--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What makes someone mythic is not whether…" description: "\"“What makes someone mythic is not whether or not he lived, or lived well, but whether or not he was larger than life. Mythic heroes were – and are – ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/helen-morales-36054_larger-than-life_what-makes-someone-mythic-is-not-whether_981886.jpg" --- # What makes someone mythic is not whether or not he lived… ![“What makes someone mythic is not whether or not he lived, or lived well, but whether or not he was larger than life. Mythic heroes were – and are – outrageous and outstanding. They are phenomenal. They distil some collective ideal or fantasy. That’s why we can speak of ‘the myth of John Lennon’…” quote by Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/helen-morales-36054_larger-than-life_what-makes-someone-mythic-is-not-whether_981886.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/helen-morales-36054_larger-than-life_what-makes-someone-mythic-is-not-whether_981886.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/helen-morales-36054_larger-than-life_what-makes-someone-mythic-is-not-whether_981886.jpg) > ““What makes someone mythic is not whether or not he lived, or lived well, but whether or not he was larger than life. Mythic heroes were – and are – outrageous and outstanding. They are phenomenal. They distil some collective ideal or fantasy. That’s why we can speak of ‘the myth of John Lennon’, but not ‘the myth of John Major’. And it’s also why Theseus made it and Lycurgus didn’t.”” [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mythic status depends on being larger than life, not merely living well; cultural impact defines mythic heroes. **In simple terms:** Being larger than life creates myth. Key Takeaway Aim to inspire beyond ordinary life. Themes myth culture heroism legacy impact Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public leadership - artistic creation - historical analysis Key Concepts cultural narrative collective ideal heroic archetype Questions to Reflect On - What makes a figure mythic? - Can ordinary people become mythic? A Different Perspective Not everyone can achieve mythic stature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Larger than life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger-than-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Mythic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-mythic-1954387/) [Makes Mythic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes-mythic-1954386/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Myth John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth-john-1954388/) [Mythic Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythic-heroes-1954385/) [Mythic Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythic-lived-1954389/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) ## Related quotes > [Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath. 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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have started out as a reformer, but he really enjoys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kenyon/and-it-would-be-a-bit-out-of-character-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan/) [Peter Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kenyon/) > [Once I decided to be a different person on stage, I got the chance to be larger than life and over the top, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conchita-wurst/once-i-decided-to-be-a-different-person-on-stage-i-got-the-chance-to/) [Conchita Wurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conchita-wurst/) > [ \[On 9/11:\] ... those towers represented human triumph over nature. Larger than life, built to be unburnable, they were the Titanic of our day.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/starhawk/on-9-11-those-towers-represented-human-triumph-over-nature-larger/) [Starhawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/starhawk/) > [Larger than life itself, and I can’t even believe this striking creature was once a little bit mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-evans/larger-than-life-itself-and-i-can-t-even-believe-this-striking/) [Katy Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-evans/) > [I stay wrecked and jealous for this, for this simple reason I just need to keep you in mind as something larger than life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keys/i-stay-wrecked-and-jealous-for-this-for-this-simple-reason-i-just/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keys/) > [Poker is a charismatic game. People who are larger than life play poker and make their living from playing games and hustling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/poker-is-a-charismatic-game-people-who-are-larger-than-life-play/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [I didn't want to be the crippled songwriter or the crippled singer. I wanted to be the singer or the songwriter who was crippled.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-pomus/i-didn-t-want-to-be-the-crippled-songwriter-or-the-crippled-singer-i/) [Doc Pomus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-pomus/) > [Today America lost a great elder statesman, a committed public servant, and leader of the Senate. And today I lost a treasured friend. Ted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/today-america-lost-a-great-elder-statesman-a-committed-public-servant/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [People think that we're crazy because we do six nights a week. I would physically not be able to take it, especially when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thomas/people-think-that-we-re-crazy-because-we-do-six-nights-a-week-i-would/) [Rob Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thomas/) > [Blackbeard was larger than life. He was 6'4" in 1710. He was a colossus, and like a rock star walking into a bar. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stevenson/blackbeard-was-larger-than-life-he-was-6-4-in-1710-he-was-a-colossus/) [Ray Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stevenson/) > [I joked at our National Convention that our party was nominating a candidate for president who was charismatic, larger than life, memorable, so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/i-joked-at-our-national-convention-that-our-party-was-nominating-a/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [As far as lighting and blocking, camera angles and facial expressions, all that stuff that has to be very specific in film, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/as-far-as-lighting-and-blocking-camera-angles-and-facial-expressions/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [America loves the representation of its heroes to be not just larger than life, but stupendously, awesomely bigger than anything else. If blue whales…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/america-loves-the-representation-of-its-heroes-to-be-not-just-larger/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) ## More by Helen Morales > [“If ‘myth’ is a slippery term, so is ‘classical’. It is common shorthand for ‘ancient Greek and Roman’. But this shorthand has a history,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/if-myth-is-a-slippery-term-so-is-classical-it-is-common-shorthand-for/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“However, I have also argued for allegory’s positive effects. It is a process that typically takes control away from the author of a narrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/however-i-have-also-argued-for-allegory-s-positive-effects-it-is-a/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“Reading myth as crystallizing historical fact was a common approach in the 19th and early 20th centuries. But it is an approach to myth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/reading-myth-as-crystallizing-historical-fact-was-a-common-approach/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“Classical mythology has been so influential upon Western culture that everyone who is alive to the art,culture,politics, and