The Hero Archetype (and why our world needs it)
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- 0:00 - Why so few heroes among our leaders?
2:06 - Preliminary 1: Basic definitions
3:08 - Preliminary 2: Courage
4:33 - Preliminary 3: The Hero's Journey
5:19 - Descending into the underworld
6:54 - Actualizing what's powerful in our souls
8:00 - Honoring our suffering
9:13 - The problem with Mary-Sue's
11:59 - Our resistance to the heroic
14:36 - Our fear of responsibility
17:03 - Our fear of alienation & rejection
18:50 - Our fear of our own souls
20:14 - Our addiction to self-importance
23:13 - Summary of 8 main points
25:31 - Reclaiming ancient wisdom
0:00 Not seeing many Heroic Leaders in Politics and Celebrity Entertainment
1:22 Lets Explore Heroism
2:26 Remind me what a Jungian archetype is again?
4:14 Without Fear, Courage can't manifest
4:52 How does a Hero become a Hero? Going through a journey?
5:25 Descending into a deep state "crucible of hopelessness....raging furnace of imminent annihilation...outmost limits, when we want to give up....our own blood."
7:24 Heroism deepens Life and puts forward a better Paradigm to raise the scope of our collective
8:56 Suffering has Heroic productive value
11:39 It can recover
11:59 A worthy rival
19:41 Teach us how, to hear the heart, the depth of our human nature. 20:26 Heroism is a medicine for Soul Sickness
_Why Heroes fail now_
9:42 Mary Sue Phenomenon; They're not struggling or going through the furnace. Unrivaled, Undefeatable, Unshakeable.
13:08 On the other side of things, plenty of people actively resist heroism 16:21 ("Quitter Behavior")
17:15 What if.......I will be....rejected? 18:34 Authenticity - I am who I am, and only who I am.
21:24 How To Reject Heroism
22:42 _"We live in addictive times."_ (make sure they're good not bad)
12:47 Facing a worthy adversary
14:54 "With Power, come Responsibility" (vice-versa)
23:20 A Formal Summary
25:53 Reclaim Legendary Wisdom 26:37 "Perhaps now. More than ever." 27:08 Thank you for your time and attention, and take care of your soul
Thanks again for the work you're putting into these maps. One thing I really appreciate about it is... that it's obvious that you're really listening. For a content-creator, that's really gratifying. So, thanks for that... and for the amount of effort, too. Gratitude. Eric D.
Ty Mate
This is what makes people like David goggins so inspiring. Would you say he embodies the hero archetype?
"A true leader doesn't create followers; He or she creates more leaders."
The reason no heroes are in power is the same reason as why you have to look extensively in niches if you're looking for good music: the whole narcissistic culture we live in, that you previously mentioned. (In my not so humble opinion.)
Leadership involves taking unpopular standpoints and sticking by them. (It's lonely at the top.)
Another Dutch proverb: "High trees catch a lot of wind."
Hey, wait a minute, Mr. Steen... are you related to Thomas McFly? Maybe a cousin or uncle? Anyhow, yes, I agree that we also have a very stunted understanding of what genuine leadership is, at least here in the U.S. And that's mostly because our vision of leadership (along with heroism) is rooted in our chronic addiction to our own self-importance and dictatorial mindset... which in my view is the great malaise of our time. I'll probably talk about that a bit in my next video. Anyhow, you people in the Netherlands seem to have a lot of great, pithy sayings. It makes me want to learn a little Dutch (my main secondary language is Spanish). Anyhow, say "Hi" to Sharon den Adel for me if you see her. Eric D.
@@ericdodson2644 Haha.. You know "Enter"? Their first album, if memory serves. I had this girl.. Long story.. :)
Or you know The Gathering? Strange Machines is a great track.
I was trolling some alt-right types on "GeenStijl", so I decided to morph into my new shape. ^^
("Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman; Always be Batman.")
@@battragon ... Dang, man... I'm starting to get the idea that you and I must have very similar musical tastes. I hadn't heard of Strange Machines by The Gathering before. But I listened to it, and found it to be hella bitchin'. Um... that's a vernacular Americanism that means, "Of exceptional quality." Anyhow, thanks for the connection to that song & band. Gratitude. Eric D.
