Myths are more than stories. Late last century, some psychologists used mythology as a lens into our psyches. Influenced by Carl Jung’s theories of the collective unconscious, they believed that archetypal characters and motifs recurred in cultures all around the world, and were also present in the minds of people who had no memory of reading them. In this framework, the man who grew from feuding with his siblings to butting heads with colleagues was drawing fuel from Ares, the Greek god of war; the woman who had a prosaic desk job but measured her life in foreign discoveries and romances was mimicking the adventurer Hermes. The analysts argued that understanding the archetypes people had subconsciously chosen to emulate could help make sense of their life choices. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Two Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 30 Cold Shivers The seasonal appeal of ghost stories. Arts & Culture Issue 26 Possession Obsession Sometimes decadent, often secret, but never just one: the compulsion to collect. Arts & Culture City Guide The Standard, High Line Setting a high standard in the Lower West Side. Arts & Culture Food Issue 46 At Work With: Deb Perelman The little blog that could: An interview with Smitten Kitchen’s unflappable founder. Arts & Culture Issue 46 Word: Wintering When to withdraw from the world. Arts & Culture Issue 46 Brock Colyar An interview with a professional partygoer.
Arts & Culture Issue 26 Possession Obsession Sometimes decadent, often secret, but never just one: the compulsion to collect.
Arts & Culture Food Issue 46 At Work With: Deb Perelman The little blog that could: An interview with Smitten Kitchen’s unflappable founder.
