Why do We Use Stories and Myths to Define Archetypes?If we say, “a hero needs to be devoted, tireless, and dedicated” no one besides us will have a clear picture of what a hero does–everyone’s interpretation of devoted and dedicated can be different. If I tell you the story of the hero, however, and you see what he does and why he does it, and, by inference, you see how to do it, too. Stories provide a lot of information is very little space about a situation or an interaction. It can express multiple variables without resorting to massive exact explanation. If a princess is kidnapped by a dragon, a king sends out for a hero, and a hero accepts the quest to save her, we can identify with the probable feelings of the princess , the king, and the hero (though not so much with the dragon), the difficulties and danger the hero will face to rescue the princess, and much more. If I simply said, “A certain person was having a difficult time and needed some help,” all of this information would not be evident. If we are told this story by our parents or others to whom we have a bond, we will unconsciously receive the message that they want us to assimilate the characteristics of the hero in the story and act in similar ways.  |