Hey dude... I was going to reply to your last two comments, but YT has evidently censored both of them. I think one of them was because you used a word referring to coitus. I have no idea why our puritanical overlords would see fit to erase the second one. But, it's definitely not of my doing. When I post these videos, I click the "Allow all comments" button -- mostly because I don't believe in gratuitous censorship. But evidently what that button really means is, "Allow all comments that we allow." I apologize on behalf of the universe.
The heroes journey really fascinates me. So much meaning in it & behind it
Yes, obviously I agree. And to me the most fascinating thing about it is... the very *personal* side of it... how it can make sense of our *own* lives, and especially the dark nights of the soul we sometimes have to endure. Anyhow, it's always good read your comments. Gratitude. Eric D.
@@ericdodson2644 exactly! During your video I kept thinking of Dante’s Inferno. I listened to an audiobook of this recently…until then I’d heard of it yet didn’t really know what it was about. There were a lot of moral lessons and things to think about in it. Great book.
Absolutely mindblowing explaination
Great topic, I was talking about hero archetype with my friend today
Cool. Yeah, I often think that what seem to be coincidences in our lives... are actually life's way of trying to draw our attention to something.... that they're actually life's way of speaking to us, in a sense. Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.
an as a beautiful conceptual way, you are being here the needed mentor in the journey
I made a comment shortly after this video was posted. I can see it when logged in to my youtube account, but it's not visible if I log out--the comment is shadowbanned. I did not use profanity or vulgarity or anything of the kind, just expressed some thoughts about the hero archetype. Just a heads up to everyone that youtube is censoring A LOT of comments and worst of all it makes you think that the comment went through and no one is responding to it.
Yes. I noticed that, too. I received notice of your comment. And then when I looked for it in the feed, it was gone. When I post these videos, there's a place where you say whether you want automatic censorship. Since I don't believe in that, I always put, "Allow all comments." But clearly that's not happening. And yours is not the only case. And yeah, I was flummoxed as to what was offensive about your comment (creators still receive the content of them even when they're automatically deleted). The only thing I could guess was that you made reference to the penultimate president in the U.S., whose name contains one vowel and four consonants. But that's just a guess. In any case, the censorship is not my doing, and I fundamentally disagree with it.
@@ericdodson2644 I appreciate your reply. I was pretty sure youtube censored it but it's good to have a confirmation. It's clear that youtube has an agenda from the way they prioritize and deprioritize videos and shadowban comments and they do it in a subtle enough way such that anyone who suggests it can be dismissed as a conspiracy theorist, and youtube's explanation of catering to advertisers does not adequately explain it.
The youtube AI examines each comment as a whole using machine learning, such that certain words and phrases are weighed more heavily than others.
The most benign hypothesis is that youtube does sentiment analysis on comments and censors those it deems too 'negative'. That means it lets through comments about cute kittens but tends to censor comments on serious topics such those you would find on your channel. I suppose the logic goes something like this: Positivity is good and negativity is bad, if we promote positive comments and bury negative ones it makes the world a better place. That's the misguided altruist hypothesis. (You're probably aware of experiments Facebook did on users back around 2010-2014 where it manipulated the emotions of hundreds of thousands of its users by prioritizing or deprioritizing certain content in their feeds).
I know youtube has a blackout on the discussion of certain topics, such as the pros and cons of living in a diverse society. I tried and at some point just had to give up. If I were to ask youtube why they censor such topics, they would say that merely discussing them causes "real world harm". If I wanted to be charitable I'd attribute it to misguided altruism as well.
Anyway, if you got this far thanks for reading.
@@trucid2 ... Yes, well... I agree that they certainly do seem to have a very specific, ideological agenda, and that they do employ the mechanisms of favoritism and censorship to further it. As with most human phenomena, their motivations are probably mixed. Yes, probably the most benign among them would have to do with misguided altruism. In that regard, they don't seem to have fathomed the page from Psychology 101 that says that the more you try to repress something, the more you actually strengthen its effect. Or maybe they haven't yet chanced upon that old adage about how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Oops. However, I think that the more malevolent side of their motivation probably has to do with what I call, "The dictatorial mentality," which in turn has to do with the part of us that likes to control other people, to manipulate them like puppets, to determine what they can and can't say, what they're allowed to think, etc. But no matter what their motivations are, it seems like a very unwholesome practice that's ultimately producing divisive and injurious effects in our world these days. And so, it seems to me that the task _du jour_ is to agitate against it where possible. But hey, that's just me. Your own mileage may vary. Eric D.
I've watched all your videos. very good
Well, thanks. And yeah, thanks for taking the time and energy to listen. Gratitude. Eric D.
