Getting something to stick is even better.

What happens when something you watched for fun suddenly teaches you something you actually need in real life?

This morning I was scrolling TikTok and saw a video about the people being called the heroes of yesterday's flydubai flight.

The story is terrifying.

The captain was attacked, the plane dropped sharply, and passengers and crew got into the cockpit.

One passenger says he helped restrain the attacker, then grabbed the controls until flydubai pilots on board took over.

He isn't a pilot.

So how did he know what to do?

He credited Air Crash Investigation.

Or Mayday, as I know it.

And apparently today is also the day I learn Mayday is Canadian.

The content nerd in me cannot stop thinking about that.

It reminded me of the Arizona mechanic who saved an unconscious woman in 2019 using CPR he remembered from The Office, including doing chest compressions to "Stayin' Alive."

He wasn't watching The Office to learn CPR.

This passenger wasn't watching Mayday to learn how to handle a plane.

They were just watching TV.

That's it.

And somehow, their brains went: yep, saving that for later.

That is what good content can do.

A story makes something easier to understand. Seeing it helps it stick. Hearing it more than once helps us remember it.

This week I've written about content making us feel something and putting stories back in the spotlight.

Apparently it can teach us too.

We talk so much about reach, engagement and conversions.

But maybe there's another question:

Did anyone actually remember what we told them?

Because getting someone's attention is great.

Getting something to stick is even better.