Your Life is Not a Hero's Journey

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Why are stories so purposefully structured whereas our reality is so often messy and chaotic? Why do characters have clear transformative arcs when our identities and personal journeys are so much more complex than that? It's questions like these, and their implications that will be explored in this new series on stories vs. reality.
In this second episode, I’ll be examining the history of the heroic adventure, and the implications of projecting the hero’s journey on our own lives.
Episode 1: The Fundamental Difference Between Stories and Reality: • The Fundamental Differ...
Sources:
Simon Gusman & Arjen Kleinherenbrink - Avonturen Bestaan Niet: www.boomfilosofie.nl/product/...
Joseph Campbell - The Hero With A Thousand Faces: amzn.to/2WcOhl1
Simone de Beauvoir - The Second Sex: amzn.to/3cwbIMU
Like Stories of Old - Complete Reading List: kit.co/likestoriesofold/readi...
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Music:
Dexter Britain - The Time To Run
Dexter Britain - Trekking By Night
Dexter Britain - The War In My Head
Dexter Britain - The Time To Run (Part 2)
Luke Atencio - Loom
Dexter Britain - Things In My Head
Steven Gutheinz - All Hallows Eve
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[@LikeStoriesofOld]

The night is darkest just before the dawn. In this second episode - the middle part of my 3-part series - I really wanted to challenge some ideas that seem to have become so pervasive in our society, but as you can probably tell from some of the more personal musings in this video, it also turned into quite the reality check for myself. Have you ever let yourself get carried away with trying to live life as a heroic adventure? Let me know below!

[@BinyaminTsadikBenMalka]

I was just about to release a video on this subject. I had to click and watch first :D

[@EricGraham94]

People’s collective psyche are fundamentally tied to adventure stories, mythology, cautionary tales, etc. because that’s how we’ve always told stories (even mythology is indicative of the culture’s collective human experiences all culminating in a pantheon of many people within an epic saga). Given the human ability to be able to process events in a far more complex way than animals do, they are all translated visually with metaphors (ie: monsters representing our internal conflicts or external obstacles). That’s something Carl Jung’s studies in psychology - even taken to a philosophical level - touches upon, which later translate into the workings of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. So of course it is natural for people to see their life stories as paralleling that of a hero story; but if we strip away all the romanticism and colorful imagery, we are all just meatbags no different from one another.

[@danipading1920]

Seems like somebody has read few notes on C.S Lewis's ideology

[@laxmandass6946]

Can I ask where are you from? Just trying to decipher your accent. It is not American or British right...?

[@mattehcat]

Have you ever heard the story of Joe? He was a soldier in WWII. He trained, like every other soldier, struggled through basic, became handy with a rifle, and then was shipped off to combat. On his first mission, he died. We now signify his sacrifice with celebrations, poppies, feasts, and thanks, knowing that he sacrificed himself for the continuation of our society. In this way, Joe completed his hero's journey and allowed his culture to live on by bringing back the elixir, through his sacrifice, of continuation. And oddly enough, this enables Joe to live on; to triumph, even over death. It is a fool who asks why the whole world did not turn to gold when Midas found himself cursed -- i.e., it's to miss the entire point.

[@warrior1949]

We are all Hero's in our own life we just lack the epic background music from Hans Zimmer

[@dumitrache12]

Eh mine would be from John Williams

[@weirddude9367]

no we are not heroes... to be heroes we must sacrifice ourselves for the good of other persons.Its not the epic music that makes a hero

[@Lukeskywanka]

Amen Sick profile picture 👍

[@weirddude9367]

@@Lukeskywanka do you mean me ?

[@weirddude9367]

@Thanos the Farmer c'mon guys this is not funny

[@umbradumont5077]

I think the rebelliousness of youth being tamed is a hero's journey of sorts. The wisdom and experiences we acquire through aging changes us. That being said, this meaning isn't written in stone; it's up to the individual to ascribe meaning to their own experiences; many never do.

[@EricHrahsel]

I didn't get to be rebellious. I got tamed by my own self by 18... I am not a perfect human.

[@muhammadedwards8425]

I don't think aging and experience give you wisdom. Between Int, creativity and wisdom, wisdom is currently the most rare and underdeveloped. Meaning is tricky as well, as most people who ascribe meaning to experiences don't realise that there is a method to it. Otherwise, people can be mislead by their own 'meanings' I mean I feel like a vast proportion of the people speaking about the hero's journey are putting too much faith in the 'growth through freedom of experience' model. It is on the right track but it is underdeveloped

[@owenrice1756]

@@muhammadedwards8425 So what do you suggest as an alternative model?

[@mst5g826]

@@owenrice1756 We are talking about stories and art right? I don't want to assume that we are ascribing models to people's lives. As for art, someone is going to perfect the after story where wisdom is gained by the perspective of hindsight and self doubt. The aging samurai story of looking back at a life marred by overzealous behavior in the quest for adventure and immortality in stories while holding the knowledge of how little accomplishment was achieved and the many mistakes made.

[@zafiruzoma6234]

Yes but it's not like youth is a wild beast that is tamed but a raging bull slowly being bleed out by the mattadore

[@jacobvanveit3437]

“When does potential become pressure?” Amazing!

[@RialuCaos]

Potential becomes pressure once you add expectations.

[@flavoreid]

Exact! And frustration and depression...

[@flavoreid]

@@RialuCaos but it's possible navigating for the new experiences without expectatives?.Someone who says,hope is the problem, one only should be wait...

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

Translation: never improve, accept your mediocrity

[@Saber23]

There’s always pressure you idiot

[@daveowens]

Although I like your videos, I think you're missing the point on this. I've read Campbell, Jung, Nietzsche, etc., etc. Every morning you wake up is a call to adventure. The difference is, some people don't accept the call. Those calls are all around us. Campbell (along with others who have written about the archetypes and Hero's Journey), warns us of the consequences of not listening to the voice within. The Hero's Journey doesn't have to exist only on the stage of the world for all to see. It's the recovering alcoholic. It's the soldier who faces his/her PTSD instead of being consumed by it. It's anyone who turns towards the dragon.

[@LikeStoriesofOld]

Will elaborate on that point in part 3 ;)

[@ihear2paceverywhere]

This!

