"小说并不坏。它是至关重要的。没有像金钱、国家或公司这样的普遍接受的故事，任何复杂的人类社会都无法运作。"

Fiction, in this context, isn't about made-up tales from novels or movies. It's about the stories we, as humans, collectively believe in—these shared myths or constructs that hold our society together. Think about it. Money, countries, corporations—they're all, at their core, ideas we agree to believe in. Without this shared belief, our entire system would collapse.

Take money, for instance. Those paper bills in your wallet or the numbers you see in your bank account—they're just pieces of paper and digital entries. They have value because we all agree they do. Without this consensus, you'd be left trading chickens for shoes, and good luck fitting a chicken into your wallet! This shared belief is so ingrained in us that we often forget it's a kind of fiction.

To give you a bit of history, these ideas evolved because they made life easier. Imagine a time when people bartered goods. Trading a dozen eggs for a haircut is simple enough, but it gets complicated quickly. What if the barber doesn’t need eggs? The invention of money—this universally accepted medium of exchange—solved a lot of those problems. It's a brilliant story we all bought into.

Picture this: You're at a coffee shop, paying for your latte. You hand over a five-dollar bill. You and the barista both accept that this slip of paper is worth something. If one of you suddenly decides it's worthless, the whole transaction falls apart. This shared belief in the value of money is what makes modern economies possible. It's a fiction, sure, but it's crucial.

Now, how can you apply this wisdom? Start by recognizing the power of these shared beliefs. In a company, for instance, the entire organization functions because everyone buys into the mission and vision. If you're a leader, reinforce these stories—make sure everyone is on the same page. It’s about creating and nurturing that shared belief.

Imagine you're part of a team working on a project. The project's success hinges on everyone believing in its importance and working towards the same goal. If team members start doubting the project's value, motivation drops, and the project falters. So, keep the story alive. Remind everyone of the project's impact and significance. Keep that shared belief strong.

Let me tell you about a friend of mine, Sarah. She started a nonprofit aimed at providing clean water in remote villages. Initially, it was just her and a dream. But she started sharing her vision—telling stories of the villages, the children, the transformative power of clean water. People bought into her vision. Volunteers joined, donors contributed, and soon, her nonprofit was making a real difference. It all started with a shared belief in the story she was telling.

So, next time you think about concepts like money or corporations, remember—they're just stories we all agree to believe in. And these stories are powerful. They shape our world and make complex human societies function. Embrace this idea, and use the power of shared beliefs to drive change and make things happen.