The Importance of Studying Mythology and Folklore

The Importance of Studying Mythology and Folklore

What is the importance of studying mythology and folklore in modern society? In what ways can myths be useful to us? When you understand that myths bind us together and make us feel like we are a part of something much larger than ourselves, you will recognize the continued importance of studying mythology and folklore. The power of myths lies in the fact that they always yield answers to any question we ask of them. They can be stories that amuse us, they can be instructional, they can provide us with a higher meaning, and anything else we demand of

The Reward: The Hero’s Journey Ends With the Maiden

The Reward: The Hero's Journey Ends With the Maiden

What is the reward in the hero’s journey? How does the Irish legend of Cuchulainn illustrate this stage of the hero’s journey? The reward in the hero’s journey is often represented in the form of a beautiful woman that the hero marries after overcoming the hardships of his quest for herohood. This is perfectly illustrated in the Irish legend of Cuchulainn. He was only able to marry Emer (his love interest) after he had successfully completed the dangerous quest of learning supernatural arts from the warrior woman Scathach. Read on to learn more about the reward stage of the hero’s

The Impact of Secularization on Mythology and Folklore

The Impact of Secularization on Mythology and Folklore

What is the impact of secularization on classic hero myths? Are we misunderstanding the true purpose of mythologies? The degradation of the supernatural elements of ancient myths and folklore into mere instructive fables is largely due to the impact of secularization. In our logic-driven society, it is easy to prove that mythologies are not true. However, this ignores the purpose of myths, which is to serve as an adventure into the recesses of the soul, a journey of self-discovery with a mythical story as our guide. Read on to discover more about the impact of secularization on the relevance of

Liking Bias: Why We Ignore Faults in People We Love

Liking Bias: Why We Ignore Faults in People We Love

What is the liking bias? How do you correct this tendency? The liking bias is the inclination to be emotionally attached to objects of affection (including humans and things) to the point where real faults and problems are ignored. You can correct this bias by inverting your opinion of your object of affection to see all the ways that person is unlikable. Read on to learn more about the liking bias.

Charlie Munger’s 8 Secrets to Living a Good Life

8 Secrets to Living a Good Life [Charlie Munger]

What are the secrets to living a good life? What are the possible obstacles to your happiness? The secrets to living a good life include surrounding yourself with friends and family, avoiding self-pity, hard work, and being around people you admire. Envy, lack of ambition, and drug addiction are all factors that can prevent you from living a good life. Read on to discover more about the secrets of living a good life.

Rescue From Without: The Hero’s Journey Is Aided

Rescue From Without: The Hero's Journey Is Aided

What happens during the rescue from without the stage of the hero’s journey? Why does the hero require external help? The rescue from without stage of the hero’s journey is the step where the hero requires aid from a powerful external benefactor to escape the realm of the supernatural and return home. A hero will be in this situation when he has won the ultimate boon through trickery and is been chased by gods seeking to recover what was stolen. Read on to discover more about the rescue from without stage of the hero’s journey.

The Contrast Bias: Why We Misjudge Value

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Contrast Bias

What is the contrast bias? How can you avoid the contrast effect when making comparisons? The contrast bias is the tendency to compare things to one another using relative factors instead of judging each object on its own merit. This is why an object will be viewed as worse than it usually would be when compared to something much better. You can manage this bias by judging each object on its own merit rather than in relative terms.  Read on to learn more about the contrast bias.

Return With the Elixir—The Hero’s Homecoming

Return With the Elixir—The Hero’s Homecoming

What happens in the return with the elixir stage of the hero’s journey? Is it dangerous for the hero to return to the secular world? The return with the elixir stage of the hero’s journey is the step where the hero returns to the secular world with the divine boon in hand to be shared with his people. However, a returning hero faces the danger of losing the spark of divinity due to the banalities of ordinary human existence. This is why the mythical Aztec god-king Moctezuma never set foot on the ground to avoid being sullied by the un-sacred

The Instinctive Reaction Tendency—Explained

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Instinctive Reaction Tendency

What is the instinctive reaction tendency? How do you keep calm in stressful situations? The instinctive reaction tendency is the inclination to react without thinking during stressful situations leading to ill-informed decision making. You can control the tendency by keeping calm during stressful situations and recognizing that you still have some time to think methodically before making a decision. Read on to learn more about the instinctive reaction tendency.