[@jewelgentry4402]

Dave Owens yeah exactly and the whole point is to move beyond the circumstances and be changed by them and become something more- not sure how you can square postmodern to the journey but let’s see

[@radaroreilly9502]

Sometimes it can be an adventure just getting your daughter to eat her Cheerios...

[@daveodell700]

YES YES YES

[@ernststravoblofeld]

Yesterday I watched a bunch of videos by a woman in Japan, about her ordinary days. Morning routine, evening routine, what's in my bag, etc. No story. No adventure. It was very relaxing and satisfying. I've seen experimental film like this, and I enjoy it, but it never seems to catch on.

[@Visigoth_]

I dunno, those channels are pretty popular... just because it's not from Hollywood doesn't mean it's not "catching on."

[@_KITE]

"Don't follow me." Today, while watching this video, I finally deleted the last of all of my social media profiles -- something I has been struggling to wholly commit to for several years. I feel free, liberated from the urge to participate in it. I do not need followers, nor do I need to follow anyone. My life is now back into my own hands - sacred again, private again. Thank you for this amazing video. It was just what I needed.

[@mst5g826]

@@erdelegy Or just not being one of the millions upset by whatever BS they are blasting out that day.

[@greggeverman5578]

SACRED again. Like the sound of that!

[@Saber23]

Congrats you did the minimum to start reclaiming your life hope your doing better now my friend

[@_KITE]

@@Saber23 much, much better.

[@Saber23]

@@_KITE good to hear my friend all the best 🙏❤️

[@DrEllert]

There's a phrase in Arabic: if I'm a prince, and you're a prince, then who is drivign the camels? You have some interesting thoughts put into this sereis. I like it!

[@marcusanark2541]

What do you think it means?

[@TotalNigelFargothDeath]

@@marcusanark2541 If everybody is special nobody is.

[@bernardheathaway9146]

This sounds like a wise phrase, but if you travel back in time when there were slaves in Egypt, this could have been the motto of the upper classes to shame the poor into submission. The equal of today's: Pull yourself by the bootstraps or Stop being poor xD Today, it makes more sense though and I wish more people would learn this wisdom.

[@cameronmurtagh9977]

@@bernardheathaway9146 I think though it represents the inevitable need for hierarchy to organize anything

[@johnrodgers2018]

That is genius

[@nordicmandimias]

Charles Bukowski: if you're going to try, go all the way. otherwise, don't even start. if you're going to try, go all the way. this could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe your mind. go all the way. it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days. it could mean freezing on a park bench. it could mean jail, it could mean derision, mockery, isolation. isolation is the gift, all the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. and you'll do it despite rejection and the worst odds and it will be better than anything else you can imagine. if you're going to try, go all the way. there is no other feeling like that. you will be alone with the gods and the nights will flame with fire. do it, do it, do it. do it. all the way all the way. you will ride life straight to perfect laughter, it's the only good fight there is

[@onelove1968]

The message on Hank's gravestone reads “Don’t Try.” He personally insisted that this particular epitaph, along with his name, dates of birth and death, and a little icon of a boxer be inscribed onto his gravestone.

[@michaelv4812]

@Stanton Cree How so?

[@truthkillslieseverythingis2912]

And every one is looking for a good fight.

[@aviatordanz]

Life is not a hero's journey, it's a collection a moments people reframe after the fact. Great work as always!

[@Jesse-fk3xc]

reframe as a story

[@greggeverman5578]

Good summary

[@paulryan2128]

Life is a series of unrelated events; just one damn thing after another!

[@mythosandlogos]

I would say that absolutely everyone has the potential to be a hero, but that the key is recognizing your journey as opposed to anyone else’s (real or fictional.) The ending of Voltaire’s Candide always spoke to me. The character goes through every misfortune imaginable, has every key idea of his society torn apart and satirized, and is questioned what he will do to confront all of the evil in the world. He answers, simply, “I will tend my vegetables.” It’s not about being some exceptional person, or better than anyone else. It’s not about being chosen by the gods or about rising above the masses. It’s about thriving in the place that exists for you. Taking care of your “garden,” which is to say, family, health, spirit, etc.

[@CrimsionKing]

Agreed. As stated in the video, people try to turn their life into the lives of the heroes they see, but in doing so they lose who they are. In rereading Hero of the Thousand Faces it surprised me how cognizant Cambell was about this when he was writing it. We are not meant to mimic the heroes of myth, but to take the symbols of their story and apply it to our own lives. This idea has been expanded upon by Carol S. Pearson's excellent book The Hero Within where she breaks down the Heroes Journey into sudo-stages of life. She even explains that people who seek to be like the Hero's of myth are stuck in the Wandering phase, trying to find themselves but always refusing the call to adventure because they perceive it as "not adventurous" in the mythological sense. Getting married is seen as not adventurous, having kids is not adventurous, spending time with family is not adventurous, yet it is those things that truly change us. Even the call from your child who needs help with their homework is a call to adventure. It may not be glamourous or fantastical, but it is just as if not more important than anything else you can do. Those are just some examples, obviously, not everyone's journey is to get married or have children or spend time with their family for whatever reasons. I liken the adage, "Life is an Adventure" and while we might not be the heroes that save the day, every supporter is a hero in their own right.

[@concernedcitizen780]

And some are hero’s in an instant. Some people become heros when they do their duties.

[@CrimsionKing]

@@concernedcitizen780 Exactly! We see doctors and those in the military as heroes, but when you ask them if they feel heroic, most often they will say, "I was just doing my job." The pressure of being a hero is the opposite of what being a hero is. In many ways, it makes you the villain. The Hero's Journey is a path that is follow regardless if we are cognizant of it or not. It is not a destiny that needs to be fulfilled, but a life lived.

[@johnpeterson2987]

CrimsionKing - That is the key. After reading Campbell's book I see how my "normal" life is the heroes journey. Leaving home, mastering a skill, getting married, have kids, returning home, mentoring, etc. its all very fulfilling to me. The times when I felt lost and depressed I was resisting the call to adventure or not crossing the threshold or various other things. The extravagant myths with gods and stuff are symbols. The book and others taught me to get in touch with what is locked away in my unconscious, or at least listen to my gut.

[@CrimsionKing]

@@johnpeterson2987 Love it!

