The Power And Influence Of Myths!

Myths are powerful social narratives with important insights into how you perceive your realities and make decisions about your societies. Many myths have deep origins and make their way into your day-to-day lives. Although your ancestors often lived in primitive times and had no other option, it's important to know what the reality of myths is. A human being's standard of living can be improved or reduced by myths. Isn't mythology one of the most interesting topics on the face of the Earth?

Myths are the source of all knowledge, because they capture what is both true and false in any given culture. The power of myth is that, under the influence of powerful myths, people adapt their overarching beliefs, values and knowledge in turn influencing their daily lives.

What Are Myths?

Simply put, myths are old stories that people use to make sense of their world. They are fictional stories that are used to teach values and lessons about the world around us. The story of the world is woven with many different types of myth and its meaning is perpetually interpreted and reinterpreted. Myths are an important part of human culture and their study is a prominent academic discipline.

The academic study of myth is called "mythography" and the discipline of interpreting the ancient texts of myth is called "mythology." Although these terms are often used interchangeably, there are distinctions to be made.

How Can Myths Affect Us?

Myths have tremendous effects on human societies. Many of the world's most basic and complex beliefs, values and customs are founded upon myths. Myths structure human societies by providing a framework for interpreting the world. The existence of myth provides a framework for knowing and acting upon the world. It is as if the myths were an "interpreter" between humans and the natural world.

Many cultures throughout the world have incorporated various mythological stories into their own religious doctrines. These stories serve to either legitimize or delegitimize the existing social order. Myths are powerful tools for social control and can be used in a variety of ways.

Myths have had an effect on human history as vast as any other force. Myths served to justify the practices of the Aztec, for example and the Catholic church built its entire theology upon a mythical foundation.

In addition to their power to structure and legitimate, myths are also powerful, because they are seductive. Many a "simple" human has been lured in by the promise of unlimited power and riches. Even more have been lured in by the idea that the world was created and is run by benevolent beings, who have our best interests at heart.

Many humans have been seduced by the allure of myth and have thus fallen victim to the schemes of others. Many a human being has been convinced that the Earth was created by a "higher power" and has been used as an instrument to further his or her own agenda. For human beings, the seductive powers of myth are perhaps the most pernicious and dangerous.

Why Are Myths Important?

Myths are important, because they are the stories we use to understand the world. They are the stories we use to justify the systems of power in place. Myths are important, because they are powerful.

Although myth is a loaded word, it is important to remember that it is a story, not a fact. The story an individual or a group tells about themselves and their world is how they interpret the facts. Every individual and collective story is a potential source of power and influence.

Myths pervade every aspect of human life, from the stories we believe about ourselves to the stories we tell each other in order to survive. The stories we use to make meaning and value out of our lives have great effects on our behavior, thoughts and emotions. If we change the story we tell about ourselves, we change who we are and what we value.

Why Study Myths?

Perhaps you've noticed that the world seems dark and contradictory and you don't know how to make sense of it. Maybe you feel lost in a world, where you don't understand what's going on. Maybe you want to escape your own life and find some type of purpose or meaning.

If you feel lost, then studying myths might be just what you need. Myths are like "magnetic" stories, that are used to explain the world and give orientation to the Universe. They tell you what you can and cannot do in any given situation. When you understand the rules and limitations of a given set of rules, you can then decide how to behave in a given situation.

Myths give you the rules of the game, so that you can play it more intelligently. Although you may never become "good" at something, you can reduce your frustration and increase your chances for success.

The Importance Of Telling And Exploring Myths

Myths provide a way of making sense of an inherently senseless Universe. Myths help you make decisions about how to live your life by providing a road map to follow. Myths help you understand the world you live in by giving it a framework for ordering.

When myths fail us, we have an irrational and angry God, some type of "savior" who is a warrior God, or some vague set of values, that are supposed to make us all "live good". These are not adequate ways of making sense of the world.

As humans, we are social beings. We need to make meaning together. We need to find communal ways of living, working and playing. Myths are stories, but they are powerful and influential, because they map out the territory of what is considered "normal" or "appropriate" in any given society.

What Is Considered Myth?

All stories are not myths. Only those that are widely believed and passed on are considered myths. Some stories are just too good not to be true, but many are just a little too good. Others are just false. It's up to you to decide which is which.

It is important to note, that even if a story is considered a myth, this in no way implies, that it is a "false" story. Myths can be as "true" as any other story. It is the degree of acceptance and the degree of being "wished" for that determines whether or not a myth is considered a myth.

What Are The Different Types Of Myths?

There are many different types of myths. Some are "creation myths", which recount the beginning of the world. Some are "history" myths, which recount the past. Some are "magical" myths, which recount encounters with "magical" beings. Some myths are religious, recounting the stories of the "origin of man", the "origin of God", or the "existence of a soul". Some myths are "functional", recounting the creation of tools or the invention of things, that have practical purposes. Some myths are "archetypal" in nature, in that they describe events, that occur at the heart of a being and can be seen metaphorically to describe the being's "nature".

Every culture has its own unique collection of myths, but they all have in common the desire to explain the unexplainable and to give orientation to the Universe. Every culture also has a unique set of myths and every individual within a given culture may hold a different set of myths.

You may come across people who are unable to "integrate" a myth, that conflicts with their own values and thus they will attempt to destroy the myth or ridicule it. This is what can be seen as the "fallacy" of the excluded middle. That is to say, we are either "enlightened" and thus the values of the culture ought to be reflected in our behavior and beliefs, or else we are "crazed" and thus the myths ought to be discarded.

Neither of these options are particularly satisfactory. The first option is a failure to acknowledge the complexity of the human psyche and the human value system. The second option is equally unsatisfactory, because it is an uncritical dismissal of a complex and subtle set of experiences, that have a great deal of value.

Thank you for reading.