Fantastic video
Very inspiring.
Thank you so much, Eric!
Perfect, Thanks
Great video! Love the series on archetypes. Trickster was my fav. You have a way with words and very easy to listen to. All of these topics you’re covering have been immeasurably helpful for me in a spiritual way. Keep doin what you’re doing and following your heart and imagination sir. Cheers.
Hello Mr. Dodson, thank you for another great video!. I've been looking around your channel and a quality that you mention often is Self-Awareness. It would be great if you could make a video on it 🙏
I recently came across the Anti-Hero Peer Gynt. Fascinates me.
Hey Eric, could you consider making a video about wishful thinking ?
How it shapes our lives and whether we should indulge in it or try to be as rational as possible to live better.
Powerful video. It's not that people today don't sacrifice and struggle. It seems to me that suffering and struggle today is often in the service of career and careerism. Does this seem to you to be sacrifice in service of our self-importance?
The Hero's Journey can still be found in the spiritual world, where the adversity is within and not without. We can go on seeking small trials and being more sensitive to adversity in everyday life, then make struggle to mythologize it. Perhaps it can serve much of society well to believe in myths and stories again, to live them out in ways where the law won't hobble us. The law, unfortunately, has become the new God and the police its angels. That makes the individual a demon, a Nemesis to the Lord, and against odds which call him a perilous foe when he is strong, and a pathetic weakling when he is not.
Where there is no place for a hero, be a nemesis.
Eric, thanks for this. I missed your lecture from last week so I will go back and look at that. My background is Theology, although I am considering a Philosophy Masters. The idea of the Hero having to suffer made me immediately (as my background is Theology) think of Jesus. Can you suggest any reading on Jesus as the Hero Archetype?
👍🙏🙇
Banality of evil where everyone is capable of doing ill towards others where we possess a “shadow” so to do we have the banality of goodness, anybody can be the hero.
Hi Tanner. Well, I suppose that people still debate what Hannah Arendt really meant when she said that. I think that it was about how unremarkable Eichmann (and people like him) seemed to be, despite contributing to some of the most heinous events in human history. And, yeah, I guess that the implication would be that the potential for evil resides in a lot of other people (like ourselves) who don't seem particularly malicious or crazy. And yes, probably there's a mirror image on the other side of the moral divide, which is what I think you're saying. And that seems right to me. However, I'd also say that what makes both evil and goodness extraordinary is *not* our potential for them... but the times when those potentials cross the threshold into actuality. Anyhow, it's good to hear your figurative voice, as always. Gratitude. Eric D.
@@ericdodson2644 Yes, if I recall I think Hannah Arendt explicitly mentioned it is not to be understood in this way (even has regrets) which is funny because I specifically read that book for the very purpose of her unpacking the concept. I think the celebrity culture in some strange way seeps into us creating a kind of distancing effect where we do not believe ourselves to be great within our own circles "who am I to be able to do great things" but the mirror image of the moral divide, as you put it, discredits the idea that it is only the "great (popular)" who can do "extraordinary" deeds but the everyday man. We feel that our "profile" our views, likes, how popular the deed is spreads, is somehow synonymous with the "hero" as if it takes a witness to be a hero. Hope retirement is going swell these days, cheers!
In this video you mention that we must move through our pain/suffering and grow out of it. In another part of the video, you mention that sometimes we resist to grow and accept responsibility.
I’ve been an anti-natalist my whole life. I’ve been to multiple therapist including psychiatrists, Freudian psychoanalysts, and clinical psychologists. Some say I’m an anti-natalist because I don’t want to grow up and add to my responsibilities. Others have told me that it is because I usually escape from pain and suffering instead of moving through it and since I do not wish to add to my suffering I have become an anti-natalist. All of them tell me that I must become a father to evolve and be satisfied with my life, but I do not agree with them.
Note: My wife and I are separating because she wants to have kid(s) and I don’t. Before getting married I made it clear to her that I’m an anti-natalist and it was the only condition for our marriage. We’re both 37 years old and she is running out of time. I want to get a divorce because if I don’t then she will blame me for the rest of her life that I did not let her to become a mother.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could please share your thoughts on the above issue. Thank you so much for uploading this excellent video. Also, please pardon my English since it is not my first language. Cheers.
