L&D: Myths and Legends

My formative years were spent captivated by myths and legends. I had an old textbook that belonged to my mom that dove into the details of the entire Greek Pantheon. You could find books on Robin Hood, King Arthur, Norse Mythology, Aztec Mythology right along side stacks of beat up Spider-Man, Batman, and Ninja Turtle comic books. Then came the video games... Yes! Of course Mario Bros. But who else was enthralled by The Legend of Zelda and Kid Icarus? These stories engaged my mind and, because I grew up in the 80's and 90's, I was allowed to run amuck through acres and neighborhoods with swords made out of cardboard and a bow and arrow made from yarn and a wire hanger.

So, my burning question is:

Why do myths and legends persist even when we know they aren't true or real?

Joseph Campbell, who gave us the concept of the #Monomyth or #HeroesJourney, has this to say:

"People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive" (Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth).

"The rapture of being alive..." What a statement! I grew up in a religious household (that semi-tolerated my obsession with 'gods') where "rapture" meant a very specific, biblical apocalyptic event. This is not that "rapture." Oxford defines rapture as "a feeling of intense pleasure or joy." I'm definitely on board with feeling intense joy for life - aren't we all?

40% of what determines happiness is up to you according to research. The author behind "Smaller Cup" had this to say about our control of that 40%:

How you frame or reframe the present moment is significant. Do you just react to events unconsciously or do you deliberately set out to apply a certain mindset?

Circling all the way back to the start of this article let's chat about the roles myths, legends and stories play in our mindset and worldview. In a 2018 BBC Culture article Prof. Martin Puchner wrote that, "stories can have significance outside the pages of a book." He continued that stories change history and culture. There are references to how Alexander the Great's love of the Iliad and Odyssey fueled his actions. Puchner continued: "The influence between the Iliad and Alexander went both ways. Having drawn inspiration from the epic, Alexander gave back to Homer by turning Greek into the common language of a large region, thus laying the infrastructure for turning the Iliad into world literature. Alexander’s successors built the great libraries of Alexandria and of Pergamum that would preserve Homer for the future."

While he has not officially asked me, I'd add to Puchner's work that George Lucas' love of Joseph Campbell's Monomyth heavily influenced the epic Star Wars franchise which in turn inspired me (and probably you). How many times has someone quoted or sent a Yoda meme to you when things were challenging?

The stories, characters, and lessons from mythology add to our rich understanding of the world and how it works. Marvel has made fantastically entertaining films, but to be honest, they're standing on the shoulders of giants. These films resonate with us, give us someone or something to cheer for, and reinforce the idea that we can overcome obstacles and challenges.

The stories that are shared by a culture have long-lasting impact, and as the world grows more connected the reach of these legends grows beyond their traditional borders. This past August (2022) Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero went to number one at the box office beating Idris Elba... Yes, THAT Idris Elba. I was one of the many fans that went to see it. My eight year old son and I took in the epic big screen adventure and he couldn't stop talking about it. He wasn't just talking about explosions and fights but the lessons he learned.

If you don't already know, Dragon Ball started out as manga (Japanese comic book) that borrowed core themes, characters and events from the classical Chinese epic, Journey to the West. Tim Brinkhof wrote for Big Think about Journey to the West:

Like any literary masterpiece, Journey to the West also imparts inspiring and helpful life advice. Each of the principal characters represents a different piece of the human puzzle: mind, body and spirit, to put it broadly. By turning his own protagonists into semantic building blocks, Cheng’en constructs philosophical arguments out of each adventure, showing how certain Buddhist and Taoist practices can (or cannot) help people overcome problems.???

Since stories can impact our perspective which in turn can increase our personal happiness, influence culture and decision making, engage us, and help us understand the world around us:

Why aren't we talking more about myths, legends and stories as L&D Professionals?

Aren't happiness, culture, decision making, engagement and mindset some of the largest identified challenges of the future of work? There exist today an insane volume of research and articles on these topics. Deloitte has a cornucopia of research in this field and even Indeed has jumped in the game with a Workplace Happiness Report.

While there is not a magic bullet to make people happy and fix the workplace (if it's even something that can ever be fixed - not to say we shouldn't always be trying... it just feels Sisyphean [another myth] at times), why aren't more of us turning to #Storytelling? I for one am all about it and I've just given you a small peak into my mind to understand why.

What are your thoughts? I'd love to discuss this more!