thread: 2006-09-08 : Ben on breaking tradition
On 2006-09-11, ethan_greer wrote:
I like this. This is a good discussion. Ben, thanks for the brain food.
It reminds me strongly of the discussions about myth on the Forge (what, a couple years ago?) that were initiated by Chris Lehrich. I shan't bother to link to them, since they're crazy stupid long. Here's the gist:
1. Myth is a cultural process by which we understand the world around us and our role in our respective societies. Myth is sub-verbal. Is that I word? What I mean by it is, you don't need words to frame myth and interact with it. Furthermore, attempting to frame myth in language is stupidly complex and problematic. Suffice to say that everything—everything—in your perception is suffused in myth, from your religion to your role in society to the tissue you just gobbed a loogy in.
2. Roleplaying makes myth.
So, when Ben says that we make new stories (and hence, potentially new traditions, religions, etc.), I agree with him, but in my opinion, it goes deeper than that. More basic. When he talks of stories and traditions, the underlying force at work is myth. I believe that roleplaying taps into that deeper process.
Powwerful? Fuck yeah, it's powerful. Dangerous? Yes, but only insofar as, say, an icepick is dangerous. Roleplaying is an activity and tool that can be (and is) used for harm. But not always.
I think these ruminations are a large part of the reason I've stepped back from the hobby. I haven't fully withdrawn, but often I just can't handle it.
