43 phrases from Joseph Campbell to reflect on life

Joseph John Campbell (1904-1987) was an American writer and professor known for his theories on religion and mythology. He gained popularity after the publication of his work The hero with a thousand faces (1949), From which, his ideas were applied to cinema, literature, philosophy and psychology.

Founded in 1990, the Joseph Campbell Foundation is charged with keeping the author’s legacy alive. Among many others, George Lucas has been one of those who has recognized the writer’s direct influence on his work.

Far from being forgotten, his books continue to attract the interest of millions of people. That’s why we review the best phrases of Joseph Campbell.

The best phrases of Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell worked as a literature professor at Sarah Lawrence College, New York. There he taught for 38 years, so, almost his entire life is linked to this university.

Below, we leave you with a selection of the best phrases by Joseph Campbell with the intention of paying tribute to his thoughts.

1. “We must be willing to let go of the life we ​​planned to have the life that awaits us.”

Because the life plan that is in your mind does not always fit reality. Based on your reality you must build your plans.

2. “We are so committed to doing things to achieve purposes of external value, that we forget the internal value, the ecstasy associated with being alive, is what it is all about.”

Although obtaining externally valued purposes should immediately fill your internal values, this does not always happen. It is therefore advisable to focus on the latter.

3. “If you follow someone else’s path, you won’t realize your potential.”

Most people just follow the path that others have laid out. Undoubtedly, It is much easier than starting to build your own trail.

Joseph Campbell left a great legacy in the field of comparative mythology.

4. “Life has no meaning. Each of us has a meaning and we give it life. It is a waste to ask the question when you are the answer.”

Life does not have a universal meaning, that is, something that characterizes all the lives that have to be lived. Each life has a purpose and it is far from being universal, it is specific or individual..

5. “All religions are true, but none are literal.”

As it could not be otherwise, we have included several phrases about religion by Joseph Campbell. This is the first of them.

6. “We are not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But by doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.”

After all, you can’t expect to save others from something if you haven’t done the same with your life.

7. “Life is like being late to a movie: finding out what was going on without bothering everyone with a bunch of questions, and then getting called back unexpectedly before finding out how it ends.”

Not understanding it, sometimes, is an experience that we all have to deal with.

8. “I am sorry that the illuminations came too late.”

Sometimes when they are no longer helpful, for what motivated their appearance. However, these can help you navigate situations in the future.

9. “Where you stumble and fall, there you will find gold.”

You should not fear failure, since all failure is, at the same time, a space to connect with your own ability to improve.

10. “As you advance on the path of life, you will see a great abyss. “It’s not as wide as you think.”

Not to mention that there are several ways to get through it. There is no life that has not had to face abysses and they all, sooner or later, find a way to get to the other side.

11. “You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there is a path, it is someone else’s path.”

And this can temporarily help you get out of the darkness, but as soon as you reach the light, you must try to forge your own.

12. “The cave you fear to enter guards the treasure you seek.”

One of Joseph Campbell’s most quoted phrases. Words that many readers will identify with.

13. “People say that what we are all looking for is a meaning in life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really looking for. I think what we are looking for is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences, on the purely physical plane, resonate with our own innermost being and reality, so that we truly feel the ecstasy of being alive.”

Long discussions have generated the question what is the true meaning of life. Curiously, those who only think about it end up living a meaningless life.

14. “If you can see your path laid out in front of you, step by step, you know it is not your path. You make your own path with every step you take. That’s why it’s your way.”

This is, because it is you who is forging it; so there is no established path.

15. “If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s path.”

Words that complement the previous phrases about the life of Joseph Campbell. There is nothing wrong with following the journey of others, but in the end you must risk experiencing a feeling of emptiness.

16. “The goal of life is to make the beats of your heart coincide with the beats of the universe, to make your nature coincide with Nature.”

A purpose in life will always give greater meaning to it than its absence.

17. “Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.”

