The Power of Myth

I’m looking for ties between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers’ The Power of Myth and the emergence of the “follow your passion” approach to choosing careers.

During its time, The Power of Myth was “one of the most popular TV series in the history of public television.” It was released in 1988, not too long after the passing of Joseph Campbell.

I’m reading a blog post by Ron Eisenman, who talks about how The Power of Myth and the idea of following your bliss allowed him to transition from being a lawyer to becoming a teacher within the humanities.

From the Joseph Campbell Foundation:

BILL MOYERS: Do you ever have the sense of... being helped by hidden hands?

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: All the time. It is miraculous. I even have a superstition that has grown on me as a result of invisible hands coming all the time - namely, that if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.

The “follow your bliss” ideology was a popular topic among the people who enjoyed the show. Within the discourse of its time, it must have somehow been understood that following your bliss meant transitioning into a career where you could do work that you loved. I’d love to find proof of this.

As a side note… I’m so tempted to watch this show, just for my own curiosity. ;) It reminds me a bit of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos. A few years ago, my sister sent me the link on YouTube where all the episodes of the original Cosmos could be watched. I remember it taking me only a few days to consume the entire thing. Carl Sagan was a beautiful person who created a beautiful series.

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