Joseph Campbell

Birth: 1879-07-15 , Belfast

Death: 1944-06-01 , Glencree

Joseph John Campbell was an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer. He is best known for his work on comparative mythology and comparative religion. Campbell's most famous work, 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces', introduced the concept of the monomyth, or the archetypal hero's journey, which has had a significant influence on literature, film, and popular culture.

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We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

I have bought this wonderful machine—a computer. Now I am rather an authority on gods, so I identified the machine— it seems to me to be an Old Testament god with a lot of rules and no mercy.

COMPUTERS ARE LIKE OLD TESTAMENT GODS; LOTS OF RULES AND NO MERCY.

Furthermore, we have not even to risk the journey alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.

If you have the guts to follow the risk, however, life opens, opens, opens up all along the line.

But if a person has had the sense of the Call -- the feeling that there's an adventure for him -- and if he doesn't follow that, but remains in the society because it's safe and secure, then life dries up.

As a white candle In a holy place, So is the beauty Of an aged face.

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Joseph Campbell dedicated his life to the study of myths and their significance in human culture. His extensive research led him to identify common patterns and themes across diverse mythologies, which he articulated in his monomyth theory. This theory posits that many myths share a fundamental structure, revolving around a hero who embarks on an adventure, faces a decisive crisis, and returns transformed. Campbell's work, particularly 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces', has inspired countless creators, including filmmakers like George Lucas, who cited it as a major influence on 'Star Wars'. Campbell was also a popular lecturer and television personality, making complex mythological concepts accessible to a broad audience.