[@DANLAROCA-dx9gk]

To cure the quarantine blues, it’s nice to have a video from ‘Like Stories Of Old’. Thank you my friend.

[@trellified]

Agreed

[@rebeccaschulz2571]

I was in my mid 20's when I realized that life is not like a story. It was devastating. I got very angry and felt betrayed by my favorite stories. I lost my hope for the future because I no longer believed that I would get a call to action and was disappointed with everyday life. I also believed that I had little to offer the world since I did not have a great talent or mythical destiny. Over time I learned to set achievable goals and found a deeper, more personal sense of meaning. However, there are still times when I very much want the idealized hero's journey.

[@warwicklecoture3685]

Do you realise that the first couple of sentances of your comment are a story?

[@kiggerst]

I feel you friend

[@PEDROGARCIA-qj3gr]

When I read things like this the only thing that comes to my head is "for real?" There is people out there that really believe theirs lifes are like movies, for God sake that's something a toddler thinks not a 20 year old.

[@maxswanson7737]

@@PEDROGARCIA-qj3gr sad

[@nettewilson5926]

I think we most all come to this realization

[@annediviz9255]

For some reason, the "ultimate purpose" video and this video perfectly explain this feeling of... emptiness / constant sense of waiting that some tend to have. I have a feeling that the owner of this channel thinks similarly and not only understands, but deeply feels the message talked about in the ultimate purpose video. One thing is understanding what your heart yearns for, and another is feeling it, knowing what it's like to feel that tug that keeps our minds idealizing and hoping.... our hearts impatient. And the only source of peace is videos like these that explain what we long for and why it can not be.

[@annediviz9255]

when is part 3 coming out?

[@annediviz9255]

when is part 3 coming out?

[@EricHrahsel]

Agreed

[@Visigoth_]

Didn't you post this exact same comment on the 1st video? 🤔

[@annediviz9255]

@@Visigoth_ No, I posted it on this one. And then I watched the 1st part out of order & commented on there. How do u even know lol do u actually read every comment wth haha?

[@kayaeki]

After this ended, I stared outta my window and thought about my life for 10-15 minutes. I'm not special, I'm always trying to make sense of everything in my life just as an excuse to avoid the other things in my life. I gotta rethink most of the things now, thank you

[@bigboycollective2189]

You are special

[@JovialJedi]

I believe life is what you make of it. Shedding your ego periodically throughout your life will break down the construct of your personal matrix that you build over time in congruence with the culture you are raised in. The universe responds to a courageous heart. One that is giving and compassionate. One that works in creativity not consumption. I use these stories as a beautiful blueprint to live by, not up to. Always love your videos buddy!

[@Bb2b75]

That was beautiful. Thank you

[@Bb2b75]

@Art Demon for me it is the contruct that was built in my mind at the time. The construct that would allow me to reach what were my goals at the time.

[@alangutierrez4232]

Well said!!

[@PEDROGARCIA-qj3gr]

Hey joker, it wasn't the society, it was your toddler mentality that convince you were living in a Disney movie, you just needed to grow up, for real you must be grateful you got that old believing that, it means you actually have a chill teen years to dream that big, stop being a little b*tch and stop whining corporations make a pretty penny of your ingenuity, so many of us have not that luck

[@pacificsun9594]

The universe responds to a courageous heart! This is the truth. That’s the difference between a hero and a normal person.

[@atallguynh]

My life isn't a Hero's Journey? Bummer. I always thought things would work out tidily in the end. Thanks for bursting my bubble.

[@rusalkin]

careful with selecting that self fulfilling prophecy

[@atallguynh]

@@rusalkin In LSOO I trust.

[@pedrolanna1551]

"Damn you mom and dad for lying to me all this time!" (cocks a gun)

[@guilhermemarques4963]

It's kind of a hard, but good, necessary heartbreak, should I speak of such.

[@kayaeki]

Same, but I'm gonna try my best

[@krazyhorze777]

Being born and coming into existence is the first hero’s journey.

[@carlosfandango2419]

I am a hero. To my children, I have given them everything I had to offer, they are the best of me/my wife. Hero's aren't fighting warriors any more, people who kick ass at the front of the line. They are ordinary folk who have made good, the best of what they have been dealt. This could be something as simple as being given a KZbin account and a digital camera at the age of 15, just when it took off and now be a multi-millionaire influencer. Or maybe a 'reality tv star', if such a thing could exist! As the definition of a hero makes it's way down the public ladder, where will it end? In distant times there were probably only a handful of hero's on the Earth, I guess there would seem to be quite a few more now.

[@JaydevRaol]

22:07 - "How do you know if you are meant to be the hero of your story, or just a casuality of someone else's?" Damn it! That hit hard. LSOO always manages to kick in my existentialism. But all that aside, amazing video man. Even better than the first episode. I was invested in from start to finish. Loved it! ♥️

[@powerliftingpremedcrafter473]

Can't you be both?

[@mingonmongo1]

Maybe not always as 'glamorous', but for some folks, just getting outta bed in the morning and donning their 'work harness' can qualify as a Hero's Journey.

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

I enjoy finding the beauty in the mundane everyday thank you for this video

[@lampad4549]

Finding beauty in the mudane can be the heros journey

[@ivanstyles2065]

Most of us believe our lives will be grand, epic adventures, with a gigantic arc that courses throughout our entire life. This is a fools errand. Bending the lens and understanding that it’s a series of beautiful poems that punctuate different moments of our lives as it sees fit, and we are the ones holding the pen. Spectacular work as always. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

[@famouzmemes3098]

Everyone needs to watch this

[@MarkFilipAnthony]

Everyone: Fine

[@himl994]

They really don’t.

[@TheBAZZiX]

Not really. Reject the black pill

[@Theo-dj7vs]

For what...as if everyone except you can't think for themselves...you need the story teller and telling...or your life's shit...so sit back and watch someone else explain that life you're afraid of...

[@varindergill5125]

Totally agreed!

