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Don't forget the largest of them all -- religion. Shared mythology seems to be hugely important to human society. If the mythology breaks down, it sure appear

Don't forget the largest of them all -- religion. Shared mythology seems to be hugely important to human society. If the mythology breaks down, it sure appears to take society right along with it. > America would not have been founded This is a great example, for sure. It's hard not to shed a little tear when you sit through the presentation they give on a US Capitol tour about the founding of the nation and the principles that govern it. Makes you want to stand right up and start reciting the pledge of allegiance, and wrap yourself in a glorious American flag. I'm only a little bit kidding. It really is a great story. I want it to be true, it makes me feel really good. It's a nice counterpoint to the Internet, which generally portrays America about as accurately but in the other direction. And I think that the breakdown of this shared mythology may be the most dangerous thing happening in America right now. Which isn't to say that the right-wing nationalist flag-waving rhetoric is the right answer, but we probably would be better off collectively if we all believed in the fairy tale of the founding.

pixl97 4y ago
Society and culture are a shared mythology, without it you have a bunch of people doing their own thing but no real direction. Regions typically generated their own mythologies because of shared hardships. Religions typically co-oped those existing mythologies (though not always, genocide was used too) into their beliefs in order to more easily convert masses of fresh bodies. Successful religions typically have a few meta-memes built in. "Have kids or get punished". "Teach those kids your religion or get punished". "Tell other people to join your religion" "If those other people don't want to join your religion turn them into fertilizer". It's a very good way to spread a shared myth.

pixl97 4y ago

Society and culture are a shared mythology, without it you have a bunch of people doing their own thing but no real direction. Regions typically generated their own mythologies because of shared hardships. Religions typically co-oped those existing mythologies (though not always, genocide was used too) into their beliefs in order to more easily convert masses of fresh bodies. Successful religions typically have a few meta-memes built in. "Have kids or get punished". "Teach those kids your religion or get punished". "Tell other people to join your religion" "If those other people don't want to join your religion turn them into fertilizer". It's a very good way to spread a shared myth.