized voices.

The problem? We’re teaching people what to think, not how to think critically about the stories they’re fed.

The Sense Maker’s toolkit gives you:

A method to deconstruct divisive narratives (e.g., political slogans, corporate myths).
A way to reframe stories to unite rather than polarize.
Tools to teach critical thinking—from high school classrooms to grassroots campaigns.

⭐ For Educators: Classroom Exercise “Have students map a personal story (e.g., ‘I’m bad at math’) to cultural narratives (‘Boys are better at STEM’) and meta-narratives (‘Meritocracy is fair’). Then rewrite all three levels.”

4. For Organizations: The Cost of Inauthenticity

Your stakeholders—customers, employees, investors—are demanding transparency. But:

Greenwashing and virtue signaling erode trust fast.
AI-generated content risks diluting your brand’s authenticity.
Internal narratives (e.g., “We’re a family”) can mask toxic cultures.

The risk? In a world where everyone can spot a manipulative story, inauthenticity isn’t just unethical—it’s bad for business.

The Sense Maker’s toolkit helps you:

Align your stories with your actions (no more empty slogans).
Eliminate “cultural waste” (e.g., erasure, exploitation) from your narratives.
Create stories that empower—not just sell.

⭐ For Organizations: The Story Audit “Conduct a 3-level audit of your organization’s stories:

Individual: Employee self-talk (‘I must sacrifice for the company’).
Narrative: Corporate myths (‘We’re a family’).
Meta-Narrative: Industry norms (‘Profit is the ultimate goal’).

Use the Sense Maker’s toolkit to align all three with your mission.

The Solution: The Sense Maker’s Toolkit

A Sense Maker isn’t just someone who understands the world. It’s someone who rewrites it.

We’re the archaeologists of culture, digging up the buried truths behind the stories we’re fed—and handing the pen back to the people.

The 4-Layer Method: How to Hack Any Myth

Layer	Question to Ask	Example (Individual/Narrative/Meta-Narrative)
1. Excavate the Myth	Who benefits from this story?	Individual: “I’m not good enough” → Narrative: “Hustle culture” → Meta-Narrative: “Capitalism rewards the worthy.”
2. Map the Engineering	How was this myth weaponized?	Individual: Parents/teachers → Narrative: Nike ads → Meta-Narrative: Neoliberal policies.
3. Spot the Patterns	Where does this show up today?	Individual: Self-doubt → Narrative: LinkedIn “grind” posts → Meta-Narrative: Gig economy exploits.
4. Rewrite for Justice	How can we hack this story?	Individual: “I am enough” → Narrative: “Just Demand It” → Meta-Narrative: “Systemic change > self-help.”

⭐ The Story Hierarchy Pyramid:

Stories operate at three levels. The Sense Maker’s toolkit helps you hack each one.

Key Terms

Narrative Engineering: The deliberate shaping of stories to serve power—or to liberate.
Cultural Waste: What’s erased or ignored in a story (e.g., labor, consequences, marginalized voices).
Story Hierarchy: The three levels of granularity (individual → narratives → meta-narratives) and how they interact.

Stories of Resistance

Myth-hacking is not a theory – it’s already happening:

Labour unions rewrite corporate “family” myths to demand fair wages.
Artists like Banksy and Barbie director Greta Gerwig subvert cultural tropes to expose power.
Activists reframe climate guilt as systemic responsibility, not individual failure.
Educators teach critical thinking to encourage media literacy in classrooms.

⭐ Example: The #MeToo movement hacked the meta-narrative ‘Men are naturally dominant’ (systemic) by reframing individual stories (‘I was harassed’) into a cultural narrative (‘This is systemic’).

The Call to Action: Join the Rebellion

For Individuals

Use the Sense Maker’s toolkit to:

Audit the stories that shape your self-talk, relationships, and choices.
Rewrite the scripts that hold you back.
Design a life that aligns with your values—not society’s myths.

Start here:

Pick a story at any level (individual, narrative, or meta-narrative).
Apply the 4 layers (use the free template).
Share your rewrite with #SenseMaker.

For Marketers and Storytellers

Your stories can change the world—if you wield them ethically. Use the Sense Maker’s toolkit to:

Audit your brand’s narratives for hidden biases or manipulative patterns.
Create content that stands out because it’s human-centered, not algorithm-driven.
Build trust in an era of deepfakes and greenwashing.

Try this:

Book a Narrative Audit Session to analyze your brand’s storytelling across all three levels.
Read our Sense Maker’s Manifesto to read how engineered stories strive to control us
Read our case examples to discover narrative analysis in action

For Educators and Activists

You’re on the frontlines of the battle for truth. Use the Sense Maker’s toolkit to:

Teach critical thinking in ways that stick (e.g., analyze TikTok trends, political ads, and personal biases).
Reframe divisive narratives into stories that unite and empower.
Design curricula that center marginalized voices and systemic truth.

For Organizations

Your stories are your most powerful asset—if they’re authentic and aligned. Use the Sense Maker’s toolkit to:

Align your messaging with your mission (no more empty slogans).
Eliminate “cultural waste” (e.g., erasure, exploitation) from your narratives.
Create stories that empower—not just sell.
Book a Narrative Strategy Session to audit your organization’s storytelling hierarchy.

The Stakes: Why This Matters Now

We can keep scrolling through the myths.

Or we can become the authors.

The old stories won’t save us. But the new ones? Those are ours to write.

The Sense Maker’s job isn’t to predict the future but to unmake the present so we can build something better.

Your Mission (Should You Choose to Accept It)

Pick your role:
- Individual: Audit a story in your life (at any level).
- Marketer/Storyteller: Analyze your brand’s storytelling hierarchy.
- Educator/Activist: Teach the Story Hierarchy in your classroom or campaign.
- Organization: Align your stories with your values across all three levels.
Use the tools:
- Read the “12 ways to categorize reality“, the “periodic table” to understand how individuals, trends, and cultural moments unfold and connect
- Use the “4-Layer framework” to analyse repeated, packaged, and spread narratives designed to guide our thinking.
- Book a Narrative Audit Session with us here to explore your narratives
- Follow the Sense Maker @harriala himself for framework updates
Share your work with #SenseMaker (Instagram, X, Threads) let’s build a library of rewritten stories at every level!