[@willshikabob]

"For who are we without the stories we tell about ourselves?" 25:53 This hit hard, how does one explain themselves without the use of storytelling? How do we display our own humanity without one of the fundamental building blocks of human culture? At 12:12, LSOO talks about how the world is moving towards adventurous experience, rather than having the right toolkit. The prior experience section of applications, the move towards the business hearing the stories of potential employees, the world is moving from an era of generalization to an era of uniqueness. We have come to expect a common baseline of experiences and goals. We all yearn to be unique, and in our epic search, uniqueness has lost it's meaning. edit: timestamp fixed

[@lancelotdufrane]

When you speak of us “telling our own story “ and requiring Adventure,.... it’s almost as if,.. we are seemingly,.. marketing,... ourselves?.... guess I’ve always enjoyed the emotional travels more than the physical ones. Beautifully done. Look forward to next installment.

[@DevonExplorer]

That was a fabulous talk. The faces of the Hobbits when everyone bowed to them says it all. A true hero is one who just does what's needed without thinking themselves to be heros and, like Frodo, is perplexed and upset that they are thought to be a hero after they have suffered much doubt and fear; they don't think they did as well because it was so difficult and they nearly gave up over and over again. They don't look like the 'advert heros' who find everything easy, lol. :)

[@MustafaAshah-el9nc]

Life is not a journey where to arrive to a grave in a well preserved and looked after boys but to skid in. Brored side, totally burnt up, throughly worn out. And loudly proclaiming wow! What a ride !.

[@b3nsu]

A life isnt a story, its a collection of stories, some with and some without meaning

[@lampad4549]

All life has meaning, its just the meaning of life varies from person to person.

[@MarkFilipAnthony]

Life in general is nether, Stories are simply something we create to give the situations we experience meaning. Objectivly nothing really has a meaning, but the fact that we can give everything meaning means that our ability to tell stories are meaningfull in of itself

[@lampad4549]

@@MarkFilipAnthony isnt that a paradox ? nothing has meaning yet everything does.

[@MarkFilipAnthony]

​@@lampad4549 Objectivly nothing really has meaning, Subjectivly everything has the potential to have meaning if the individual choses to put meaning into it It can only be a paradox if it has meaning and no meaning in the same perspective.

[@b3nsu]

@@MarkFilipAnthony Objectivity doesn't apply to meaning in a universe which only exists through observation (and therefore interpretation) one might say that meaning is an objective phenomenon because evolution choses agents that experience good or bad meaning to be successful in the world. I.e. nihilism is invalid from the Darwinist perspective, which says that meaning is objective

[@AdhikJoshi]

while watching this movies we forget that at the end of the day we are all going to die. No one cares about your journey after few years, there is always a hero to replace you. then why disappoint our whole life for a just a title, which is just a name which will be replaced. Heroes of 18th century no one knows their name or anything about them, same will be current heros they all will be replaced with new hero. Live a life of your own, have a happy life, be hero for your family, don't disappoint your self with what is not possible.

[@MichaelFlenderson]

Needed to read this. Thank you 🙏

[@tejobhiru1092]

i think we should just stand up and applaud this man... the western philosophers, eastern sages and wise yogis are not just found i the himalayas and in their huts in jungles... they are also on youtube.

[@mortarion9813]

Modern philosophical questions require modern methods of answering them.

[@burquebandit7169]

we all grew up thinking we would be movie stars and milinares,but we won't. and we're starting to realize that

[@TheBritomart]

I am baffled, LSOO - how is it that your work improves, expands, inspires, enlightens us fortunate viewers further and deeper with each upload? Every watch is a catalyst, a loving explosion of the heart and mind. You are the storyteller's storyteller. Thank you

[@jodydale5747]

You have worked hard and long putting together this professional trilogy. Have you embarked on a hero's journey to dismiss the hero's journey?

[@JustThatOneRandomGuy]

I beg you to publish everything you've done on life into a book, and I'll buy 100 of them. You are absolutely one of the best content creators of KZbin. Not only do you possess the critical thinking and objectivism that no amount of research can give you, you also interweave those words with clips from movies that match up. I can go on all day, going frame to frame, explaining the choices and the implications of choosing the particular clip you have for a sentence you said. The amount of time dedicated to these videos are astounding. You bridge the gap between the now "world of internet" and the old "world of books" in a way that can appeal to both the audiences that prefer to experience the "escape from reality" via reading and those that do the same via visual means (like me). You deserve much more than the recognition that you are getting now.

[@mateoromo5587]

With each new video I love this channel a little bit more. Thank you so much for making these videos. Your insights are an important part of my life.

[@FleurMarigold]

beautiful way to make me rethink everything!

[@neosrdjan671]

Beautiful deception perspective. This man understand this theme badly... now, he teach others to be morons.

[@di3486]

Oh believe me, I already rethought all of it. I feel that since I give up the "hope" of me becoming a hero, I feel truly free.

[@di3486]

@@neosrdjan671 Not at all. It was actually brilliant. Pretty sad that you are still deluded.

[@user-ze3tq9hf9i]

Yeah according to him if you're a cis white male then you should really rethink everything.

[@Saber23]

How? He didn’t say anything substantial

[@Tharrel]

"your life is not a hero's yourney" - this is the main reason why I struggle with depression

[@lynnequity7296]

advaita vedanta provides an interesting recalibration of the sadness. it's not a religion, it's an investigation of what is truly here. may it serve you.

[@realdemigod4339]

It is not a reason to be depressed. This is a misleading title and of all the videos in this channel this probably to me is the most pessimistic and depressing one. We all are heroes each in our own way overcoming all the challenges life throws at us, the story of humanity is the story of adventure. Not sure if this guy has seen The Power of Myth episodes, watch at least the first episode you will change your idea about a hero.

[@laramaria2908]

Why? There are so many who were not heroes but have significance. Gandalf was not the protagonist of Lord of Rings however the role he played was extremely important. I don't know you or your reasons, but I hope you get better. Even if you are not a hero, you still may play a important role. Don't give up.

[@JustThatOneRandomGuy]

@@realdemigod4339 LSOO videos always ends on a positive note, the train of questions have not been answered just yet. Note that he defined the "depressing reality of life" in terms of a question, not as a definitive answer.

[@notthequeen7733]

@@laramaria2908 Exactly. Everyone is the main character of their own story, and can be the hero if they choose to be. Gandalf could have a spinoff where all his highlights are put together to show his heroism. As could Samwise or Pippen or Boramir etc. I think if you spend your life trying to make the world a better place, you're on the heroes journey. If you make choices that hurt others, you're still the main character, but you're now the villian.

