Joseph Campbell quotes — Day 3

[NOTE: As we begin The Quest, I figured it was a good time to bust out some Joseph Campbell, progenitor of The Hero’s Journey. This is one in a series of posts from 2010 featuring notable Campbell quotes.]

From Monday, December 20-Sunday, January 2, I’m going to post a Joseph Campbell quote each day at 9AM PST. Why? Because the end of the year is a time to reflect on our lives — what we do and what we hope to do, who we are and who we hope to become. And Campbell’s deep immersion into the world of stories resulted in some profound wisdom about human existence. I hope you find inspiration in Campbell’s words. Today’s quote:

“If we fix on the old, we get stuck. When we hang onto any form, we are in danger of putrefaction.”

This again speaks not only to the condition of the human individual, but also Protagonist characters in most stories. In the world leading up to FADE IN, the Protagonist has managed to create whatever life they have with a variety of belief systems, coping skills, and defense mechanisms. But in most stories, they are not leading a truly authentic life, there are aspects of who they are — deep inside them — that must emerge into the daylight of consciousness. That lies at the core of emotional journey of most metamorphosis stories. If the Protagonist refuses the call to adventure or goes on their quest, but refuses to change, they die, either physically or symbolically.

For more on Joseph Campbell, go to the Joseph Campbell Foundation.

[Originally posted December 22, 2010]

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