The Hero with a Thousand Jobs
I think the person who takes a job in order to live - that is to say, for the money - has turned himself into a slave…. Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system to the attainment of human purposes?
-Joseph Campbell
In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell describes how mythological stories all follow the same fundamental pattern called the monomyth. This pattern has been repeated in various myths throughout history and the pattern has stood the test of time - why? Because it resonates with us. I sincerely believe the Hero’s Journey is the ideal approach to a career - any career.
The Journey Begins by Hearing the Calling
Act I of the story begins with some disturbance, some evil that has threatened everyone in the hero’s world, and the journey begins by the hero accepting the challenge of searching for that elixir or that magical treasure that can bring peace back into his world. In reality, there’s countless number of such “evil forces” that threatens our world, whether we define our world as the entire globe, the community we live in, or wherever we draw the boundaries in our minds.
When you follow your bliss… doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn’t be a door for anyone else.
- Joseph Campbell
If you’re paying attention, there’s no shortage of callings that need you. For that reason, pick the calling where you can be the greatest hero. That means one that needs your special skills and talents the most, the one that plays to your strengths. Think of the treasure as the product, and the journey as the process. If the process requires a strength that doesn’t interest you, then pick a different journey, a different process to get that same product, or simply figure out the best product that you can get with the process that suits you the best. Unlike the heroes in the myths, you can choose the adventure to pursue.
All Adventures Require Overcoming Barriers
Perhaps the most important barrier to cross is the first one, the entry gate. According to Campbell, the first barrier is the point of no return. You’ve accepted the quest, and now you have to follow through with the mission. What is the entry gate to your career, to your calling?
You’ll need to slay monsters along the journey, and these monsters are called threshold guardians. Every treasure worth pursuing has threshold guardians to protect it. Heroes are not always successful in every battle against such monsters, but once they succeed, heroes are always stronger after they defeat these monsters. That’s why they are an important part of the journey - to defeat the dragon guarding the treasure, the hero must become stronger by first battling the threshold guardians.
Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.
- Joseph Campbell
The treasure is always underground somewhere in an innermost cave. You’ll have to navigate through dark and unknown paths to find the treasure. At this point, you’ll need a wise old sage that can guide you. The sage can be an old hero, a wizard, or perhaps a mentor in the career that you choose. Don’t be shy to ask for help from a mentor. Draw upon the wisdom and experience of the mentor to navigate through the darkness and help you find the treasure.
Seize the Treasure
The moment of truth. You see the treasure, and the only thing stopping you from taking it is the dragon. No one has ever defeated the dragon before, and if you were to have faced the dragon at the start of the journey, you would have merely contributed to that statistics. However, you’ve become a stronger, more capable hero from your journey and you’ll need to rise to the occasion and deliver the greatest battle of your life to slay the dragon.
It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life.
-Joseph Campbell
However, the adventure doesn’t stop with slaying the dragon. The legend isn’t complete until the hero returns to the world with the treasure to share. The journey to the innermost cave was a challenge, but the journey back into this world with the treasure can be a greater challenge. Victory isn’t achieved until you help make the world a better place with the treasure you found.
In the End, the Journey Was as Valuable as the Treasure Itself
The hero successfully returns with the treasure, and peace has been restored in the hero’s world. However, the hero is not the same person who started the journey. The world benefits from the treasure, but the hero benefits from the journey. When it comes to careers, the process can be as important as the product.
I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.
-Joseph Campbell
What if Internal Affairs was setting up the hero from the beginning, and the treasure wasn’t what he thought it would be? I feel a sequel coming on!
I’d be interested in hearing from the women in the group to find out if they think this way. Whenever I compare notes with friends and family nine times out of ten my thought patterns follow typical “female” lines and I just don’t get how men think.
This is an instance of not getting how men think, to me. I just don’t understand the whole solitary quest thing. To me, it’s all about getting together with a whole bunch of people and figuring out solutions together in non-violent ways - rather contrary to the Hero Quest. I’ve never been able to read Joseph Campbell for that reason. There’s absolutely nothing that resonates with me.
That being said, when I read fiction, I mainly read fantasy and so quite enjoy quest stories, but love ones that offer a slightly twisted version of the traditional quest.
So I don’t know if the not getting Campbell is just me being odd or if it’s another example of me just not thinking like a typical “guy.”
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I loved this quote! “When you follow your bliss… doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn’t be a door for anyone else.” I have lived this.
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@Hunter: Why settle for a sequel? We’re talking franchise here. Life is a series of adventures - Beowulf comes to mind here.
