This excellent video just came into my inbox. I love all the Prager University stuff. Short and logical videos. This one I give you, because it has to do with the power of story. It’s not just Hollywood that seeks to influence our culture. It’s NY publishing as well.

And we ought to not fault them for being passionate about their message or for being smart about getting it out there. We ought to ask ourselves why we don’t have as much passion or courage or stamina or devotion as they have.

One thing I disagree with in regards to this video is the part about courage. Ben says that they are given awards and called courageous for putting forth ideas that all their friends hold. He is suggesting that they are not being courageous at all. Courage in Hollywood, I’ve heard many people say, would consist of espousing conservative beliefs.

Well, sure, I get the point. But it is also courageous to speak things that your friends agree with when you know many others disagree with your take. Most of my friends agree with my conservative views, but I know that many people will be offended by what I say. And that’s not a comfortable place to be. I don’t like offending people. And I would guess that many of my liberal friends feel the same way. People in Hollywood don’t like getting death threats from the unhinged on the far right and they do get death threats sometimes. They are mocked on some of the Fox opinion shows. I don’t think they enjoy that.

Yes, it takes more courage to be anti gay marriage in Silicon Valley than to be pro gay marriage. It takes more courage to speak out when you are in danger of losing your job. But it still takes some courage to speak out when you know that some of the folks back home will disapprove of what you’re saying. You may think they are dumb, blind sheep, but you still want them to like you.

But other than that small point of disagreement with Ben Shapiro, I can highly recommend this video to you as an encouragement to you to keep writing. We need to be passionate and dedicated and courageous.

We need to speak.

Because stories change the world.