Dreaming Quote by N.K. Jemisin
““J. R. R. Tolkien, the near-universally-hailed father of modern epic fantasy, crafted his magnum opus The Lord of the Rings to explore the forces of creation as he saw them: God and country, race and class, journeying to war and returning home. I’ve heard it said that he was trying to create some kind of original British mythology using the structure of other cultures’ myths, and maybe that was true. I don’t know. What I see, when I read his work, is a man trying desperately to dream. Dreaming is impossible without myths. If we don’t have enough myths of our own, we’ll latch onto those of others — even if those myths make us believe terrible or false things about ourselves. Tolkien understood this, I think because it’s human nature. Call it the superego, call it common sense, call it pragmatism, call it learned helplessness, but the mind craves boundaries. Depending on the myths we believe in, those boundaries can be magnificently vast, or crushingly tight.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1954-1955
Tolkien used mythic storytelling to explore how collective narratives shape identity, purpose, and societal structures, revealing both empowering and limiting effects of shared stories.
In simple terms: Myths guide how we see ourselves and our world.
Key Takeaway
Examine and create personal myths that empower you.
Themes
myth
identity
culture
power
creativity
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- education
- team building
- personal development
- community storytelling
Key Concepts
collective narrative
psychology
social construct
heroic journey
Questions to Reflect On
- What myths do you live by?
- How can you rewrite limiting narratives?
A Different Perspective
Myths can also constrain thinking if unexamined.
![“[...] the kind of healer who knows that sometimes one must inflict terrible agony - rebreak a bone, carve off a limb, kill the weak - in order to make the whole stronger.” quote by N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b79/n-k-jemisin-1466_difficult-decisions_the-kind-of-healer-who-knows-that-someti_50107.jpg)