[@SixofQueens]

I succumbed to creating a hero's journey in my mind for a job I was just applying for. Coming from hating where I worked, a position came to my attention that I normally would have ignored had certain unusual circumstances not happened before which caused me to recognize and pursue it. From there, I built this grand hypothetical trajectory of my life based on the assumption that the unusual circumstances surrounding my learning of it and pursuing it meant something and would be part of a story I told later. That it would be a story of how I found hope against a system I hated and felt trapped in yet found this one shining beacon out of that helped lead me to becoming the hero of my own life that I'd always been meant to be. And then I didn't make it past the pre-screening interview.

[@wchambers11]

I always felt like I will start on a hero's journey. However, I stopped these past couple of years. I don't see myself as a villain but I am so flawed. I fear that I am nothing to everyone, even to myself. I was solely existing, not living. I just didn't want to grow because I felt like it didn't matter. Nothing matters. I started believing this for so long now because I didn't want to face the real world. Look at what is happening now! Yet, maybe this quarantine is also showing me, REMINDING me if what matters in life. There will always be hardships, struggles and even tragedy. Now I finally accept that a hero will rise back up and simply help fight. I also realized that I have the potential of becoming a true hero just like everybody else in this world. I just have to start being a hero to and for myself first. Thanks for this video and the first one before it, LSOO. I know your third and final video will hit home. Stay safe and positive everyone!!!🙂✌️

[@markalleneaton]

I think that's just life, coming to grips with our illusions and recognizing the heroic qualities gleaned from stories of old don't mean much until they are modeled in real life by our short list of personal heroes - the ones who showed us how to "deal justly, love mercy, and walk with God in humility" in everyday ways. We see how they did it - accepting the call of adventure, of facing dark moments with the hope of one more chance, of returning home as healers - and think, "Well, if they can do it..."

[@TIm_Bugge]

I mark my middle thirties as the time when I transitioned from child to adult; when the battles I lost forced me to accept that while I was the hero of my journey, I nonetheless - and often the more - had the opportunity to play a supporting role in the stories of others.

[@Bonillac5]

Been waiting for the second part! Keep up the good work man!

[@toyelsonorista]

The part of the storm troopers blew my mind.

[@pedrolanna1551]

You're missing the point, Stormtroopers are EVIL!

[@toyelsonorista]

Pedro Lanna who’s point?

[@mortarion9813]

@@pedrolanna1551 ?

[@JordKriger]

When I was younger I had always imagined myself have such grand adventures and journeys. I still do in fact, but I have also come to the realization that I may not be the hero in the big story I can still be a hero in the smaller sense. For example I can the hero to my kids who then go to do the great things I always wanted to do. I will be perfectly fine if I'm the shoulders the the future stands upon. While it would be nice for me to have such a grand and lasting impact upon this world I don't mind being the guy behind the scenes as well.

[@lampad4549]

Exactly thats what the heroes journey. It doesn't have to be a big adventure but merely overcoming the monster in your life. The reason you see it being portrayed in a larger scale is cause: 1.is cause the heroes jounrey can be applied to those situations that have a broad effect. 2.they are when they deal with subject matters that pertain to a larger scope as they do.

[@ElCapitanThird]

I usually watch movies and look at the extras as they die and I usually think “wow I bet they had an entire life, wonder what’s their story, were they expecting to die there in such a way?”

[@ArtPhotographerLindsay]

I do the same thing. How interesting. ((:

[@michaelscholes8956]

I do this as well

[@mst5g826]

They shoulda kept their mouths shut.

[@gilgeaschwithkerk2344]

I always think of the warriors that fight at the black gate, i do not read the books but i always think, these people do not know Frodo, they can not believe abd did just fought a war but they went to fight

[@tigernomad]

You are taking me down the rabbit hole LSOO. And I am loving it. You raise pertinent questions. It's true we cannot have a hero's arc all through life. But "we can be heroes, just for one day." And often those little moments when everything comes together is enough to ride through life with some sense of peace. For difficult days we can always turn to stories and live vicariously. That's why we love stories. It gives us hope - "the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness." Looking fwd to Part 3! Much love!

[@EricHrahsel]

I am 25 now. And i am going through a crisis. I am so clueless,, this video serie caught me strongly because, i have always wanted to set out on a heroic journey and with the new normal now, I will never get to. Even if I could, money is a limiting factor. But, like the video says, i set out on an adventure in my mind. It gives me a kind of euphoria I can't explain.

[@Visigoth_]

Perseverance in the face of existential existence is its own heroic journey. 😁👍 Hang in there!

[@EricHrahsel]

@@Visigoth_ hehe. Thanks. I wish you the same

[@Alessandro_Bertoli]

Your videos are astonishing, the narration, music and montage sometimes really gives me goosebumps 🙏

[@daveodell700]

Sometimes the hero’s journey is there to make us just a little braver in our own lives.

[@c.s.hayden3022]

The “hero’s journey” is a construct we impose because it’s the form of how we grow and learn and improve. It makes a good frame for most stories. A story defines a life and unites it in greater context. On the purely material level, a life is the mere sum of its biological processes without any value judgements. Jung, and by extension Campbell, studied how we hold it together culturally.

[@michaelv4812]

I truly believe this to be the best KZbin channel we have ever been gifted with. Thank you for work.

[@benjaminbcgb]

I hope this comes across as constructive and not hostile. Campbell’s structure was elaborated from myths he concluded were rites of passage. The stories that define us as individuals and groups do so because they are the ones our groups chose to communicate the changes one must go through to be complete as a person and part of the bigger picture. I think most of the content in this series is very interesting, like the breakdown of who was the hero in different times. But as someone else commented, I think Campbell would disagree with the premise of series. The goal of the myth is not to say “you have to fight aliens to be happy/if you go to this mountain you’ll fight a dragon and get the princess”, but rather “you will be complete once you change in you what that hero had to change in himself (to be able to fight the aliens)”. Star Wars is not saying you have to become a Jedi knight to save the galaxy, it’s likely saying something closer to “insisting on the good within one may lead to their redemption.” I had a similar debate with a business professor recently, he saw the Hero’s Journey as just the step-by-step on the wheel that’s halfway through the book. Probably because advertisement doesn’t aspire to much more than making you feel something towards a product. The steps are (incredibly) common ways people found of structuring and realizing those changes, so that it communicates clearly, to make it fun, etc. That’s why tragedy still works as a myth in Campbell’s concepts, it proposes a change within one must go through to not fall to their doom. On that note: please be more careful with your choice of words. Game of Thrones was used as an example of subversion of traditional storytelling but then you said it’s Greek tragedy (a standard of good storytelling for well over 2000 years). There’s a lot of potential in this series, I hope it doesn’t come to trivial and mislead views like that professor’s reductionism or deconstruction of eurocentrism. Again, I’m trying to be constructive. That key point about it being a rite of passage is obviously not all that there’s to the Hero’s Journey, but it’s the fundamental understanding I see many people missing and ending up going all sorts of unrelated directions in discussions like this one.

