Myths: widely known framing stories

Here’s my latest stab at a definition of myth: Myths are widely known stories that frame how groups of people think about, and act in, the world. 

I want myths to include contemporary narratives and not just ancient tales, and this description does that. I’ll unpack the new definition and then give a list of stories that qualify as myths.

There are many definitions of myth, and even the definers have mixed feelings about them. Moreover, different people will understand myth differently. It’s also very easy to find fault: for any candidate myth, one can find a plausible definition that disqualifies it as a myth.

To distinguish my definition, and highlight that it doesn’t claim universal validity, I’ll use the term myth*.

I list stories further down that illustrate what I mean by myth*. They include traditional myths and religious stories, but also political beliefs and scientific narratives. I’ll explore conspiracy theories, a prototypical modern myth, in a future post.

Parsing the definition 

I’ll first unpack and try to justify the terms I use in my definition.

“Widely known” (was “widely held”)

This version started as a riff on the definition, “a widely held belief in significant truth claims, presented as a story, that influences thought or behavior,” from myJune 2020 post “Myth” in tech journalism. (For my rolling compendium, see Myth definitions.) I originally wanted to change it to “simple stories about complicated, important things,” but chose “widely known” rather than “simple” since widely held ideas are likely to be simplifications; “widely known” implies “simple.” (The experts in any priesthood—scientific, religious, or otherwise—will sweat the nuances and debate the number of angels but non-experts like “the public” will make do with generalizations.)

I chose to replace “widely held” with “widely known” since concepts don’t have to be believed to be influential. However, I could be persuaded to stick with “widely held.” The key is that they’re not limited to a small percentage of the group in question.

I started by using “non-technical stories” to distinguish between lay depictions (of, say, climate change) and professional discourse. However, as with “simple,” “widely known” implies “non-technical” and so I don't think that qualifier is necessary. 

The version of a discourse that makes it into public discussion is necessarily greatly simplified, potentially to—and sometimes beyond—the point of error. The previous definition referred to truth claims which I now omit since all stories make some claim to relevance which is sufficient for my purposes. Bullshit is powerful even if no-one believes it’s true.

By the criterion of “widely known stories,” non-expert portrayals of scientific ideas like climate change or the Big Bang count as myth*. I don’t intend myth* in the pejorative sense of “an unfounded or false notion” (Merriam-Webster), although a particular widely known story may be unfounded or untrue. What matters is that it’s an attempt to frame and explain the world.

“Stories”

The words story and narrative have a wide range of meanings. I’m using story here in the sense of characters and connected events:

• “Characters” can be any reasonably well-defined actors. It covers both agents and patients, and I include people and other living things as well as bounded systems like companies. 
• Characters imply a context against which they’re seen, that is, an environment.
• “Connected events” imply causality linking changes in characters and/or the environment.

Put another way, story for me involves actors, events, and causality. Causality ties the events and characters together; it implies connections and chronology. 

My sense of story is similar to Merriam-Webster’s lemma 1.a “an account of incidents or events” with the additional specification of actors; I take “an account of” to be a causally plausible chain. 

My definition is more extensive than Merriam-Webster’s lemma 1.b, “a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question” since just stating facts without a narrative tying them together doesn’t qualify as a story.

In general, I prefer a more limited meaning for story than some scholars. Robert Shiller seems to count as narratives even phrases like “technological unemployment” or claims that unemployment is out of control. See, e.g., my post Narrative in economics: Shiller’s stories (Sep 2019), where I cite the OED definition of narrative, lemma 2.a, “An account of a series of events, facts, etc., given in order and with the establishing of connections between them; a narration, a story, an account.” This has two of my three requirements: events and causality, but not actors.

Lord John Reith made “inform, educate and entertain” the BBC’s watchwords (The Herald). Influenced by this mantra, I think of mythical stories as having four functions:

• Explain (includes origins, provided by some traditional myths, as well as mechanisms, offered by science)
• Edify (i.e., to instruct and uplift; a moral dimension lacking in “educate”)
• Entertain 
• Exhort (i.e., urge to act in a certain way)

Mythical stories, particularly traditional ones, are often entertaining. This may have helped them to survive even when they no longer provided explanation or edification. However, this is of secondary importance to me. Myth*s don’t have to be entertainment.

Stories can be accounts of something that happened in the past, a prophecy about the future, or events that happen outside time. In some definitions, myths are stories that occur outside chronological time. My definition is broader than that and include contemporary narratives. 

“Frame … the world” (was “Complicated important things”)

My 2020 definition of myth referred to “significant … claims, …, that influence[] thought or behavior.” I think the concept of framing is an improvement since it is a more powerful phenomenon than influencing It also includes and obviates the use of the slippery term “significant.” 

