The Rest of The Story

After a recent discussion, I researched Paul Harvey and his famous saying, “And now you know the rest of the story.” Here’s what I found:

One of the giants of the radio industry was Paul Harvey. Spanning four decades on the airwaves, Paul Harvey spoke in a smooth, velvety voice. He told stories that captured listeners’ attention. Paul Harvey presented the backstory of people and events, holding back a key piece of information until the end of the story. Harvey was a master at connecting yesterday to the present or the future, making each story relevant to his listeners. The missing piece of information tied everything all together. After revealing the absent key fact, Harvey would conclude with the line, “And now you know the rest of the story.” Then, everything made sense, and the story provided a valuable history lesson. He would sign off with the signature, “Paul Harvey. Good Day!”

When you hear a story, and perhaps even see what is being talked about, Paul Harvey had good advice — listen until the end — because most often a key part of the story is missing until then.

Truth teeters between what you perceive and what is factual.

Truth can be elusive and is often filtered through personal biases, experiences, emotions and access to information.

Recognizing that there are often two sides to every story is necessary to understanding the complexity of how we interact and communicate. Lack of communication, I find, is often where misunderstanding starts. Get the facts, ask questions and find out the why to get a better understanding before you say or do something you might regret.

“Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either.”  — Aesop

“No matter how flat you make your pancakes, it still has two sides.” —  Daniel Tosh