The Myths we live by
Posted 06-26-2013 at 01:49 PM by Fortoggie
Some time ago I picked up a book by a professor at Emory University;she had written a book called, THE POWER OF MYTHS. I guess that I had never focused on just how many myths that we hold too and how useful they can be to us.
When our daughters were young my wife read dozens of childrens stories to them. All of them were made up stories, such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Three little Pigs, etc., all of them were mythical but served two or three purposes.
1. Was to settle them down and get them ready for bed. 2. Was to stimulate their minds and give them something to think about. 3. Then there was the intent of getting them used to looking at words and pictures so that they would have a warm fuzzy feeling toward
books.
Then I thought of a very useful myth called Santa Claus; just think of how useful that is. Right in the middle of winter, in the short, dark days our ancestors come up with something to chase away boredom and to play a winter game that in time became a worldwide myth.
Every once in awhile someone comes along and says we should stop this nonsense, but they don't get very far. Why? Because we can't find anything to replace it. Santa Claus, has been turned loose on the world and it meets so many peoples needs that it would bring on a war if the naysayers tried to bring it to a halt.
Many myths are like that and when you try to introduce reality and practicality, you find that the myth sounds better, is more comforting and people fall back to it to stay in their comfort zone.
So when I go to the Mall this December and see the little children sitting on," Santa's knee, you can be sure that I am not going to go up to them and say kids, this is a hoax, this all make believe. Not me, I'll let you be the killjoy!
When our daughters were young my wife read dozens of childrens stories to them. All of them were made up stories, such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Three little Pigs, etc., all of them were mythical but served two or three purposes.
1. Was to settle them down and get them ready for bed. 2. Was to stimulate their minds and give them something to think about. 3. Then there was the intent of getting them used to looking at words and pictures so that they would have a warm fuzzy feeling toward
books. Then I thought of a very useful myth called Santa Claus; just think of how useful that is. Right in the middle of winter, in the short, dark days our ancestors come up with something to chase away boredom and to play a winter game that in time became a worldwide myth.
Every once in awhile someone comes along and says we should stop this nonsense, but they don't get very far. Why? Because we can't find anything to replace it. Santa Claus, has been turned loose on the world and it meets so many peoples needs that it would bring on a war if the naysayers tried to bring it to a halt.
Many myths are like that and when you try to introduce reality and practicality, you find that the myth sounds better, is more comforting and people fall back to it to stay in their comfort zone.
So when I go to the Mall this December and see the little children sitting on," Santa's knee, you can be sure that I am not going to go up to them and say kids, this is a hoax, this all make believe. Not me, I'll let you be the killjoy!
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