[@markhdz7858]

The Hero's Journey is a diverse assembly of stories from different cultures that are comprised of archetypes of the collective unconscious, which some people believe reside in the psychological DNA of every human being. These stories detail a metaphorical journey of inner, rather than outer space or the material world. Joseph Campbell explained that the biggest mistake you can make in the study of mythology is to confuse metaphor with reality. So if you are looking at the Hero's Journey as a guide to life in the physical world, you're missing the metaphorical lessons available to everyone.

[@Seviour86]

Fantastic video again! I was looking forward to this after the first part and have been telling everyone about your videos. Keep up the fantastic series!

[@lynnequity7296]

identity is the original error. separation is the original sin. story is the fall into history, the lie of time. this is brilliant, keep going.

[@TheCrimsonPope]

Man, I love your voice, tone and strange accent so much. You ever done any audiobooks? The content is exceptional, too, of course :)

[@bencard11]

As with all of your videos, I'm gonna wait till I can sit down at night with some headphones on to really take it in. Have you seen Penny Dreadful? I think the themes in that show would be perfect for your analysis.

[@NuanceOverDogma]

It’s shallow people who read into stories the way you described. Most people don’t blame themselves for their failures, they blame others. Their feelings of self entitlement causes most to see themselves a victims of oppression. The Hero’s journey is based on making great achievements by overcoming personal obstacles

[@97AsV]

Ah another one of your videos making it into my favorite list. Keep up the good work!!!

[@JCarrera27]

Tremendous beginning, never got out of online class so fast♥️👏

[@Lunch_Meat]

Every corpse on Mt. Everest use to be someone who believes they were a hero

[@HRudolf88]

I can hardly put it into words, how liberating it is to understand my/our deeper motives and source of ever recurring feelings of this time. Thank you very much for it!

[@fattylumpkin5899]

This is easily my favourite channel, love your work!

[@coryharasha]

Beautiful video! I love your deep analysis, stunning images, and calming voice. Although, I disagree that there exists a reality that is not framed as a story. There does exist a common narrative of life on Earth, but it is indeed our choice to accept it or tell our own narrative. Just my two cents. 💖

[@NoMoreCrumbs]

I remember feeling very relieved when I learned that I wasn't all that special

[@Visigoth_]

lol yeah, coming to terms with that is very reassuring (surprise! Everyone being told how special and unique they are is actually super oppressive... maybe diversity isn't as comforting as knowing that other people are experiencing the same issues that you are).

[@conangusmao3075]

I cried watching this video because it’s a description of all my doubts about the hero’s journey and how it controls our lives nowadays. This is an extraordinary be amazing video. Thank you. 🙏🏼

[@jingtianye8798]

I love many of your videos, they are inspiring yet grounding at the same time. They are also so rich in content that many watches and continuous reflections do not seem enough. I know you do not tackle TV shows often, but I'd LOVE TO HEAR your take aways on the show Tales From The Loop. Watching this and some of your older videos made me think of that show and its possible messages.

[@nikiv116893]

Such a deep exploration into this theme!

[@SameerQumsiyeh]

In the beginning I was like ohh fu*k this video is too long, now I'm on my 4th repeat. Thank you for putting things into perspective. This video is giving me goosebumps.

[@JaydevRaol]

The editing in your videos still never stops to amaze me. All the clips that you choose and the way you edit goes so well with your narration that it just makes the whole experience so satisfying to watch. 😁🙌

[@bardw.3204]

Social media as our construction of our own Hero's Journey is a really good take.

[@justaway6901]

I really like these kind of contents. Discussing art(film in this case) and what it can imply to the human condition.

[@terryblanchard5842]

Agreed totally. Art is a force, available to everyone, we are all creative. To paint, make a movie or documentary, write, with multimedia available worldwide, we can look and present our take on anything. That includes our inner world. The smallest things can be the next step to something better, or less than.

[@pioneer3729]

"Can there be an identity without storytelling?"

[@ryanprestipino2477]

This is a fantastic series so far mate. The highest applause to you, great work. You're inspiring me to elevate my writing to another level!

[@newkingjames1757]

Stories (myth in the classical sense) are not seperate from Reality, but make up a large portion of said reality. Myths embed phenomenological truths into story. Phenomenological experience is just as much a part of reality as physical experience. Together they make up the whole of reality. Science books expand upon physical reality, while Myths (including Religions) expand on phenomenological reality. Our phenomenological experience of the world is very much A Hero's Journey.

[@bahaanaldo]

This makes me think of the works of Carl Jung and a little about Jordan Peterson's lectures. We all have a story to tell but we have to make it our own story, or we're just a small part in someone else's. Your point about the material world is a huge part of the hurdle that holds us back. We thirst for wisdom in a plentiful world of material wealth. I also want to highlight that the heroes that truly succeed, were exceptionally well trained and suited for the journey (going back to your videos about the Warrior, Magician, Lover, King archetypes). It isn't about the destination of course, but the journey itself. The ending as the reward is problematic. That's why we always strive to keep going.