@Alex: That’s interesting regarding the male/female thought process. I know that the hero’s journey is closely related to adventure/fantasy stories, but I’ve seen the breakdown applied to also romance stories. Girl and guy finds each other, worldly problems present obstacles that separate the two, one or both finds a way to overcome these obstacles for the sake of true love. Either for an adventure story, romance story, or whatever, they typically are in line with some sort of formula. I guess what separates the predictable, formulaic stories from those that resonate with us is the life that the creator breathes into the story. You also have a great point regarding the “cowboy” approach vs. “collaboration” approach. I do agree that guys typically are more likely to use the lone cowboy approach, but I think that kind of a comparison is more task-oriented, rather than career-oriented. Career choices are usually an individual choice (unless the choice was forced upon the person).
@Davina: Isn’t that quote amazing? I first came across Campbell through his work on mythology, but I didn’t realize he had a pretty impressive outlook on life itself.
“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.” Excellent quote.
@Alex, I usually enjoy Hero Quest stories. They are inspiring and speak of power each of us has. However, if you do notice those stories, the story might be focussed on the hero but there are lot of other important people in the background without whom, victory might not be possible.
The same story can be re-told innumerable times in different ways by just changing who you focus on. And whoever you focus on, becomes the hero.
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I really like how you applied Joseph Campbells book to the process of finding a job that you really want. Interesting read.
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@Alex - actually it never occured to me to question Al’s storyline. I am a total sucker for the Hero Quest…especially the Relucant Hero. How many times have I watched Chronicles of Riddick? And not just for Vin!
@Al - Anyway, I am heading out on a journey, but I am at the very beginning: hearing the calling. I know now what I MUST do. There are two big dragons in my path. The first is named Time, the second Money. At some point, my journey is going to require that I deal with both these dragons..but being a girl I prefer to tame them, than slay them. Not there yet, though. I will keep you posted!
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Alex–
This is from Wikipedia, which quotes Campbell’s own response to people saying the Hero’s Journey focused on the masculine:
“All of the great mythologies and much of the mythic story-telling of the world are from the male point of view. When I was writing The Hero with a Thousand Faces and wanted to bring female heroes in, I had to go to the fairy tales. These were told by women to children, you know, and you get a different perspective. It was the men who got involved in spinning most of the great myths. The women were too busy; they had too damn much to do to sit around thinking about stories. […]
“In The Odyssey, you’ll see three journeys. One is that of Telemachus, the son, going in quest of his father. The second is that of the father, Odysseus, becoming reconciled and related to the female principle in the sense of male-female relationship, rather than the male mastery of the female that was at the center of The Iliad. And the third is of Penelope herself, whose journey is […] endurance. Out in Nantucket, you see all those cottages with the widow’s walk up on the roof: when my husband comes back from the sea. Two journeys through space and one through time.”
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Al: This was great. I love looking at life like the story of a hero on a quest. I think that a lot of the times the women in the story wait while the hero–the man–goes out on dangerous and exciting adventures (think Penelope waiting for Ulysses). I for one feel like I’m the hero of my own story.
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I’ve not read Joseph Campbell’s books; so reading this article is very interesting for me. I like the ending “The world benefits from the treasure, but the hero benefits from the journey” and feel that it is a very important message that every step of the way is one made in awareness and learning.
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Hi Al,
I totally agree it’s the journey, rather than the prize. In a lot of jobs I had, I started at the bottom. It was in the process of working my way up the ladder I found the most joy. Although I would make it to the top, once there, I would ask myself, “is this it?”
It was then time to move on to another endeavor.
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@Avani: Thanks for sharing a woman’s perspective on the hero’s journey. Agreed, I think the hero’s journey indeed is proof that success depends on help from others, such as the the sage, the wizard, or the mentor.
@Bamboo: Thanks for the feedback. The more I learn about Campbell, the more I become a fan.
@Urban Panther: Love to hear you succeed in conquering/taming the dragons. Please keep me and the rest of your readers posted!
@SpaceAgeSage: Those were great quotes you got from Wikipedia. It’s good to see that Campbell did consider both the male and female perspectives. Thanks!
@Mare: Indeed, Penelope might be heroic in her wait, but no need to depend on the success of others when you can attain it yourself!
@Evelyn: The treasure and journey are both important. It’s something I have to remind myself regularly.
@Barbara: That’s very true about work… we might be very productive at work, but it’s important for us to grow as well.
I agree that the process can be as important as the product. We learn something about ourselves during a journey of self-discovery, and at the end, we will never be the same person.
I’m so glad I found this blog! Your writing is inspiring, and to-the-point.
Vered’s last blog post: Happy, Then Not
Al -
This article resonates well with me as I’ve been a curious learner of “opportunity through adversity”. I like this quote, “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.
- Joseph Campbell”
-Shilpan
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I really enjoyed reading this parable, Al. I haven’t thought about Campbell since college.
“If you’re paying attention, there’s no shortage of callings that need you. For that reason, pick the calling where you can be the greatest hero.”
