"narrative" in this context

Question

I meet the word "narrative" in this passage. After look up in the dictionary, I still not sure what is the definion of it in this context.

Many of our stories are about feeling trapped, right? We feel imprisoned by our families, our jobs, our relationships, our pasts. Sometimes, we even imprison ourselves with a narrative of self-flagellation -- I know you guys all know these stories. The "everyone's life is better than mine" story, courtesy of social media. The "I'm an impostor" story, the "I'm unlovable" story, the "nothing will ever work out for me" story. The "when I say, 'Hey, Siri, ' and she doesn't answer, that means she hates me" story. I see you, see, I'm not the only one. The woman who wrote me that letter, she also feels trapped. If she stays with her husband, she'll never trust him again, but if she leaves, her children will suffer.

Source : https://www.ted.com/talks/lori_gottlieb_how_changing_your_story_can_change_your_life/transcript#t-325647 (05:06)

Answer 1

Narrative has a wider meaning than just the telling of a story.

A "narrative" is a commentary on a story, an event or series of events, or on data. The narrative is often told from a particular perspective and can be shaped by an individual's opinion or objective.

Depending on the context, the word "narrative" can have a positive or negative connotation. For example, if a set of data suggests a decline in something desirable, a narrative may be added that puts a positive spin on it - that it perhaps indicates some other underlying positive. In recent times the word "narrative" has been used to suggest that a media outlet reports the news in such a way as to support its political agenda.

Even in fiction, there can be a suggestion that the narrative is flawed. The term "unreliable narrator" has been coined to describe a narrator whose credibility has been seriously compromised. It has been suggested by some that The Great Gatsby is written from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, as the fictional narrator of the story overlooks the faults of his closest friends (although this point, like the novel, is a hugely popular subject for debate).

In your example, there seems to be the suggestion that the "narrative" mentioned is not reliable:

Sometimes, we even imprison ourselves with a narrative of self-flagellation.

The suggestion seems to be that we create a false narrative for ourselves by being overly-critical of ourselves in a way that "imprisons", or limits us in some way.

Answer 2

Narrative is supposed to be synonymous with "story" - meaning it's an expressed understanding of events. Those events can be fake ones in a made-up story, true accounts of news stories of the past, or an account of a past news story plus related current events.

Use of this word is sometimes used to imply that things are moving toward a goal or result, but no one is controlling it or making it that way. The word may be chosen when that control actually does exist out of politeness, profressionalism, or political correctness.