What GOT Can Teach Us About Communicating Ideas That?Stick?

“Stick ’em with the pointy end.”

Who knew that these simple six words would turn out to be the most pivotal and essential piece of advice ever given in Westeros?

If you have been watching Game of Thrones, it would be safe to assume that by now, you are aware of the epic Arya Stark jump scene which ends the very promising career of our homeboy, The Night King. 

As I was making the social media rounds after watching the “Battle of Winterfell” episode, I couldn’t help but notice people quoting the same line again and again. 

“She stuck him with the pointy end.”

As a communications student, this got me really thinking. 

“Good ideas often have a hard time succeeding in this world. And yet, there are some statements which catch on like wildfire(see what I did there!) and capture the public imagination in the most spectacular way.” 

I wanted to understand why this happened. 

What is it that makes some ideas more compelling and sensational than other ideas? Why some ideas stick and stand the test of time and why some of them are immediately forgotten?

As it turns out, Game of Thrones has a lot of sticky ideas and they all share a few common traits.

In this post, I will try to dissect and understand those common traits. By using these principles in our own communications, we might find ways to get better at making our own messages stick, influence and persuade.

Principle 1: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Game of Thrones Season 1, Episode 2: The Kingsroad — Jon, Arya, and Needle

Jon is about to join the Night’s Watch while Arya and the other Starks head down to King’s Landing. That’s when Jon hands Arya Needle, a sword specifically made for her, and gives her her first lesson.

“Stick ’em with the pointy end.” 

It’s hard to make ideas stick in a noisy, unpredictable, chaotic environment. If we’re to succeed, the first step is this: Be simple. 

This does not at all mean “dumbing down stuff” or “making it as short as possible”. All it comes down to is “finding the essential core of the idea.”

Of the million things Jon Snow could have taught Arya about sword fighting, he chose to say this. And it stuck.

Finding the core means stripping the idea down to it’s most critical essence. You eliminate all the unnecessary and superfluous stuff so all that remains is the stuff that really matters. 

Think about all the proverbs you were taught as kids. We still remember them, don’t we?

Because they are ideas that are compact enough to be sticky and meaningful enough to make a difference.

That’s what we should aim for when we are trying to communicate our messages to the world. And as you already know, “finding the core,” and expressing it in the form of a compact idea, can be enduringly powerful.

Here are some other lines and dialogues from Game of Thrones that have followed the same principle. 

Principle 2: Make It Concrete and Visual 

Have you ever come across the Mission and Vision statements of companies and brands?

Tell me honestly, do you really understand those or it just seems like a lot of high and flowery words used to sound impressive? 

That’s often the problem with business communication. It’s often so ambiguous that it’s almost meaningless. Try and memorize a company’s Mission Statement. It’s really hard to do so because it’s not naturally sticky. 

On the other hand, when somebody tells you to stick ’em with the pointy end, it conjures up a visual image so concrete and clear that you cannot not remember it. 

Language is often abstract, but life is not abstract. 

Even the most abstract business strategy must eventually show up in the tangible actions of human beings. 

What makes something concrete? If you can examine something with your senses, it’s concrete. 

Imagine if Jon told Arya something like “Wait for the right time and when your opponent exposes his body, wield the sword so that it penetrates their armor and injures a vital organ.”

There is no way Arya was going to remember that. But the idea of a pointy end conjures up an image. You can almost feel holding the sword and you can see how the sharp edge would pierce the opponent. 

Whenever you are trying to communicate your message, try and ensure that you make your readers or listeners imagine and visualize stuff. Naturally sticky ideas are full of concrete images and not abstract words.

Here are some other iconic lines from Game of Thrones that use this principle really well.

Many of us daily struggle to communicate our ideas in a way that really makes a difference. 

Now, there is no sure shot formula to help you solve this problem. But these two powerful principles can definitely help you increase the odds of success. 

Think of it this way.

No two successful athletes are the same but there will surely be a set of common traits that they both share. Perseverance, Agility, and Determination. 

So, if you try and master these common traits of already successful athletes, you greatly increase your own chances of success. 

Next time you think about communicating an idea, make sure that you follow the principles of Simplicity and Concreteness. I am positive that you will see the difference immediately. 

All the best. 

About Me

I am a Self Improvement Junkie on a mission to help students & young professionals grow and improve. Visit www.theveningproject.com to know more about the how & the what.