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Quote by Neil MacGregor

“What does a great empire do when faced with imminent invasion and destruction? It can rearm at home and seek allies abroad; but more cunningly it can revisit its history to forge a myth that will unite the people and carry them through to victory, a myth that will demonstrate to everyone that their country has been specially chosen by history to uphold justice and righteousness.”

Quote by Neil MacGregor

Book:A History of the World in 100 Objects
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A History of the World in 100 Objects

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Neil MacGregor
Neil MacGregor

Neil MacGregor is a renowned British museum director known for his profound understanding and exceptional contributions to museum culture. He has extensive experience in museum management, exhibition planning, and public education. more

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“Myths, legends, and fables frequently tell us more about the human race than studying history does. G.K. Chesterton said, ‘Fable is more historical than fact, because fact tells us about one man and fable tells us about a million men.’ The whispering voices of our ancestor’s fables warn us about conspiracy, death, deception, and trickery. There exist inside some of us multiple voices clamoring that something crucial is missing from our fateful lives. Author Jenifer Salaiz said, ‘Writers are nothing more than borderline schizophrenics who are able to control their voices.”

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Book:Dead Toad Scrolls
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“The word "myth" can be most appropriately and simply defined as a story intended to convey some kind of timeless, sacred truth. Why use a story, instead of some other means, to convey what are perceived to be timeless, sacred truths? Stories engage more - and arguably deeper - parts of ourselves than bare, conceptual discourse usually does. They're more entertaining, and they can be more emotionally moving. They're not necessarily irrational - especially when one understands the basic assumptions of the worldview out of which they spring - but they are generally nonrational. They don't necessarily contradict a particular rational understanding of the world, but they're not concerned with the rational validity or lack thereof in what they purport to describe. They bypass reason altogether, for better or for worse. Rather than stating an idea and then arguing for why that is an accurate reflection of reality, stories go straight to the example, depicting the cosmos as seen through the lens of the idea. They show rather than tell. These factors make stories more persuasive than rational argument, for most people and as a general rule, which is most if not all societies have entrusted their core beliefs to myth more often than to rational argument.”

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Book:The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion
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