languages of today encounters it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/classical-mythology-has-been-so-influential-upon-western-culture-that/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“Scholars have produced as many definitions of myth as there are myths themselves. This book will discuss various definitions of myth as it goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/scholars-have-produced-as-many-definitions-of-myth-as-there-are-myths/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“This book aims to capture, and explore, the outrageousness, inventiveness, and sheer fun that characterize classical mythology. But it is also born of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/this-book-aims-to-capture-and-explore-the-outrageousness/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“Ancient astrology, and, to some degree, its modern descendant, are compelling mixtures of science (or pseudo-science) and classical myth. Jung interpreted astrology as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/ancient-astrology-and-to-some-degree-its-modern-descendant-are/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“Responding to myth often means wearing blinkers. Myth is a complex game of production and reception that involves selecting some parts of a narrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/responding-to-myth-often-means-wearing-blinkers-myth-is-a-complex/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“Ancient astrology was rather different from the modern horoscope. Its more learned practitioners enjoyed intellectual respectability, and there was a substantial overlap between astrology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/ancient-astrology-was-rather-different-from-the-modern-horoscope-its/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“It was important for a Roman of this period to get his Greek mythology right. Being able to identify who was who and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/it-was-important-for-a-roman-of-this-period-to-get-his-greek/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“New Age spirituality purports to promote change – its mantra is ‘transformation’ – but, in reality, it endorses the status quo. It preaches changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/new-age-spirituality-purports-to-promote-change-its-mantra-is/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) > [“Psychoanalysis and Greek mythology are two sides of the same medallion. To put it differently: without classical mythology, there would be no psychoanalysis. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-morales/psychoanalysis-and-greek-mythology-are-two-sides-of-the-same/) [Helen Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) [Explore all 13 Helen Morales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-morales/) ## More Larger than life quotes > [Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath. And if what that man did in his life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-ultimate-warrior/every-man-s-heart-one-day-beats-its-final-beat-his-lungs-breathe-a/) [The Ultimate Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-ultimate-warrior/) > [As far as lighting and blocking, camera angles and facial expressions, all that stuff that has to be very specific in film, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/as-far-as-lighting-and-blocking-camera-angles-and-facial-expressions/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [I joked at our National Convention that our party was nominating a candidate for president who was charismatic, larger than life, memorable, so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/i-joked-at-our-national-convention-that-our-party-was-nominating-a/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Blackbeard was larger than life. He was 6'4" in 1710. He was a colossus, and like a rock star walking into a bar. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stevenson/blackbeard-was-larger-than-life-he-was-6-4-in-1710-he-was-a-colossus/) [Ray Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stevenson/) > [People think that we're crazy because we do six nights a week. I would physically not be able to take it, especially when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thomas/people-think-that-we-re-crazy-because-we-do-six-nights-a-week-i-would/) [Rob Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thomas/) > [Today America lost a great elder statesman, a committed public servant, and leader of the Senate. And today I lost a treasured friend. Ted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/today-america-lost-a-great-elder-statesman-a-committed-public-servant/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [I didn't want to be the crippled songwriter or the crippled singer. I wanted to be the singer or the songwriter who was crippled.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-pomus/i-didn-t-want-to-be-the-crippled-songwriter-or-the-crippled-singer-i/) [Doc Pomus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-pomus/) > [Poker is a charismatic game. People who are larger than life play poker and make their living from playing games and hustling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/poker-is-a-charismatic-game-people-who-are-larger-than-life-play/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [I stay wrecked and jealous for this, for this simple reason I just need to keep you in mind as something larger than life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keys/i-stay-wrecked-and-jealous-for-this-for-this-simple-reason-i-just/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keys/) > [Larger than life itself, and I can’t even believe this striking creature was once a little bit mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-evans/larger-than-life-itself-and-i-can-t-even-believe-this-striking/) [Katy Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-evans/) > [ \[On 9/11:\] ... those towers represented human triumph over nature. Larger than life, built to be unburnable, they were the Titanic of our day.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/starhawk/on-9-11-those-towers-represented-human-triumph-over-nature-larger/) [Starhawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/starhawk/) > [Once I decided to be a different person on stage, I got the chance to be larger than life and over the top, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conchita-wurst/once-i-decided-to-be-a-different-person-on-stage-i-got-the-chance-to/) [Conchita Wurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conchita-wurst/) > [And it would be a bit out of character. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have started out as a reformer, but he really enjoys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kenyon/and-it-would-be-a-bit-out-of-character-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan/) [Peter Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kenyon/) > [ For Bryan \[Cranston \] to go back in time and become this larger-than-life and somewhat theatrical guy, who performed his ideas and rhetoric in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/for-bryan-cranston-to-go-back-in-time-and-become-this-larger-than/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [America loves the representation of its heroes to be not just larger than life, but stupendously, awesomely bigger than anything else. If blue whales…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/america-loves-the-representation-of-its-heroes-to-be-not-just-larger/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) [Browse all 219 Larger than life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger-than-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What makes someone mythic is not whether or not he lived, or lived well, but whether or not he was larger than life. Mythic heroes were – and are – outrageous and outstanding. They are phenomenal. They distil some collective ideal or fantasy. That’s why we can speak of ‘the myth of John Lennon’, but not ‘the myth of John Major’. 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