I take a frame to be a set of ideas that people use to interpret what is going on in their world. They are. A frame is usually taken for granted, and its shaping of reality and meaning is typically invisible to the people using it. In technical terms, framing analysis refers to a research method. See frame analysis in Wikipedia and Britannica.

These kinds of stories are sometimes referred to as "narratives" or more specifically, "cultural narratives" or "social narratives." (Cf. Christina Schachtner, Storytelling as a Cultural Practice and Life Form, 2020)

“Groups of people”

A belief can frame the world for a lone individual, but that doesn’t rise to the level of myth. Myths are social things, hence the requirement that it’s important to a group.

I’m not going to pre-judge how big the group must be for a story to qualify as myth. There may be a minimum size (bigger than a family and probably bigger than a clan?) but even small groups—e.g., cults and vanguard parties—can be strongly influenced by myths. 

“Think about, and act”

Thoughts shape actions, but actions are decisive. However, I decided not to limit the definition to just stories that just frame action, since a group’s worldview has a powerful influence not only on its actions but also on how it interprets the actions of others.

Myth examples

Here are examples that I believe meet the myth* criteria.

(I’ll sometimes provide commentary in parentheses at the end of each example.)

Traditional myths

Lord Shiva, in his aspect as Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer, performs a divine dance within a ring of fire. This dance represents the cyclical creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. (The cyclical nature of the universe is a fundamental concept in Hinduism.)

The seasons happen because Persephone return to the underworld every six months. She was abducted by Hades to be his queen in the underworld. Demeter mourning the loss of her daughter caused the earth to become barren. Zeus struck a deal that Persephone would spend part of the year with Hades and parts with her mother Demeter. Persephone's return to the earth marks the arrival of spring and summer, while her time in the underworld brings fall and winter.

The goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone both fell in love with the beautiful youth Adonis. Both wanted him for themselves. To resolve the dispute, Zeus decreed that Adonis would spend one-third of the year with Aphrodite, one-third with Persephone, and the remaining third wherever he chose (Adonis chose Aphrodite).

The mead of poetry was made from the blood of Kvasir, the wisest human that had ever lived, by two dwarves who murdered him. They also killed a giant, whose son, Suttung, took the mead from them as recompense. Suttung hid the mead under a mountain and set his daughter to guard it. Through murder and deception, Odin found his way into the mountain, seduced Suttung’s daughter, and stole the mead. (Frames wisdom and creativity coming at a high, and morally questionable, price.)

God created the world by speaking it into being. He created people in his image.

God promised the Jews that he would give them Caanan and protect them, provided they obeyed his commandments and worshipped him exclusively.

Humankind got technology from lustful angels, called the Watchers or Egregores, who defected from heaven to couple with women. The Watchers taught humans various arts and sciences like agriculture, metalworking, weaponry and warfare, medicine, cosmetics, dyeing, astronomy, writing, and curses. Their offspring was a race of giants, the Nephilim, who despoiled the earth. God decided to cleanse the Earth of this corruption, leading to the Great Flood. (See my post Enoch’s Egregores as Bringers of Tech.) 

God became human as Jesus Christ and died on the cross to atone for humanity’s sins. Salvation is available to all who have faith in Jesus and follow his teachings.

History

American settlers were destined to expand westward across North America during the 19th century. The United States had unique moral virtue and a divinely ordained mission to redeem the world by the spread of its unique and superior form of civilization, characterized by democratic ideals, individual liberty, and economic opportunity. This would liberate indigenous peoples from tyranny and backwardness. (Characters: The US, indigenous peoples. Framed territorial expansion as a God-given right.)

Politics

Liberals control the media leading to pervasive bias against conservatives in news coverage and undermining America's social fabric. (Characters: Liberals, media companies, conservatives.)

Donald Trump colluded with the Kremlin for years. He profited from lucrative business deals in Moscow and Russian internet trolls helped secure his 2016 election by manipulating social media.

The US government is controlled by a deep state of disloyal, progressive civil servants, not by elected officials who have the interests of ordinary people at heart.

Economics

Corporations are motivated purely by profit which is contrary to the interests of ordinary people, damaging individuals, society, and the environment. Greedy billionaires and large corporations are exploiting ordinary people and only government action can make things right. They accumulate wealth at the expense of workers, contributing to a widening wealth gap. Corporations prioritize profit over fair wages and working conditions, leading to exploitation of workers; and they prioritize profits over environmental responsibility. (Characters: Billionaires and corporations, government, workers.)

