Since the dawn of time, myth has shaped the very lives of humanity at a fundamental, unconscious level. But what is a myth? Simply put, the word itself is derived from the Greek μυθος, or mythos when transcribed, which translates into English as “story.” In the history of the world, human beings are “mythmakers,” creators who invent stories to tell the deepest truths through the power of images and symbols. As Karen Armstrong says in her book A Short History of Myth, stories “enable us to place our lives in a larger setting, that revealed an underlying pattern, and gave a sense that, against all the depressing and chaotic evidence to the contrary, life had meaning and value.” Myths allow us to be a part of a unifying story that connects us and people both before and beyond ourselves, embolizing the whole human experience.

Great people who search for the meaning of mythos and find what it means to soothe the soul utilize the power of stories to understand their life and mission. Joseph Campbell would refer to this as “following their bliss,” their bliss—their vocation—their dream and mission—creates great new ideas that reshape the world. Stories are a fundamental aspect of the human experience, formed deep from the unconsciousness that we use to understand the world. And in the case of great people—great heroes—a great story is found in every individual person, but also universally.

We must realize as modern day people dominated by a pragmatic, scientific mentality which dismisses the power of story that and myth surrounds us, deeply entrenched into our very soul. Whether we realize it or not, we are heroes of our own journey and while we may fall into the depths from time to time, we can always re-emerge from the other end, greater and stronger than ever.

For Further Reading

• Armstrong, Karen. A Short History of Myth. New York, NY: Canongate, 2005.

• Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. Religions of the West Today. Fourth. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2019.

• Campbell, Joseph. A Hero With A Thousand Faces. Third Edition. The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell. Novato, California: New World Library, 2008.

• Campbell, Joseph. Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation. Edited by David Kudler. The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell. Navato, California: New World Library, 2004.

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