Well, mamadi, first let me say that I made a whole video on anti-natalism that you might want to review, to see if my view of it is congruent with your own (just search "eric dodson anti-natalism" and you should see it). Second, let me also say that I don't know you personally, and if I did, my response to you might be quite different.
However, based solely on what you're telling me (which is very limited)... First, I sense that an important part of the puzzle is missing in what you're saying. More specifically... I'm not seeing the connection between your anti-natalistism on one hand, and your needing psychotherapy on the other. For instance, if you're simply content with being an anti-natalist, and your life is rolling along in a satisfactory way, then why is there a need for psychotherapy in the first place? Is anti-natalism just part of a larger problem? ... because on its own, it doesn't seem to warrant all the treatment you've been receiving.
Second... it *could* be the case that your anti-natalism is a justification for evading responsibilities. But it could just as easily be the case that it's *not.* That's a question that no one else can really answer for you. Instead, you have to live toward your *own* answer over time. However, I'd definitely caution *against* thinking that becoming a father would be a viable solution to your problems. It's hardly ever a good idea for people to become parents when they don't really want to be, or if they're not feeling fundamentally good about it. That's usually a formula for disaster... resentment, neglect, possibly even abuse. And it certainly seems to be the case that you don't want any part of parenthood. It might be good to bear in mind that being a father isn't primarily about *you* ... it's mostly about the person you'd be bringing into this world. And if your orientation to life is that you want it to be mostly about yourself... then what's wrong with that? There are many positive ways of making that happen where it ends up being good for the world, and for yourself at the same time.
And finally, with regard to your wife... it's hard to compromise on the kids/no kids issue. Basically, I agree with your idea about the divorce -- especially before the clock runs out for your wife. As I'm seeing it, you're basically stuck between two unappealing alternatives. If you don't have kids, then she's denied an important life-experience that she really wants -- not a winning proposition, not even for you, because she'll probably end up being miserable, unfulfilled, resentful, etc. (which won't improve your life). On the other hand, if you *do* have kids, then you'd be violating your own values, and you'll probably be spending the next 20+ years doing something you basically never wanted in the first place. So, in that case, you'll probably end up resenting her... which is not really a win for her, because you probably wouldn't be a great partner at that point. So, I'm not seeing too much room for compromise here. And I think that given her age, it might be best for her to have that experience with someone who actually wants it -- before she loses her chance.
However, like I said in the beginning, all of what I'm saying is very speculative, especially since I don't actually know you. So take it with a grain of salt... or better yet, a 50 lb. bag of salt. In any case, I hope this helps somehow, or at least stirs the pot in an interesting way. Good luck, no matter what your decision ends up being. Eric D.
What is the temporal stability of heroism?
Well, I would guess that in the short term, it's about as temporally stable as our courage is. And from what I can tell, our courage waxes and wanes with time, and also with respect to the situation we're dealing with. But on the other hand, I'd say that despite that degree of short-term variability, there's also a long-term, cumulative effect over time, especially as we live through many situations that scare us (assuming we're doing that). Eventually, through many trials and reversals, we start to learn the meta-skill of facing and living through our fears -- if we're lucky enough, that is. So, in that regard, I'd say that life is always drawing us a little closer to fulfilling our potential for enduring heroism. And the most important question is about how and when we're going to respond to that call. Eric D.
In screenwriting there is an idea that every character is the hero of their own story. I just find that interesting to think about.
The Heroes of ancient days were villains. Tricky, ruthless etc.
Ben Dover (Bend Over)… I’m not the only one who noticed right?
I wonder how closely role models relate to heroes?
Well, I'd say that heroes would constitute a proper subset of all role-models. In other words, while heroes would (almost by definition) be potential role-models, there are also many non-heroic ways of being a role-model. For instance, if you emulate your father because he works on cars, and so you end up working on cars... well, he'd be a role-model of sorts, but not necessarily heroic. In fact, I'd say that *most* of our role-models are of that type... worthy of our emulation, but not necessarily heroic. But that may have to do with the fact that heroes seem to be few and far-between in our world these days. Anyhow, it's good to hear your figurative voice, as always. Gratitude. Eric D.
@@ericdodson2644 that’s a great explanation. I think sadly the numbers of role models is reducing too, sadly replaced by ‘influencers’ looking for ‘likes’. As well as heroes the world and its peoples would benefit from more role models & not more flimsy ‘likes’ based almost always on an image perhaps without substance. Scary where it’s heading!