Entrepreneurs and innovative corporations drive economic growth by creating jobs and new technologies. Through competition and market-driven solutions, they improve efficiency and lower costs for consumers. This leads to overall societal prosperity without excessive government intervention. Technology innovation by hard driving entrepreneurs unfettered by government interference is the only way to solve the world's problems and improve standards of living in the long term. Government intervention is problematic because regulations can hinder creativity and stifle innovation bureaucratic processes can increase costs over regulation can create barriers to entry for new businesses reducing competition, and high taxes and strict regulations discourage investment and entrepreneurial efforts. (Characters: Entrepreneurs, corporations, innovation, government.)

Society is structured by an inherent conflict between a capitalist class that owns the means of production and a working class that it exploits by only giving it a fraction of the value it produces period. This systemic inequality will lead to increasing discontent and eventually a revolution where the working class will seize the means of production, ultimately resulting in a classless society that benefits everyone. (Characters: social classes.)

Technology

Social media companies create addictive experiences because they need consumers to stay engaged in order to sell advertising. They use technologies like algorithms and infinite scroll to maximize engagement. Increasing time spent leads to more data on users which is used to enhance targeted advertising. These features lead to addictive behaviors; mental health issues like anxiety, depression and decreased self-esteem; reduced attention span; and sleep disruption. Social impacts include echo chambers, misinformation, and concerns about user privacy and consent. This can only be countered through government regulation including stricter data protection, requiring active content moderation disclosing how algorithms work, enforcing age-appropriate content, and requiring that platforms encourage meaningful interactions over passive consumption.

Selfish behavior by consumers and corporations—overconsumption by consumers, and selfish pursuit of profits by companies—has caused global warming that will lead to catastrophic environmental consequences. Addressing the problem will require systemic changes like policy reforms and shifts in societal values. Global collaboration and governance are essential for achieving sustainable and equitable solutions to climate change.

Powerful technology is only ever an amplifier of existing issues, whether positive or negative. For example, it can improve the quality of existing education and healthcare provision by innovating; it can improve existing communication networks; it supports environmental sustainability agendas through new techniques and processes. On the other hand, it can also exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities, and it can perpetuate biases already present in data.

Technology is the primary driver of social and cultural change. Technological advancements shape human behavior, social structures, and even the course of history more than other factors like politics, economics, or individual choices. As technology evolves, it compels social adaptation, with human agency playing a secondary role in influencing the direction and impact of technological advancements.

Those proposing an action or policy that may cause serious harm bear the burden of proof that it is not harmful. (Characters: companies proposing action, government as enforcer.)

Innovation thrives best in an environment free from restrictive oversight. This fosters creativity and rapid technological advancement. Governments should allow experimentation and development without requiring prior approval or regulation. The benefits of innovation usually outweigh the potential risks. Society can and should address issues as they arise rather than stifling progress through overly cautious regulation. (Characters: innovation, government, society.)

Science

“In 5 billion years from now, so the story went, the solar system will have dramatically transformed. Instead of being the benign presence we are used to, the sun will have ballooned into a giant, hundreds of times bigger than it is today. In the process, it will wipe out the rocky, inner planets, including our own.” (Stuart Clark, New Scientist.)

Myths but not myth*?

Here are some examples that one might consider to be myths, but that probably don't qualify as myth*s.

Traditional mythology

A mischievous giant, Thrym, stole Thor’s mighty hammer and demanded the goddess Freya’s hand in marriage as a ransom. Loki hatched a plan in which Thor would be disguised as Freya and travel to Thrym’s kingdom with Loki as the bridesmaid. After the wedding ceremony, Thrym presented the hammer to his “bride” as a wedding gift, and Thor used it to kill all the giants. (Entertainment, but no framing bigger issues.)

Economics

Gentrification, characterized by the influx of wealthier residents and businesses into historically lower-income areas, leads to increased housing costs, displacement long-term residents, and the erosion of cultural identity. (Big picture framing but no characters.)

Science

The scientific method has led to a dramatic improvement in our quality of life through technological progress and medical breakthroughs. (The scientific method is not well-bounded enough to be a character.)

While science has improved living standards it has also had negative consequences including environmental degradation and climate change; an increase in inequality because the benefits of scientific advances are not equally distributed; and an erosion of cultural traditions and way of life. (Science is not well-bounded enough to be a character.)

Species change over time through natural selection over variable, inherited traits. Individuals with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to their offspring. This process leads to populations becoming better adapted to their environments over time. (Explanation but no characters.)

The universe began as an infinitely hot and dense single point that inflated and stretched over the next 13 billion years to create the still-expanding cosmos that we see today. Over billions of years, gravity caused matter to clump together, forming stars, galaxies, and large-scale structures. (Explanation but no characters.)