Also the place where you feel most comfortable and can be yourself. If you have something like this, treasure it with your greatest strength.s.

18. “Find a place inside where there is joy, and the joy will burn away the pain.”

While it won’t make it go away completely, it will certainly reduce its intensity temporarily to calm you down a bit.

19. “Sit in a room and read, and read, and read. And read the right books, written by the right people. Your mind is brought to that level, and you have a nice, smooth, slow-burning ecstasy all the time.”

If you are a follower of the work of Joseph Campbell you must assume these words as a philosophy of life.

20. “The privilege of a lifetime is to be who you are.”

A privilege that very few people can say they have. Could you affirm it yourself?

21. “Follow your happiness and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”

Of all the quotes about happiness by Joseph Campbell, this is one of the best known.

22. “If you follow your bliss, you set yourself on a kind of path that has been there all along, waiting for you, and the life you should be living is the one you are living. Follow your joy and do not be afraid, and doors will open where you did not know they would be.”

Life is much simpler than it seems, It’s just that most of the time we are looking for excuses to complicate it..

23. “The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a resounding yes to your adventure.”

Doing so requires courage and determination, which is why many choose to take a step back.

24. “When we stop thinking primarily about ourselves and our own preservation, we experience a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.”

Although it may seem paradoxical, when you stop thinking about yourself is the moment when you learn the most about yourself.

25. “Some of us may have to go through dark and winding paths before we can find the river of peace or the royal road to the destiny of the soul.”

This is not an essential condition, of course; But it is true that it happens in many situations.

26. “You become mature when you become the authority of your own life.”

That is, when you assume responsibility for your life.

27. “I believe that the person who takes a job to live, that is, for the money, not for a purpose or passion, has become a slave.”

The work you do will always be tedious if you do not undertake it with passion or purpose.

28. “Marriage is not a love story. A love story is a totally different thing. A marriage is a commitment to who you are. That person is literally your other half. And you and the other are one. A love story is not that. That is a relationship for pleasure and, when it becomes unpleasant, it turns off. But a marriage is a life commitment, and a life commitment means the main concern of your life.”

Another of Joseph Campbell’s phrases about love that we could not omit from our list.

29. “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves arise when life seems most challenging.”

You don’t know your abilities and skills when you haven’t given them the opportunity to test themselves.

30. “A hero is someone who has given his life for something greater than himself.”

This is the reason why it is so difficult to find a hero in today’s times.

31. “The dark moment is the moment when the true message of transformation will arrive. In the darkest moment the light comes.”

Again, words of encouragement to overcome the falls that we all have to experience in life.

32. “Not all those who doubt are lost. The psyche has many secrets in reserve. And these are not disclosed unless required.”

Even the most confident people have doubts. Doubt is part of life, and even plays a leading role.

Campbell worked with Swami Nikhilananda on the translation of The Upanishads.

33. “The agony of overcoming personal limitations is the agony of spiritual growth. Art, literature, myth and worship, philosophy and ascetic disciplines are instruments to help the individual overcome his limiting horizons, towards ever-expanding spheres of realization.”

Many readers of Joseph Campbell’s quotes will realize that many of these disciplines have been of great help to their personal growth.

34. “Instead of cleansing his own heart, the fanatic tries to cleanse the world.”

He doesn’t realize that you can’t change others without first starting with yourself.

35. “Love is the burning point of life, and as all life is painful, so is love.”

And this type of pain has a specific name: heartbreak.

36. “Then when you look back on your life, you will see that the moments that seemed to be great failures, followed by ruin, were the incidents that shaped the life of now. You will see that this is really true.”

These words may seem like a cliché, but the truth is that those who have experienced great failures, over time acquired great experiences from them.

37. “You are the hero of your own story.”

You are also the protagonist, the antagonist and the writer.

38. “There may be nothing worse than reaching the top of the staircase and discovering that you are on the wrong wall.”

This is one of the reasons why it is not always convenient to follow the path that others have laid out.

39. “The way to discover happiness is…