Maybe there are so few heroes among our leaders nowadays simply because our world doesn't need them, despite all discussed profits
for personal growth which this archetype brings. The hero archetype,as mentioned in the video, is an ancient one, and it refers to the time when there was a constant need in young courageous men, who had no greater goal then to spill their blood in a glorious battle and perish with fame and honor. But we're not in a state of an endless war anymore. It may be argued, but I believe modern man experience no calamity which could compare with dying from a hunger in a siege or having a bubonic plague(I know there are poor countries in the world where all this horrible things can happen, but I don't talk about them now). We need more specialists, not warriors: engineers, doctors, programmers etc. The world which needs no heroes is a safe one; and I hope it will remain so.
Castaneda and other cultivated warrior state of mind. But what if I'm okay with being coward? What if I don't need to be strong and bold
to achieve my goals in life and gain happiness? There's no right way to live, I believe.
Anyway, great video, as always.
P.S. Not a native speaker, sorry for possible mistakes.
Good can only be good if it justifies itself against something bad why other use the word good? It has to be proven with the ideas right? Not really knowing what im attempting here.
Hey Dr. Dodson. galen here. Sorry to reach out to you over this medium but wasn’t sure how else to get ahold of you. I sent you an email on your uwg email. Hope to hear back from you soon.
Are you by chance an a course in miracles student?
No. I've heard of it, but I don't know much about it. But in any case, thanks for watching. Eric D.
Benjamin Dover is a funny name... Almost too good to be true 😂.
The problem is Machiaveli was right. In order to be loved, you need to be respected. In order to be respected you need to be feared. Example: bosses. The fact of the matter is, no one takes a boss who's too permissive and easygoing seriously. The job doesn't get done on time, you're overbudget and your inefficient. But when the boss is scary and not afraid to fire someone, everyone behaves and does their job right. I realized that as my first employer exploded on me one day and rather than be upset I realized what he was really doing. Establishing fear and dominance, so that my coworkers would know not to make mistakes like I did. So I didn't take it seriously and accepted the boss needs to be that way in order for the business to survive. Nice guys always lose.
Well, I'd say that your logic is mostly correct when it comes to relationships that are structured according to some sort of dominance hierarchy.... where there are bosses and their subordinates, for instance. However, some relationships don't seem to fall into hierarchical paradigms too easily. For instance, take the case of people whose company you enjoy for no good reason, and for no ulterior motive... friends, buddies, etc. Would you say that your love & respect for your friends is also based on fear? To me, that doesn't seem true. In fact, I'd say that friendship based on fear... probably isn't actual friendship in the first place. And I'd say that the same is true of romantic love-relationships. If your wife stays with you only because she's afraid of you... then you really don't have a wife at all -- instead, she's probably just a slave in disguise. But hey, that's just me. Your own mileage may vary. Anyhow, thanks for listening. Gratitude. Eric D.
@@ericdodson2644 I'd say that my logic applies generally in life but I grestly appreciate your input. In regards to friends, it's been *my* experience that they can sometimes get pushy if I don't set boundaries. Here's a particularly egregious Example: A friend asked for money from me and never bothered to pay me back. I thought I was doing a good thing helping him and I knew him for a school year, but after that he vanished and avoided me. In regard to relationships, I'm more cynical about that. I'm somewhat young but It's been my experience that It's not my goal to scare a woman I'm with but rather to establish that I can stand up for myself in a public setting(kind of like the boss I alluded to in my previous post) and to never show my really vulnerable side (else her not take me seriously.) Generally speaking I'm easygoing and friendly but I realize that, that behavior paints a target on my back and causes people to not take me seriously which is why I think this way.
@@JuanJimenez-pt3dn Hmm... well, I guess I'd question whether the "friend" who stole your money... was really your friend in the first place. It doesn't sound like the kind of friendship I'm describing, where there's no ulterior motive. Instead, it sounds like he was just trying to hustle you. In that case, I'd say that your Machiavellian logic is entirely apropos. Anyhow... yeah, I can understand why you wouldn't want a target of "Weakling" painted on your back. But on the other hand, if you go around trying to dominate everyone around you, perhaps with some sort of macho, he-man attitude... well, you might just end up exchanging one target (weakling) for another (douchebag, jerk, etc.). It seems to me like wisdom lies somewhere in between (as usual). Just a thought. Eric D.
Juan I absolutely get your point. I have such an impulsive character I cannot tolerate any oppression. I am hypersensitive. Maybe it's for some good.