This quote reinforces my belief that we should create a life based on our strengths, and not always be working on improving our weaknesses. (I’ll have to read your post on this topic too — haven’t yet.) I’ve only realized and embraced this as I’ve gotten a little older and want to make the most of the time I have on this earth!
“Victory isn’t achieved until you help make the world a better place with the treasure you found.”
So true — I’ve got to get busy!
Joseph Campbell really does have some great quotes, doesn’t he? I love the “experience of being alive” quote because that’s the golden elixir I am always chasing - ways to feel more alive and more connected. This is why people even do the self-destructive things they do. I had an escalating drug habit in my twenties, and at the time I would have told you that the only time I didn’t feel numb was when I was high. If people understood the basic human need to feel like we are really living and embraced it, I think there would a lot less addictions and self destructive behaviour out there.
Great article, Al.
Kelly
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I have not read “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” , but from what you describe it’s going to my wish list.
Shamelle
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@Vered: Agreed, I think we’re taught to be so oriented towards producing that we overlook the importance of the process. I think happiness actually depends more on the process than the product. And thanks for the nice compliment!
@Shilpan: “Opportunity through adversity.” That’s the first time I heard it put that way, and I like it! Every opportunity that doesn’t end in a victory is indeed a chance to grow by being a learning experience, but we need to be mindful of actively learning the valuable lesson. Thanks for that phrase.
@Linda: Regarding the focus on strengths over weaknesses, all I can say is Amen! It would be great if you get a chance to read the post where I talked about it, but based on what you just said, you already know the right answer. That’s awesome that you studied Campbell in college - was it for anthropology, literature, or something else?
@Kelly: I haven’t been a drug user, but the need for users to take the drugs in order to simply feel alive is something that I have heard. I do have an obsessive-compulsive behavior, so it’ll be very tough for me to get out of that spiral. If you choose to write about that experience, I would be very interested.
@Shamelle: “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” was a great book and has been around for some time. Campbell inspired Vogler’s book, “The Writer’s Journey” and Campbell also was a strong influence for Star Wars. The book was very informative, but Campbell has a large collection of works, and the quotes that I used weren’t necessarily from that one book.
I believe I read Campbell in an English course b/c I was an English minor. At that time I thought he was a pretty “dark” writer, based on what we read which I can’t recall at the moment. I’ll have to take a look at his work again now.
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@Urban Panther: You’re the one who saw Chronicles of Riddick?!?
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@Linda: They’re coming out with a new edition of his Hero book. Has a very interesting cover on it - a collage of historic heroes that make up the face of one grand hero. I’d be interested to see what new materials were added in the book, but I’m not quite curious enough to pay for a new edition when I already have the previous one
@Writer Dad: In defense of Urban Panther, I too saw The Chronicles of Riddick. And to one-up on her, I actually saw the first movie from that sequel (I think it’s called Pitch Dark). I wish there was a way to get Vin Diesel to return those hours I spent watching the two movies back to me.
Yeah, yeah, I saw Chronicles too. Pitch Black was MUCH better. At least we’re not watching “The Pacifier,” right? Urban Panther?
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Al,
I saw this post when you first put it up - and kept coming back to re-read it. I was, I admit, quite perplexed.
Perhaps it is a function of my mood today - I don’t really know - but when I see the expression to “follow our bliss” I am always confounded. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? How does one know if the’ve found their bliss - and to follow it?
I have stated many times - the journey is almost always MORE fun than the arrival. Such anticipation! But can somebody PLEASE explain that term to me? I truly haven’t a clue what “following one’s bliss”is!
Thanks,
Rita
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Hi there Al - I like your mask image.
“Playing to your strength” was something that took me a while to learn - for example I tried to play flute and ignored piano - yet piano was what I found easiest. I watched other people around me being more successful than me (or so I thought), then I realised they were doing things that were EASY for them, while I gravitated to things that were challenging. I wised up, and started to concentrate on areas I was naturally good at.
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@Rita: Regarding your question about what it means to follow your bliss, although it’s a simple question, I’m not sure if I understand it. “Follow your bliss” seems self-evident… pursue that which enriches you and makes you happy. I think I may have misunderstood your question.
@Robin: That’s great that you played to your strength and focused on what you’re good at. As children we typically are told to improve our areas of weaknesses, and that usually comes at the cost of spending more time with our strengths. Not everyone learned to play to their strengths, even as adults.
Al,
I’m sorry, but I can’t stop laughing. That’s it? That’s what it means? Do things that make you happy? Now THAT I get! I thought that I was missing out on some new way to FIND your happiness…but it makes perfect sense. Thanks for the clarification.
