Villain, Victim, Hero

An Olympic preview.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• social
• science
• hero
• joseph
• campbell
• olympics
• 2008
• beijing
• tlg847

[sarrycrey]

I cried more watching the Olympic stories last time than I did pregnant watching the kodak commercials. And I was pregnant three times Tom! Lol, so true, and great vlog.

[tlg847]

Oh yeah, those NBC folks know how to play those heartstrings like a violin! They just looovvve to make you cry!

[Gimmeabreakman]

Ah... been a while since anyone taked about JCampbell stuff.

At first I thought -- reading the title -- that this was about Reid! LOL!

Looking forward to see these changes.

[tlg847]

Nah. No need to drag that stuff around.

[antigurus]

yes, this is psychologically correct. great to know you know this...even better you are transmitting this to others! yes, we will absolutely see this dynamic story played out. it happens every time! we love it don't we?! this is a powerful archetype in the human psyche..and yes, it spans all cultures, all generations, all religions. great video!

[tlg847]

yes, it's very deep in our memetic repertoire. Thanks.

[wrongwayup]

Interesting. Your hero arc reminds me of Joseph Campbell's "monomyth" / the hero's journey (wiki to The Hero with a Thousand Faces). The theory of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies. Maybe this archetype found its way into the Olympic tv coverage as well. :)

[CanadianNinjaMonkey]

When I watch the olympics I can't help but think that I'd sooner give a gold medal to any random EMT, firefighter, police officer, or good mother of a 5 year old. Not to downplay the physical and mental discipline of someone who likes to play with ropes and rings but I see all of sports as entertainment, and the personal journey of triumph over adversity in sports as personal, not impacting me emotionally. The worth of their stories is how they might have inspired others along the way.

[calsonicSTi]

Villain, Victim, Hero. That's also the light and dark. It's also connected to the patriarch. For the past 3000 years in western civilization, that is how we've operated.

[cambridgee]

we do love these stories.

there are genuine stories like this with the 1000's of athletes from hundreds of countries at the games.

these stories are what make the games compelling. that and the truly transcending athlete, of which there are but a few.

so these stories fill the gap when we dont particularly know who should or care who wins.

peace.

[httprover]

Something that bothers me sometimes is the need for some people to be seen in the role of hero and the lengths that they will to to achieve that status. A warrior needs victory to prove his worth. And there are others who would like to undermine his efforts. Hence there is a conflict that needs to be resolved. A situation turns bad when someone tries to spoil the results. That is rather unsporting and disappointing.

[httprover]

In the Olympics there are national champions who carry the hopes of their peoples. Greatness is determined by performance and the outcomes of various contests. National prestige is determined not by a single victory but how one does overall. Which country gets the greatest number of gold medals, etc. But a solitary hero may arise if someone exceeds expectations and claims victory. And fortunately, for those whose hopes are dashed, there is always next time.

[clmorgan]

Drop the hero, leave the victim villain yin yang. That's raw and what's real. perkyp