Narrative forms like the four-act structure and nested stories are not arbitrary creative choices. They stem from Eastern cultural values like collectivism and Taoist principles, which prioritize the community's experience and response to unexpected events over an individual's linear journey.
In contrast to the Western three-act structure that introduces all main elements early, the East Asian "Kishotenketsu" (four-act) structure deliberately withholds a major element until the third act. This creates a radical shift that re-contextualizes the entire narrative, a technique used in acclaimed works like the film 'Parasite' and Nintendo's Mario games.
We instinctively add rather than subtract because addition provides visible evidence of our ability, like a bowerbird building an ornate nest. Subtraction's results are often invisible—like a removed freeway—offering no tangible proof of the smart decision made, thus failing to satisfy our innate drive to demonstrate competence.
The popularity of gurus like Marie Kondo who teach subtraction highlights a deeper issue: we systematically overlook subtraction as a problem-solving tool. Their advice treats the symptom (clutter), but the root cause is a fundamental cognitive bias where we default to addition without even considering removal as an option.
True wisdom isn't about accumulating information (an additive process). It's the more difficult act of subtraction: editing our minds, rethinking assumptions, and removing outdated beliefs. Nobel-winning breakthroughs often come from this kind of subtractive editing of our collective knowledge rather than a new addition.
Cultural values act as a lens that can completely invert a story's meaning. In cultures where dragons are revered as divine, killing one is a tragedy. From this perspective, Bilbo and the dwarves are not heroes but "thieves and homeless men" whose triumph is seen as dark and morally wrong.