november 6th | journal 8
Storytelling, memory, and culture shape how communities make sense of innovation far more than the technology itself. I believe that innovations that are guided by these traits are more sustainable and utilitarian. It makes me think about how people living with limited resources can repurpose household items, adapt tools, and invent solutions out of necessity. That kind of everyday innovation is rooted in culture and memory. Johar's work reminds me that innovation is always a narrative event. People filter new ideas through the stories they already hold about who they are and what futures feel possible. When something aligns with those stories, it feels natural. Collective memory plays a powerful role. Communities hold memories (collective identities/experiences) of harm, exploitation, or resilience, and those histories shape how they interpret new interventions, and culture becomes the frame through which innovation is judged.