Rita
Hi Al - This is so true. I think anyone experiencing life or career challenges will benefit from reading this post and realise that they’re not alone - they’re following a pattern that has been explored by many others.
What you said about working for others really just being like a form of slavery really struck a cord with me too. Running a business can be tough and as you know, recently I lost a whole heap of money. But, I’ve thought about what it would be like to just take a job and I do believe that I would be condemning myself to a life of slavery.
I think the person who takes a job in order to live - that is to say, for the money - has turned himself into a slave…
and this is exactly how i feel, i’m not at the job i’m at because i love it, i have to provide. i need a new career.
great comparison, i’m not quite there yet….i’m taking a slow journey, but i have faith that i’ll get there.
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Hey Al, I find that most monsters that need slaying are of the self-created variety.
Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.
- Joseph Campbell
This is when we can take the slavery of employment no more and declare our right to a life of self-created freedom!
@Rita: Yeah, “follow your bliss” sounds so simple! It sounds like platitude, but in all honesty I don’t think enough people understands this, particularly in the US. I heard someone describe it as the Purtanical hard-work ethics that makes the US culture reject following your bliss to be an acceptable lifestyle, and some people have to unlearn this type of thinking.
@Cath: That’s great that you have such good perspective on things. I could only imagine what it would feel like losing investment money in a business that shuts down, but some of the best entrepreneurs went through some initial false starts (I think they say on average, 2.3 failures before the ultimate success or something). I would imagine that financial loss is indeed better than being “condemned in a life of slavery.”
@Natural: Congratulation, you ARE NOT a slave!! You just realized you have a job and not a career and that you need to look for a new career. You might be an indentured servant, but definitely not a slave. Indentured servants are only obliged for a fixed period of time. Your current job is only convenient as a stop-gap until you find your new career.
@Tom: Indeed, those inner demons are the most formidable of all sometimes. As you described before, sometimes hitting rock bottom is the way to find the internal fortitude and courage to take on these challenges head-on.
I agree wholeheartedly with this post. The worst mistake we can make as individuals is to sell ourselves into a life of slavery by not choosing the right journey.
Well put!
T
Al,
First of all, I love Vin - which shouldn’t surprise Writer Dad one bit! lol
Second of all, I want to add one more comment, given that I am reading all of your new comments as they come into my email.
In 1984 I took a job with a Fortune 10 Company. It was HUGE! They respected their workers - and their workers’ rights. They had every benefit imaginable. If you had a question on ANYTHING from how to order from the company store to anything on Health Care, numbers were easily found. The work was enjoyable. They promoted from within, if possible. When the economy was bad, we got NO LESS than cost of living increases. I worked hard, got promoted several times, loved the people I worked with and for, and loved the work itself. When they said “open door policy” they meant it.
When I went out on disability in the ’90’s they stood by me. They still cover 100% of my health care - no deductables. Same with prescriptions. I get a check from the company EVERY MONTH. I get called at least 3 times a year - just to ask how I’m feeling.
Unfortunately, a few months after I had to leave, my subsidiary was sold to another HUGE company. This company would have abandoned me in 18 months. If I could EVER go back to the original company, I would do it in a heartbeat. Therefore, I am the ONLY original employee from my subsidiary who still has contact with this marvelous company. Ironic.
Not all huge employers are evil. Some appreciate their top managers as much as their janitors. Though I hear your point loud and clear, and agree with it, I guess I was lucky to have “found my bliss” at one of the largest corporations in the world: 3M.
Rita
@T Edwards: Thanks for the feedback. Agreed, if we aren’t paying attention, the natural path is to indeed become a slave to the system. We need to be conscious and make an purposeful choice of what our journeys should be.
@Rita: That is awesome how 3M treats their employees. I’ve heard good things some time ago about how nice it was to work for them, but to hear it first hand confirms what I’ve heard. I wonder if it has anything to do with Minnesota’s midwestern values?
What a great comparison! Life is a journey for all of us, and the journey is what we make it.
As well, this quote below speaks volumes to me:
“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
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Very cool blog. I love the last quote the best, “In the End, the Journey Was as Valuable as the Treasure Itself.” After all, that’s what it’s really all about. If our journey sucks who cares about the treasure?
I haven’t read this book, it’s definitely on my list now.
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@Lance - indeed, we sometimes get so caught up with the day-to-day that we forget about the bigger journey we’re in, and sometimes the trivial things we worry about takes us off our intended journey. Thanks for the feedback!
@Cheryl - Thanks for the comment… Joseph Campbell is a real luminary in my opinion, and he has a fascinating collection of work. I don’t agree with all of his published works, but they are indeed important.
So, what is it that will makes for a good CV, one that will stand out from another?
I think this approach is very original and interesting. But I think it’s more applicable to men than women to search for a job, so that men could feel like conquerors.