written 7
July 2018
published 14 July 2018
Joseph Campbell is known for his
lifelong research into myths from around the world. Shortly before Campbell died, Bill Moyer
interviewed him, available in a DVD series "The Power of Myth", which
we recently viewed.
Myths are metaphors, like poems, meaning
more than literal interpretation of the details, alluding to deeper
relationships and wisdom. After studying
thousands of myths, Campbell found a common theme of an individual heroine, or
hero, challenged to transcend self-interest, to risk their life for the good of
a larger system, of which they are already a part. Some individuals go seeking adventure, some
inadvertently fall into the adventure, and in some cases, the adventure sweeps
them up. No matter how they became
engaged, the quest demands they expand their sense of "self" in order
to heroically recognize and embrace a larger context.
Watching the video, it struck me
that our current moment in US history is the hero's challenge. Trump can be seen as a symbol of the isolated
individual, acting without regard for anyone else, the state of the hero before
the transforming adventure of myth. In Trump's
mind, America is a solitary player on a dog-eat-dog planet. He acts with no regard for the consequences of
his actions, because he believes everyone is against him and looking to take
advantage. The border wall is a good
example of the illusion of this view, as if walls can really keep out the
problems that come with an interconnected world.
One of my favorite metaphors from
biology is the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. After a time of focused eating and growing,
the caterpillar begins to change, producing the hard shell of a cocoon around
its body. The soft body inside the
cocoon dissolves into a featureless goop.
Within that goop, numerous small groups of cells, called "imaginal
buds", begin to come together, forming the butterfly. However, the caterpillar's immune system is
still functioning. Being narrowly
defined, it attacks these growing imaginal buds as foreign invaders. Because there is a holism between the
caterpillar and the butterfly, this attack actually stimulates the growth of
the imaginal buds, hastening the completion of the emerging butterfly. The butterfly breaks out of the cocoon, contributes
to other life forms by acting as a pollinator, mates, lays eggs, and the cycle
begins again.
Like a caterpillar, the American
economy has spent decades in focused consumption, living without awareness or regard
for the rest of the world, other than as raw material. With less than 5% of the world population, we
consume 24% of the resources, and produce 50% of the solid waste. This economic form, having run its course, is
now collapsing. Whether we like it or
not, we are engaged in a mythic adventure, challenged to transform into a new
form, which acknowledges and contributes to the larger connected planet. Nothing less will really do at this
point.
The American experiment with
democracy is a testament to the powerful potential of inclusion. When American was founded, a nation based on
democracy and equal rights for all was considered a naive utopian fantasy. While imperfect in practice, the fact of
democratic America's duration has inspired oppressed people all over the
planet. America is now being tested to
see if our vision is still strong, or whether selfish greed will destroy our inclusive
democratic experiment.
This national myth challenge
illuminates our personal myth challenge as well. The old cultural stories based on fear and
separation are strained by the explosion of connective technology, which
disrupt the familiar social order by opening powerful links to the whole
world. Global immigration patterns, the
rise of individual rights in the form of voting, gender equality, sexual
preference, and race, appear as threats to an isolated individual, rather than
expressions of the diversity of the unity that includes us all. Trump's attacks on compassionate democracy
are calling us to become heroes and heroines engaged in an archetypical
adventure of transcending our selfish perspective, and embracing our connection
with the unity of the world. This is our
work. This is our human potential. This is our birthright.
