“A myth is an image in terms of which we try to make sense of the world.”
Explore This Quote Further
Understanding the world through myths
In today's fast-paced and complex world, the concept of myths continues to hold relevance. According to philosopher Alan Watts, myths serve as tools to help us make sense of the world around us. Just as ancient civilizations used myths to explain natural phenomena and human behavior, we can use modern myths and narratives to navigate the complexities of our society. By interpreting and analyzing these stories, we can gain insight into our own lives and the world we live in.
Exploring the Power of Myth
"A myth is an image in terms of which we try to make sense of the world." - Alan Watts
- Ancient civilizations used myths to explain natural phenomena such as thunder and lightning.
- Myths are prevalent in literature, art, and folklore as a way to convey moral lessons and societal values.
- Myths can also serve as a source of inspiration and creativity in modern storytelling and media.
Quote Analysis:
In this quote by Alan Watts, the philosopher suggests that myths serve as a framework or lens through which we interpret and understand the complexities of the world. By providing us with symbolic representations and narratives, myths help us navigate the ambiguous and often confusing aspects of our existence. Watts implies that myths are not mere fantastical stories, but rather tools that aid in our comprehension and interpretation of reality.
Reflection Questions:
Reflecting on the quote by Alan Watts, consider the following questions:
- What are some myths or stories that have helped you make sense of the world?
- How do myths shape our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world?
- Do you think myths are necessary for human existence, or can we navigate the world without them?
- How can we differentiate between helpful myths that provide meaning and harmful myths that perpetuate falsehoods or stereotypes?
- In what ways can we create and shape our own personal myths to guide us in life?
Similar quotes
“We seldom realize, for example that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society.”
“For man seems to be unable to live without myth, without the belief that the routine and drudgery, the pain and fear of this life have some meaning and goal in the future. At once new myths come into being – political and economic myths with extravagant promises of the best of futures in the present world. These myths give the individual a certain sense of meaning by making him part of a vast social effort, in which he loses something of his own emptiness and loneliness. Yet the very violence of these political religions betrays the anxiety beneath them – for they are but men huddling together and shouting to give themselves courage in the dark.”
“There is only this now. It does not come from anywhere; it is not going anywhere. It is not permanent, but it is not impermanent. Though moving, it is always still. When we try to catch it, it seems to run away, and yet it is always here and there is no escape from it. And when we turn around to find the self which knows this moment, we find that it has vanished like the past.”
“Paradoxical as it may seem, the purposeful life has no content, no point. It hurries on and on, and misses everything. Not hurrying, the purposeless life misses nothing, for it is only when there is no goal and no rush that the human senses are fully open to receive the world.”
“As you make more and more powerful microscopic instruments, the universe has to get smaller and smaller in order to escape the investigation. Just as when the telescopes become more and more powerful, the galaxies have to recede in order to get away from the telescopes. Because what is happening in all these investigations is this: Through us and through our eyes and senses, the universe is looking at itself. And when you try to turn around to see your own head, what happens? It runs away. You can't get at it. This is the principle. Shankara explains it beautifully in his commentary on the Kenopanishad where he says 'That which is the Knower, the ground of all knowledge, is never itself an object of knowledge.'[In this quote from 1973 Watts, remarkably, essentially anticipates the discovery (in the late 1990's) of the acceleration of the expansion of the universe.]”
“We could say that meditation doesn't have a reason or doesn't have a purpose. In this respect it's unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and dancing. When we make music we don't do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.”