The incomprehensible financial gap between rich and poor and the corresponding impact on industries like the news media and the war machine, are often cited as drivers behind many societal woes. While factors like these play significant roles, they are truly just symptoms of a deeper systemic problem that is mostly invisible, always camouflaging as something else—usually as a symptom instead of the cause. Without shining a spotlight on this rotten core, the numerous symptoms can be overwhelming and leave individuals feeling helpless. Recognizing the symptoms as manifestations of systemic flaws offers a clearer pathway for action. Rather than battling a faceless conspiracy, we can focus on advocating for change that promotes transparency and equity. The real challenge lies in addressing the underlying structures that allow a few to control wealth and influence over public services and government policies. By demystifying these structures, we empower ourselves to push for changes that ensure public resources serve the broader good, not just the interests of a few.

Change requires comprehension.

If we understand what is contributing to a problem, we can do something about it.

A host of tribal mythologies of the past underpin today’s global society. Originally intended to unify communities and facilitate the psychological growth of members, the remnants of broken mythologies are weaponized to manipulate the masses. Myths that once reconciled an isolated tribe or group with their known world, are now used to foster exclusion and xenophobia in a diverse global setting. This misuse incites fear and hate, repurposing once well-intentioned narratives into tools of global division. The powers that be employ “divide and conquer” strategies, historically effective in maintaining dominance. This approach traps us in cycles of mere survival, stifling critical thinking and higher consciousness. By recognizing and confronting these manipulations, we can disentangle ourselves from their control and foster an inclusive and enlightened global community.

Half a century ago, Joseph Campbell warned, “When a tradition… [fails] to get its message across—when its mythology is no longer fully functional—terrible things can begin to happen. The mythic structure of the society no longer supports the psychological development of the individual.” Here are three contemporary examples where dysfunctional mythologies are having dire consequences: 1) Racial Superiority: Based on the solidification of religious metaphor into beliefs of superiority, being conditioned to believe you are of a “race” that is superior to others. This is used to justify atrocities like ethnic cleansing and colonialism, with the violence and prejudice perpetuated under the guise of concepts like religious decree; 2) Gender Discrimination: Outdated biological-based myths continue dictating strict gender roles that confine individuals to acceptable predetermined behaviors; 3) Animal Commodification: old and non-applicable hunter society myths are used to support modern practices like factory farming. We are conditioned to inadvertently support the commodification of animals and their abuse, as a necessary part of life. While practices like this use bygone myths as rationale, they pay no regard to the legacy of respect given animals or the rituals acknowledging their loss.

The mythologies that frame these present realities, have been distorted by their application to a world they were never meant to address. To be effective, a mythology and the rituals that enact it must relate to the living world, not any past one of our ancestors. We have erred at both ends: concretizing the metaphors of our ancestors, effectively worshipping idols—accepting them as facts rather than as reference to what is transcendent of thought—and doing away with the psychologically necessary shattering aspect of ritual.