[@AronLichteFilm]

the self is constructed every second of our life in a selection of our aggregated stories. no stories, no self. great video

[@smallstudiodesign]

“When does *potential become pressure* ...?” ✨💖✨

[@nirbhaygor]

Loved it. Thank you for making this.❤️

[@lazybee2953]

Awesome. Have been waiting!! Please put a suggest reading list along If possible :)

[@LikeStoriesofOld]

I have one here ;) kit.co/likestoriesofold/reading-list

[@niccadwallader4656]

I believe everyone DOES live a hero’s/heroine’s journey, just not in the sense of slaying dragons, starting a cultural revolution or building a Fortune 500, and I think most adults are mature enough to realize that may not be in their life script. The hero’s journey is a journey of self development and conquering your inner demons, i.e your fears and insecurities and in doing so you are rewarded enlightenment and self discovery. That has nothing to do with the color of your skin, gender or sexual orientation. Any human being can succeed in the hero’s journey, it’s an internal battle against your shadow. I’d also like to note that just because failure rates may be high for what you dream of achieving, whether that’s starting a business, studying to become a doctor, becoming a flipping astronaut, you should NOT give up on that dream of yours. I don’t care what your sex orientation is, the color of your skin, gender, etc. If you’re blessed enough to live in a free country you should absolutely chase those dreams no matter how much the odds stack against you because the pain of regret and wonder will be far greater than failure. Just don’t fall into the trap of attaching your self worth to achieving your ambitious goals, I did that with my first business and it completely broke me.

[@kayaeki]

True I stuck my self to last 2 years of my artistic journey, hell it was

[@henbane2247]

I totally agree that it's an inner battle. It can also be a battle with others. But ultimately it's about fighting your own resistance and accepting the call to adventure that's inside, the thing that pulls you the most.

[@arnonuhm4022]

Oh, please! Leave the dragons at peace. They have suffered enough from immature western psyches.

[@ch355_]

i was almost tempted to say you’ve gone nihilist. had this not been the second of a three part series, i might have believed it. i will save my commentary for the third part. i thank you for thought provoking content.

[@downsjmmyjones101]

This is why I'm planning on hitchhiking across America. When the pandemic is over, I'm gonna take the 10k I've saved and I'm going to enjoy the journey. I won't become Forrest Gump. I won't become rich or gigantically famous. I won't be a hero. I will be a 27 year old who got fed up with my boring life. I will live for the experiences I have and not a grand destination.

[@snowyfictions]

Good luck on your hike, I'm planning some travel next year. My philosophy is akin to Jordan Petersons: It may not be happy, but you can still extract meaning from it.

[@TheNubrozaref]

> Goes on a journey requiring large sacrifices in pursuit of some strongly believed principle > Doesn't understand that he just described a hero's journey

[@kimwilliams3214]

Yooo same age as you and feeling the same! Lost my job due to Covid and I'm in no rush to jump back into corporate life so I was also thinking of living off the savings for a little bit and wandering the country.

[@downsjmmyjones101]

@@TheNubrozaref If my journey is a hero's journey then so is everyone else's.

[@downsjmmyjones101]

@@kimwilliams3214 I'm in a kind of economically depressed area since the population is small and industry is nonexistent. Moving is basically a requirement for any improvement. So while my "adventure" may be partially a way to experience excitement, it's also a way to find something better. I'm not tied in any way to my current location so it doesn't make sense for me to be stuck in the same shitty situation. Good luck in your trip as well.

[@isaelmorin9834]

Jordan Peterson would disagree with that title. 😂 Your channel is my fav. Keep it up & thanks for keep uploading !👊

[@lampad4549]

@Bob Bobbertson do you know why he used it? Its cause his wife was in remission, she had cancer and seeing her struggle was painful,he doesn't condone that practice but just needed it to eliveate his pain just like any human person would.

[@isaelmorin9834]

Bob Bobbertson Hey ! I dont know you & I understand your stand cause I saw a video about him being a fake and hack. I already knewin his book he used to drink a lot when younger. But the video about him being a hack told me how tragic his life is & how he felt so much pain in the last months. Maybe we dont see that same things cause I didnt told myself the same thing as you when I learned that, it actually me trust him more cause he felt for real what he told us. And he had pills problem without being his own fault. I wish you a good life ! Good luck with your suffering & make the world better man !

[@benrohr]

Really great stuff man. Just wanted to say I appreciate you and your work. Thanks.

[@firewithfire2745]

I saw the Beach, and it made me want to go to Thailand. I went, and it wasn't nearly as epic and meaningful as that. It was fun, but largely awkward. I made a cool travel video when I got back. I feel a little embarrassed about it now. You really shined a light on how influenced we are by movies and bloggers. Great job.

[@4.0rex55]

You are a working in the dark, to serve the light!

[@rajdixit1605]

This is a masterpiece! Can't wait for Part 3. I thought nothing could top Part 1, but this does.

[@lampad4549]

Not really his research is wrong, in two instances: 1. Its supposed to be about the heroes journey but what he talks about is the quest. 2. He talks about all stories feature a white male straight protagonists and that somehow lessens its relatability that makes the audience shallow, second straight male may be true but white is false and that reason stems from the fact that he is only considering the west. The heros journey exist in china, india, south America, arabia, japan etc and all feature their local ethnicity.

[@louisehoff]

I come from a family of storytellers and early pioneers and even though there was certainly adventure in the backdrop, the stories were more often about survival, family moments and carrying family stories forward. No one was ever portrayed as a hero. My dad said one of his WWII medals was for 'staying alive.'

[@vlogcity1111]

Heroes are very often modest in their actions, comparing themselves constantly to the hyperbolic archetypical heroes.

[@morningnapalm9963]

We are all heroes in this story of life. Ultimately it may be nothing more than a matter of subjective perspective. In your mind you are the quintessential hero even while another might see you as an extra in theirs. Each being their own point of reference. Still, one need look no further than the placebo effect to see how strongly a person's belief can shape themselves and by extension the world around them. In this way you are whatever you choose to be. "Whatever man thinks of most, he becomes" "By your faith it is done"

[@Slattstudio]

I look forward to your conclusion to see if you can breakthrough the nihilism that seems inevitable from your presentation!

[@LikeStoriesofOld]

Slattstudio Gonna try! :)

[@Gonzalo-hg6ii]

I find it odd that you focus on Western literary an film canon, and then remark that it is straight white men thos that more typically embody the hero. Take Kurosawas films and obviously most, if not all the main characters are japanese. The old testament tells stories about the Jewish people, as do ancient Mayan texts. Why would it be any different? Besides, the racial differentiation is something you genrally see in northern european, protestant cultures. Literature from Roman or Hispanic cultures for example, in reflecting the general attitude of these cultures, does not pay attention to a character's "race".

