A hundred years ago, most people wouldn’t think to challenge social norms or reasoning—especially in terms of religion. These Joseph Campbell quotes will inspire you to pursue your passions and interests, even if they differ greatly from the ones of the people around you.
Joseph Campbell was an American Professor of Literature at Sarah Lawrence College. But more than that, he was a mythologist and writer. As a young boy, he was knowledgeable on the rituals of his Irish Catholic religion from his upbringing and thoroughly studied Native American culture.
His intense studying and world travel along with work in comparative mythology and religion shaped him into what many believe to be a very wise man, as you can see from some of his quotes below.
There are some people in the world that seem like all of their words turn to gold. The advice they offer holds great value. These Joseph Campbell quotes have that impact on many.
Joseph Campbell Quotes to Embrace Life
1.) “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”- Joseph Campbell
2.) “Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”- Joseph Campbell
3.) “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”- Joseph Campbell
4.) “I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”- Joseph Campbell
5.) “I think the person who takes a job in order to live —that is to say, for the money— has turned himself into a slave.”- Joseph Campbell
6.) “Follow your bliss and don’t be afraid.”- Joseph Campbell
7.) “If you’re going to have a story, have a big story.”- Joseph Campbell
8.) “Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.” – Joseph Campbell
9.) “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” – Joseph Campbell
10.) “The achievement of the hero is one that he is ready for and it’s really a manifestation of his character. It’s amusing the way in which the landscape and conditions of the environment match the readiness of the hero. The adventure that he is ready for is the one that he gets.” – Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell Quotes for Difficult Times
11.) “It is going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” – Joseph Campbell
12.) “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” – Joseph Campbell
13.) “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” – Joseph Campbell
14.) “If you are falling, dive.” – Joseph Campbell
15.) “There is perhaps nothing worse than reaching the top of the ladder and discovering that you’re on the wrong wall.” – Joseph Campbell
16.) “Suddenly you’re ripped into being alive. And life is pain, and life is suffering, and life is horror but my God you’re alive and it’s spectacular.” – Joseph Campbell
17.) “Where you stumble and fall, there you will find gold.”- Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell Quotes on Being Responsible for your Life
18.) “Your life is the fruit of your own doing. You have no one to blame but yourself.”- Joseph Campbell
19.) “Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning.” – Joseph Campbell
20.) “Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system to the attainment of human purposes?” – Joseph Campbell
21.) “Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” – Joseph Campbell
22.) “You become mature when you become the authority of your own life.” – Joseph Campbell
23.) “If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.” – Joseph Campbell
24.) “The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.” – Joseph Campbell
25.) “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.” – Joseph Campbell
26.) “What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else.” – Joseph Campbell
27.) “One way or another, we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life, and dedicate ourselves to that.” – Joseph Campbell
Love Quotes by Joseph Campbell
28.) “When you make the sacrifice in marriage, you’re sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship. – Joseph Campbell
29.) “Love is perfect kindness.” – Joseph Campbell
30.) “When your heart speaks, take good notes.” – Joseph Campbell
Quotes by Joseph Campbell that will change your thinking
31.) “When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.” – Joseph Campbell
32.) “We’re so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it is all about.” – Joseph Campbell
33.) “Technology is not going to save us. Our computers, our tools, our machines are not enough. We have to rely on our intuition, our true being.” – Joseph Campbell
34.) “We’re in a freefall into future. We don’t know where we’re going. Things are changing so fast, and always when you’re going through a long tunnel, anxiety comes along. And all you have to do to transform your hell into a paradise is to turn your fall into a voluntary act. It’s a very interesting shift of perspective and that’s all it is… joyful participation in the sorrows and everything changes.” – Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell quotes to remind you have what it takes
35.) “The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego clamping you down.” – Joseph Campbell
36.) “That step, the heroic first step of the journey, is out of, or over the edge of your boundaries, and it often must be taken before you know that you will be supported.” – Joseph Campbell
37.) “You are the hero of your own story.” – Joseph Campbell
38.) “Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.” – Joseph Campbell
39.) “Sit in a room and read–and read and read. And read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you have a nice, mild, slow-burning rapture all the time.” – Joseph Campbell
40.) “As you proceed through life, following your own path, birds will shit on you. Don’t bother to brush it off. Getting a comedic view of your situation gives you spiritual distance. Having a sense of humor saves you.” – Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell Quotes About Life
41.) “Life is like arriving late for a movie, having to figure out what was going on without bothering everybody with a lot of questions, and then being unexpectedly called away before you find out how it ends.” – Joseph Campbell
42.) “Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths.” – Joseph Campbell
43.) “We’re not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.” – Joseph Campbell
44.) “Myth is much more important and true than history. History is just journalism and you know how reliable that is.” – Joseph Campbell
45.) “Regrets are illuminations come too late.” – Joseph Campbell
46.) “A bit of advice given to a young Native American at the time of his initiation: As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump. It is not as wide as you think.” – Joseph Campbell
47.) “The job of an educator is to teach students to see vitality in themselves.” – Joseph Campbell
48.) “Not all who hesitate are lost. The psyche has many secrets in reserve. And these are not disclosed unless required.”- Joseph Campbell
49.) “We save the world by being alive ourselves.” – Joseph Campbell
50.) “I always feel uncomfortable when people speak about ordinary mortals because I’ve never met an ordinary man, woman or child.” – Joseph Campbell
Which of these Joseph Campbell quotes is your favorite?
Whether you share Joseph Campbell’s beliefs on religion and world view or not, there is a lot that can be learned from his insightful words. Allow his quotes to motivate and inspire you to take responsibility for your life. Choose to have the adventure and not let the difficult times that you face in life keep you down.
Let his words encourage you to think bigger, challenge your beliefs, and expand your view. As a society, we have more control over our lives and outcomes than we tend to think. Choose today to take control of your days and thinking.
Did you enjoy these Joseph Campbell quotes? Which of the quotes is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it.
