"Mythology is Losing the War" – An Online Discussion with Mythologist Willi Paul, Planetshifter.com

Join us to discuss the state of mythology in 2018!

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< * > For me, the most interesting part of the God of War series is how the developers reimagine classic mythology and characters, twisting the legends we know in clever new ways (usually by making the gods huuuuuge a-holes).

Greek mythology is a lot more well-known than Norse mythology, though, so while the previous God of War games have featured stories you're likely familiar with, the newest game goes into unfamiliar territory. But much like the Greek pantheon era of games, Sony Santa Monica is doing really interesting things with the gods and legends. - Source

< * > Stories give us resolution: bad guys usually get their comeuppance and good guys usually get vindicated. This isn't how it rolls in real life, although the 'just world fallacy' - a cognitive bias that makes us believe that actions have just consequences - would suggest that we have trouble coming to terms with this existential unfairness.

The 'hero's quest' is another archetype that we have readily bought into. Because we've read so many books about great voyages of discovery, some of us seem to think that we have to embark on a peripatetic adventure to 'find oneself'. It's true that travel is soul-stretching but it's unlikely that your true self is hiding behind a mountain in the Himalayas. Stories about reinvention, whether it's 'rags to riches' or 'zero to hero', also give us false ideas. Indeed, they're probably behind our preoccupation with 'New Year, New You' campaigns and 'change your life in 30 days' self-help books.

This brings us to the neat conclusion. Not every story has a happy ending, but there is always an ending - and usually a dramatic one. This is most likely where the great myth of 'closure' comes from. Some of us feel that we "need closure" before we can move on from a traumatic situation, but in life, unlike in story, there isn't always a tidy denouement. Yes, stories certainly change the way we look at life but, every now and again, it's worth asking if they've distorted your perception entirely. - Source

< * > What do Marvel, DC Comics, Sony Santa Monica, Trump, Hollywood & The Joseph Campbell Foundation have in common?

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Fake Myths

How do the classic mythologists define story these days?

How is classical mythology dealing with Trump? With climate change? With the gun-loving NRA?

Is there a lack of new myths in classic myth making that challenges corrupt capitalism, climate change, rewilding and species extinction among other themes?

How is classical mythology addressing greed and corruption in the business sector?

Have advertising pitches and back room profit-taking corrupted Campbell's hero's journey? If so, how?

Question: Are classic myths simply bumper-sticking graven issues without creative debate, spiritual integrity or contemporary relevance?

Is social media "mythical?" How? Where?

Is science and technology and capitalism killing mythology?

What is your assessment of the Joseph Campbell Foundation's control, creative bias and canon in classic mythology?

Fake Heroes

Where are the Hollywood cartoon saviors in real life?

Question: Is there too much dependence on the Individual as Hero? Why not go with the community as the Hero?

Who are the "Myth Experts" on the history channel?

Fake Nature

VR? Ballyhoo! Killing time; killing Nature. More toys and more software to buy, boys.

Are we slaves to the tecno-media men - playing with ourselves while ignoring our neighborhoods?

Fake Journeys

Smart phones and social media make instant gratification more instant and kill the traditional initiations and rites?

"Things to own" vs "journeys to take?"

Commercials plague the TV family room and religion has nothing to buy and answers to our problems

Video games clog our creativity, risk-taking and visioning skills.

Demise of community as mythic power source

Fake Values

Do the old myths often fall into clique and far-fetched platitudes?

Data driven? What?

Material - Shopping centric?

What is the algorithm for bliss?

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Likely subjects for the new global mythologist?

Regenerative agriculture

Pornography

Climate Change

Gender Equality

Possible roles of the new global mythologist?

New Interpreter

New Archivist

New Activist

Sage / Sacred Leader