This is a fascinating topic! I’ve often thought about the roles of religion, myths, and traditions in our lives, but I’ve never written about them, so it will be interesting to see how my thoughts align with this discussion.
I agree that myths don’t need to be true to convey wisdom. As “The Truth of Myths” points out, myths are timeless stories that transcend literal reality, offering insights into human nature, morality, and the structure of society. Morgan Housel captures this perfectly:
“When a topic is complex, stories are like leverage.”
And
“The best story wins. Not the best idea, or the right idea, or the most rational idea.”
And
“Great ideas explained poorly can go nowhere while old/wrong ideas told compellingly can ignite a revolution.”
And another example from another great storyteller, Richard Feynman:
We have seen the same thing from another author, Yuval Noah Harari. Is sapiens entirely accurate, or is there anything new in it? The answer is No. I will quote Harari here:
“I thought, ‘This is so banal!’ … There is absolutely nothing there that is new. I’m not an archeologist. I’m not a primatologist. I mean, I did zero new research. . . . It was really reading the kind of common knowledge and just presenting it in a new way.“
This highlights an important point: the power of a myth or story isn’t in its novelty or factual accuracy but in its ability to resonate with people and convey deeper truths.
Before the advent of widespread literacy, storytelling was the most effective way to pass on knowledge. Myths—whether religious, cultural, or even modern—served as tools to preserve wisdom, instill moral values, and create order in society.
I believe that myths, religions, and traditions all serve the crucial purpose of providing structure and meaning to human life. They help create shared values and ensure societal cohesion. For example, traditions like weddings or festivals celebrating the triumph of good over evil reinforce a sense of community and continuity. These stories and ceremonies have been passed down for generations, ensuring that certain norms and practices persist, promoting order rather than chaos.
Ultimately, myths are not static relics of the past; they are living, evolving narratives that continue to shape our world. I also think that this practice of creating and retelling stories has never stopped—and likely never will—because stories are how we make sense of our lives, our communities, and the world around us.
Exactly and great additions. Recently there was a discussion between Jordan Peterson and Richard Dawkins where Dawkins couldn't get past the idea that bible stories weren't true. It explains so much about the New Atheists and why it's such a fragile philosophy and so empty.
Myths are vital in understanding what is outside or beyond our logical brain.
However in Indigenous Cultures they were tied to ritual to get their transformative power.
If myths float separately they are just stories, important yes but not transformative.
There's lots that we 'a la carte' from true cultures, and because of this, we don't get the full transmission.
We, in our 'pseudoculture', have only ceremony, which is really lip service to ritual, and so we don't get the full transformation through, for example, the stages of life.
I think that's true but not complete. Western religions still have the ritual and transformative power. Indigenous cultures weren't unique in their mythologies either. What you describe is ubiquitous across cultures. The main group who is missing the ritual are the current Atheists IMO.
Hi Michael, thank you for your reply. Myths and rituals were ubiquitous across Indigenous cultures, yes.
Western religions have ceremony not ritual. For example in the catholic religion there is the marriage ceremony. It’s not ritual because there’s no transformation, (for example, there are people who still feel single after the marriage ceremony). It’s difficult in a substack text response but in the west we have lost the dynamics of ritual. Lots of Anthropological research done on this to describe the difference.
Myths are fantastically useful, and in a very real sense, the moral lesson they pass along to us is there whether or not the event actually happened. The trouble arises, of course, when someone insists that they know the myth happened.
I really do appreciate the ancient wisdom embedded in religious practices, particularly since all types of thinking (including so-called spiritual thinking) was much more closely related "back in the day." Once upon a time, we were all polymaths.
Myths fascinate me, especially through a Jungian lens as windows into the collective unconscious. This perspective inspires quite captivating journey :)
Great topic. I completely agree—myths are powerful precisely because they transcend the literal, offerring us truth-laden narratives that resonate across time and space.
And funnily enough, just yesterday I found myself streaming words into a poem (not typical for me at all!) on the very topic of returning to Eden.
This is a fascinating topic! I’ve often thought about the roles of religion, myths, and traditions in our lives, but I’ve never written about them, so it will be interesting to see how my thoughts align with this discussion.
