Beautifully written. I have noticed many people turning to the classics recently. I had more conversations about the Epic of Gilgamesh in the past month than in my entire life up to this point.
I think we can sense that relativism will not sustain us through whatever is to come. We feel the need for an older moral language, one where courage, loyalty, endurance still carry weight. At the same time, we are suspicious of hero narratives. They put impossible pressure on people, are structurally fragile, and usually end badly. Odysseus resonates because he offers a third way between relativism and hero worship. He is human, not transcendent, not morally pure. His task is not to seek glory but to say, I am fallible, I am tempted by the wrong things, but still I will take responsibility for what is mine to hold. It's unglamorous in many ways, but it feels truer than much of our current public discourse.
As a combat veteran myself, the Odyssey has a special place in my heart. It has helped me immensely - to see the cognitive traps that keep one from finding one's way "home" - and also to overcome them. It has now been 20 years since my last deployment, after which I began my own long and arduous journey to find myself - and I am finally making an effort to emphasize - in writing - the invaluable principles I learned from the Odyssey.
Part 3 is scheduled to publish on 01/17/26, and I hope to keep the pace of one essay per week until I've worked through all nine of the spiritual lessons. Blessings to you and yours!
Beautifully written. I have noticed many people turning to the classics recently. I had more conversations about the Epic of Gilgamesh in the past month than in my entire life up to this point.
I think we can sense that relativism will not sustain us through whatever is to come. We feel the need for an older moral language, one where courage, loyalty, endurance still carry weight. At the same time, we are suspicious of hero narratives. They put impossible pressure on people, are structurally fragile, and usually end badly. Odysseus resonates because he offers a third way between relativism and hero worship. He is human, not transcendent, not morally pure. His task is not to seek glory but to say, I am fallible, I am tempted by the wrong things, but still I will take responsibility for what is mine to hold. It's unglamorous in many ways, but it feels truer than much of our current public discourse.
Well done Judith!
As a combat veteran myself, the Odyssey has a special place in my heart. It has helped me immensely - to see the cognitive traps that keep one from finding one's way "home" - and also to overcome them. It has now been 20 years since my last deployment, after which I began my own long and arduous journey to find myself - and I am finally making an effort to emphasize - in writing - the invaluable principles I learned from the Odyssey.
Would love your feedback!
Intro: https://andrewsawyer.substack.com/p/coming-soon-the-way-home-a-nine-part
Part 1: https://andrewsawyer.substack.com/p/the-way-home-part-1-calypsos-island
Part 2: https://andrewsawyer.substack.com/p/the-way-home-part-2-the-phaeacians
Part 3 is scheduled to publish on 01/17/26, and I hope to keep the pace of one essay per week until I've worked through all nine of the spiritual lessons. Blessings to you and yours!
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Really enjoyed this one! Made me think I should maybe re-read the Odyssey…
It’s really worth a read!
Superb essay, dear Judith!
Yes, that’s why I found it so compelling. It’s like telling folks not to get hooked on crack cocaine while constantly making them take small doses.