Death for Memes
1987 #PowerOfMyth
#DeathForMemes is the meaning of this quote: "MOYERS: But how does one worship a metaphor, love a metaphor, die for a metaphor? CAMPBELL: That's what people are doing all over the place -- dying for metaphors."
People DO GIVE their life, to the death, for memes. They do not grasp the Bible verse "1 John 4:20", how they love Jesus/God/Allah they have NEVER MET! They die for BOOKS, they die for WORDS (John 1:1), they die for POETRY. What do you think The Crusades were?
BILL MOYERS: Where do you find it if you don't find it in yourself?
JOSEPH CAMPBELL: It's been said that poetry consists of letting the word be heard beyond words. And Goethe says, "All things are metaphors." Everything that's transitory is but a metaphorical reference. That's what we all are.
MOYERS: But how does one worship a metaphor, love a metaphor, die for a metaphor?
CAMPBELL: That's what people are doing all over the place -- dying for metaphors. But when you really realize the sound, "AUM," the sound of the mystery of the word everywhere, then you don't have to go out and die for anything because it's right there all around. Just sit still and see it and experience it and know it. That's a peak experience.
MOYERS: Explain AUM.
CAMPBELL: "AUM" is a word that represents to our ears that sound of the energy of the universe of which all things are manifestations.