Empathy machines and why we need storytelling | David Mann | TEDxJohannesburg Salon

David Mann opens by establishing the critical importance of storytelling in countering isolation and insularity in a world saturated with bad news and governed by pervasive power structures. He introduces the concept of stories as 'empathy machines'—tools that exercise our capacity for empathy by inviting us to temporarily inhabit others' lives with curiosity and kindness.

Mann traces his own awakening to the power of storytelling through a personal narrative. Growing up in a small Eastern Cape university town, he studied English literature, journalism, anthropology, and philosophy, but found these disciplines remained abstract until he attended a theater performance. This pivotal moment—sitting in worn red seats as the curtain rose—catalyzed his realization that storytelling is how he makes sense of the world and his place in it. This epiphany led him to become a journalist, art critic, and author.

He introduces Seamus Heaney's poem 'Digging' as a guiding philosophy, using the image of a pen as a digging tool to illustrate the choice between didactic storytelling and curious, questioning art that excavates deeper truths. He demonstrates this concept through examples of South African artists—Ivan Vladislavic, William Kentridge, and Smith and Tylle—all of whom use their work to excavate personal and historical truths.

Mann describes a crisis point in his career around 2021 when he became disillusioned with how the art world had become corrupted by commercial markets, forcing his writing and language into service of marketing rather than meaning-making. Rather than leaving the industry, he pursued a Master's in creative writing and began writing fiction, which provided a 'playful, exciting space' to explore narratives and questions that journalism couldn't accommodate. This led to his debut collection 'Once Removed,' a series of 13 interconnected stories about art world figures and ordinary people whose lives have been changed through engagement with art.

Mann concludes by emphasizing that storytelling is fundamentally collaborative and collective. He distinguishes between two epiphanies: the initial moment of entering a story, and the equally important moment outside the theater where community members discuss and make meaning together. He cites Zadie Smith's observation that 'the world does not deliver meaning to you, you have to make it meaningful,' arguing this is not a solitary act but an everyday, collective human endeavor. As long as we tell stories together, we remain in touch with our fundamental humanity.