For Anna Delvey: This whole story is completely true…
“Except for all the parts that are totally made up.”
The first sentence here is one that the Creative Director of the show, Shonda Rhimes lavishly re-emphasizes throughout the series. While this is a subtle and clever disclaimer, I think it totally describes Anna’s life, at least the one that powered her belief that she could achieve the foundation.
However, she believed the story, even the parts that were totally made up.
That’s some crazy stuff.
I enjoyed seeing “Inventing Anna.”
Interestingly, not because of the major character, Anna Sorokin, but because of Vivian Kent, the journalist who helped unravel the story throughout the series, maybe because I am a trained journalist with a few years in the bag, understanding and chasing stories.
In the Netflix series, Anna glided through established systems and was close to getting the final credit for her foundation if not for some last checks and balances to the process. In Todd’s closing remarks, he went:
“You’ve heard a lot of evidence from a lot of witnesses in this trial, but have you noticed one thing throughout?
Every witness who came before you in this trial was embarrassed…everyone had a story, because everyone of them, all highly paid, well educated, experienced businessmen, every one of them was fooled by a 25-year-old kid with no college degree, no credentials and no business experience beyond and internship”
How could she get dangerously close to fooling those banks?
As crazy as this sounds, my focus is on the power of narratives to create powerful illusions that look real. Sometimes, they are so compelling that even in the face of facts and superior arguments, even the smartest and careful can fall for it if it is properly situated to anchor on something they want.
She looked the part to play the part at every point, and if you are clever enough to click the most compelling box for any clique you want to join, it is easier for them to ignore the other parts they think you can learn. That was how she got the free private jet trip and walked her way through Nora’s insecurities.
She believed her illusion so much that nothing outside it could change her mind, even in the face of changing environmental experiences. I mean, she was in prison robes and still felt she could control the dynamics to her favour. When it looked as if the story was not clicking, she immediately switched characters, armed with either love, charm, or guilt at different times.
As crazy as this sounds, there is something to learn here: stories are powerful enough to dictate realities. If you believe in them well enough, you can begin to take subconscious actions towards actualizing the picture in your mind.
And yeah, she was brilliant!
Anna: “Does death hunt you”
Talia’s wealthy Yatcht Owner: “I think about death more these day. Sure! So what?
Anna: Do you ever dream about it?
Do you think other people your age dream about death?
If I am big pharma, wouldn’t it be valuable to know this?….
This convo was crazy! The best way to help people see things your way is to share a familiar context that they can understand.
Vivian Kent! Another victim of the stories that we tell ourselves.
Her career was taken away because of a mistake that her supervising editor should have checked, and she saw this story as an opportunity to get her life back. She neglected her home front at some point, and it took a very understanding husband to keep things balanced.
She had what was in her mind and what she wanted to achieve and was willing to do everything possible to get things done. Anna manipulated her because they had similar stories of creating pictures that they wanted to live out. I like how Neff was able to bring out this part in their chat.
The support system from her team members at Scriberia is what anybody should wish to have. Sometimes, the only way to get ahead is to get your team/supporters club.
However, Vivian crossed a couple of ethical lines and showed reasons why those lines are drawn in the first place.
What of Neff?
Neff could not imagine a life outside the story she had told herself about Anna. Even in the face of evidence, she believed that it could be more and was ready to back up the idea she had in her head with real-time actions to support it.
A few other things I noticed:
- The place of relationships in how money moves around — goodwill, equity, and relationships.
- Your life is not your job; there is a chance you could lose both if you take them into battle as one.
- Sometimes, people count on you to be human to complete their scheme. Sadly.
So many things to discuss! But these days, I’m not particularly eager to write long stuff, so let me stop here. I saw some interesting articles after I had finished writing mine and you may enjoy them: here and here.
Have you seen the Netflix series? Did you enjoy it, or what were the lessons you could pick up?
