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Myths are public dreams; dreams are private myths. By finding your own dream and following it through, it will lead you to the myth-world in which you live. But just as in dream, the subject and object, though they seem to be separate, are really the same.
Joseph Campbell
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that myths are collective dreams while personal dreams are individual myths, guiding us to our reality.

Joseph Campbell's quote reflects on the relationship between myths and dreams, positing that myths represent the shared ideals and narratives of society, while our personal dreams represent individual journeys and aspirations. By pursuing our dreams, we connect with the deeper truths of our existence, revealing that in our pursuit, we become intertwined with both our inner selves and the collective myth of humanity. The quote emphasizes the unity of the dreamer and the dream, suggesting that understanding this connection can lead to a richer, more meaningful life experience.

Themes

MythsDreamsIdentityJourneyAspiration

In practice

Example use cases

This quote is perfect for a motivational speech about pursuing one's dreams.

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Christianity isn’t moving people’s lives today. What’s moving people’s lives is the stock market and the baseball scores. What are people excited about? It’s a totally materialistic level that has taken over the world. There isn’t even an ideal that anybody’s fighting for.
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Apocalypse does not point to a fiery Armageddon but to the fact that our ignorance and our complacency are coming to an end. The exclusivism of there being only one way in which we can be saved, the idea that there is a single religious group that is in sole possession of the truth—that is the world as we know it that must pass away. What is the kingdom? It lies in our realization of the ubiquity of the divine presence in our neighbors, in our enemies, in all of us.
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The demon that you can swallow gives you it’s power, and the greater life’s pain, the greater life’s reply.
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And if there was no Fall, what then of the need for Redemption? What god was offended and by whom? Some especially touchy cave bear whose skull had been improperly enshrined?
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