[@Visigoth_]

So true... LSOO is a feminist, he will never like your comment. But I do! 😀👍 - Edit; I like that he liked your comment. 😉

[@b1odome]

Yes, if one finds issue in the lack of diversity, then the reasonable thing to do is to reassess one's own film watching habits, and to include more varied stories, told by other kinds of people. To watch a film is your own decision - it is you who is making the choice if you want to see an American film, or a Saudi Arabian one; it is you who is making the choice to watch a film where the lead is male, or where the lead is female; it is you who is making the choice if today you want to see something written by the typical Hollywoodian screenwriter, or someone who has important LGBT stories to tell. So the watcher has the ultimate control and responsibility in regards to what is being shown on their own screen. Many people today conflate the term cinema with the big industries like Hollywood. They see the Academy Awards as representative of the whole cinema of the world, and so they form their opinion on cinema according to what they see represented in those specific industries and institutions. Those industries want you to do that, they want to have the monopoly of the art form, but that causes many blind spots for the individual watcher. So when people say, like in this video, that cinema has been neglecting the voices of the underrepresented demographics, what they really mean is that the particular cinema that they have been watching, has been neglectful. And that is not the same. By all means, direct your critique at specific studios, their directors, and their screenwriters for not being diverse enough. But when a person says that they've lost faith in cinema as a whole, that tells me more about the watcher and the places they look for films, more than anything else. World cinema is unimaginably diverse, with many unique films waiting to be discovered, and many stories to be experienced. A dozen lifetimes wouldn't be enough to watch it all. You just need to take more responsibility, and not let the studios dictate which films you should spend your time on.

[@LikeStoriesofOld]

Couple of reactions like these, perhaps I should have added more nuance on that part (will briefly address it in part 3), but to copy-paste a reply to a similar comment: I wasn’t saying it’s not understandable that a predominately white society has predominantly white heroes (why it’s mostly men is another topic I guess), but it still results in a bias, just as stories from other cultures/parts of the world have their own biases (many countries still completely erase all expressions of homosexuality for example). And to add to that; I focus on Europe because I am European and I have a better sense of how certain norms we have, have historically led to inequality in, among other things, representation in stories. I am sure Japanese stories for example also have a bias towards a particular type of hero, but seeing as I'm not Japanese, I cannot speak to that with as much certainty.

[@cameronmurtagh9977]

@@LikeStoriesofOld These were my thoughts on the section in question: I thoroughly enjoyed this - but have a criticism - at the beginning you acknowledge that the story structure you are analyzing is based off a Western tradition - and then at the end discussion the dominance of straight white males in the paradigm Given that the stories and structures are presented to their audience - if you were to analyze Japanese or Chinese traditions - would not the same story structure come through, with a straight Asian male as the protagonist? I would therefore modify this statement and say straight males are the target of this story structure - given straight males make up a large proportion of the worlds population - this would be an understandable outcome of the social forces involved Secondly - is not a similar yet related structure at work in feminine focused literature? With a straight female protagonist? theindievoice.com/for-writers/writing-technique/the-heros-journey-for-romance-writers/

[@Visigoth_]

@Benjamin Feldman but it makes sense: because media reflects the reality of "market appeal" there are more stright males who are interested in "heroic journeys" than any other demographic. 328.2 million people in the US, 4.5% of those people identify as "not straight." That's the math. - Just as a side note; if stright men and women *weren't* the majority: that society wouldn't last very long - children are what carry society forward.

[@FirstnameLastname-qc3xx]

Dude this was an amazing insight and view on life and the portrayal of it. Your channel is amazing!

[@indraitachi209]

Bro i have big expectations ... actually hyped love u mate keep it up 🤝🏼

[@Within_Cells_Interlinked]

“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” - Jean-Luc Picard

[@manuelalonsodominguezvazqu2145]

*Maybe if we weren't so focused on been the hero, it would be easier to enjoy the ride.*

[@williampan29]

I think sometimes it's the pressure of sexual competition for men: those that self marketed and truely believe what story they told about themselves attract women. And paradoxically those that are too "humble" or "nerdy" can't: until they offer economic stability. From this point of view, storytelling nd myth construction is a social and mating skill.

[@edry]

Love this channel, feels like we’re in the same wavelength, keep up the awesome work!

[@elmtreecomics6036]

To me, being a hero is not about fighting evil, being chosen by fate to do good and saving the world all the time. It is about being a good person, learning something new about ourselves, facing our inner struggles and inspiring others to do the same. We do good because we want to, not because it is expected of us. It takes courage and determination to become heroes of our own stories. This video feels like a way to encourage people to give up easily when they never try or take a leap of faith. This video is giving a bad message.

[@roquevera9831]

Beautiful and really relaxing. As I see it, the hero's journey is probably and illusion to create and mantain our culture. We are all forced to follow it, with strong competition. This creates a lot tension and anxiety. Paradoxically, this journey of been "someone" actually disconnects us from ourselves. The world is increasealy complex as time pass on: the bar is higher as others succed, creating even more complexity... What if we stop this vicious circle? What if we return to the simple? What if we can see beauty in the cotidianity of life? What if we can accept that we are common persons living amongs other common people, with nothing that separates us, not even some privileges? Can we be happy with that? Maybe the ordinary live, that in which there is no high aspirations but little pleasures, is the key to be ourselves. Can we bear an insignificant but satisfying life?

[@TheNubrozaref]

No, the very idea is malformed. It implies that satisfaction is insignificant or that we can ever truly know beforehand what will satisfy us. I suggest you read "Notes from Underground" by Fyodor Dostoevsky for a true dissection of what you speak.

[@roquevera9831]

​@@TheNubrozaref Of course it is malformed. It was intentional. I was speaking from the "conventional" perspective, to emphasize the point by creating contrasts. So, when I say "insignificant" it is what most people think, which is biased from the conditioning of our (heroic) culture. The hole point of it is to realize the importance of the "insignificant", the beauty of the common and the pleasures of the natural way. This is not "heroic" in the stereotypical sense, which is based on the idea of the hero who conquers (his own) nature. BTW, I'm familiar with that Dostoevsky's piece of art. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@TheNubrozaref]

@@roquevera9831 Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'm glad you're familiar with the work as well.

[@roquevera9831]

@@TheNubrozaref you are wellcome ;)

[@Visigoth_]

Oh jeez, you two... lol