New Delhi, Aug. 4 -- Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in her brilliant TED Talk, put it succinctly: "Show people as one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become." She was pointing to the risks and dangers of a single story. People have many layers of existence, and the mind creates meaning for survival - in other words, a unique, multilayered story for each individual. In fact, the brain seems to be doing exactly this: creating stories in our minds based on a person's context and circumstances.

The greatest risk of a single story is the sense of inferiority it creates. People begin to doubt their own cognitive strength-a strength that every human mind possesses. This inner resource comes from one's culture, roo...