I agree that myths don’t need to be true to convey wisdom. As “The Truth of Myths” points out, myths are timeless stories that transcend literal reality, offering insights into human nature, morality, and the structure of society. Morgan Housel captures this perfectly:
“When a topic is complex, stories are like leverage.”
And
“The best story wins. Not the best idea, or the right idea, or the most rational idea.”
And
“Great ideas explained poorly can go nowhere while old/wrong ideas told compellingly can ignite a revolution.”
And another example from another great storyteller, Richard Feynman:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N1pIYI5JQLE
We have seen the same thing from another author, Yuval Noah Harari. Is sapiens entirely accurate, or is there anything new in it? The answer is No. I will quote Harari here:
“I thought, ‘This is so banal!’ … There is absolutely nothing there that is new. I’m not an archeologist. I’m not a primatologist. I mean, I did zero new research. . . . It was really reading the kind of common knowledge and just presenting it in a new way.“
This highlights an important point: the power of a myth or story isn’t in its novelty or factual accuracy but in its ability to resonate with people and convey deeper truths.
Before the advent of widespread literacy, storytelling was the most effective way to pass on knowledge. Myths—whether religious, cultural, or even modern—served as tools to preserve wisdom, instill moral values, and create order in society.
I believe that myths, religions, and traditions all serve the crucial purpose of providing structure and meaning to human life. They help create shared values and ensure societal cohesion. For example, traditions like weddings or festivals celebrating the triumph of good over evil reinforce a sense of community and continuity. These stories and ceremonies have been passed down for generations, ensuring that certain norms and practices persist, promoting order rather than chaos.
Ultimately, myths are not static relics of the past; they are living, evolving narratives that continue to shape our world. I also think that this practice of creating and retelling stories has never stopped—and likely never will—because stories are how we make sense of our lives, our communities, and the world around us.
Exactly and great additions. Recently there was a discussion between Jordan Peterson and Richard Dawkins where Dawkins couldn't get past the idea that bible stories weren't true. It explains so much about the New Atheists and why it's such a fragile philosophy and so empty.
Myths are vital in understanding what is outside or beyond our logical brain.
However in Indigenous Cultures they were tied to ritual to get their transformative power.
If myths float separately they are just stories, important yes but not transformative.
There's lots that we 'a la carte' from true cultures, and because of this, we don't get the full transmission.
We, in our 'pseudoculture', have only ceremony, which is really lip service to ritual, and so we don't get the full transformation through, for example, the stages of life.
I think that's true but not complete. Western religions still have the ritual and transformative power. Indigenous cultures weren't unique in their mythologies either. What you describe is ubiquitous across cultures. The main group who is missing the ritual are the current Atheists IMO.
Hi Michael, thank you for your reply. Myths and rituals were ubiquitous across Indigenous cultures, yes.
Western religions have ceremony not ritual. For example in the catholic religion there is the marriage ceremony. It’s not ritual because there’s no transformation, (for example, there are people who still feel single after the marriage ceremony). It’s difficult in a substack text response but in the west we have lost the dynamics of ritual. Lots of Anthropological research done on this to describe the difference.
Myths are fantastically useful, and in a very real sense, the moral lesson they pass along to us is there whether or not the event actually happened. The trouble arises, of course, when someone insists that they know the myth happened.
I really do appreciate the ancient wisdom embedded in religious practices, particularly since all types of thinking (including so-called spiritual thinking) was much more closely related "back in the day." Once upon a time, we were all polymaths.
On the one hand, there are people who force myths to be true
On the other hand, there are people who won't see the value unless they are true.
On the third hand, I want more polymaths.
I want a third hand!
Thanks for a great article!
Myths fascinate me, especially through a Jungian lens as windows into the collective unconscious. This perspective inspires quite captivating journey :)
Exactly right. They're so full of wisdom that we just inherit with our culture.
Great topic. I completely agree—myths are powerful precisely because they transcend the literal, offerring us truth-laden narratives that resonate across time and space.
And funnily enough, just yesterday I found myself streaming words into a poem (not typical for me at all!) on the very topic of returning to Eden.
Oh fun. I'd love to see it when it's done!