Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
One of the most prevalent archetypes in the human psyche is that of the hero. Some of the characteristics of the hero/heroine, according to Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell are: unusual circumstances of birth—sometimes born into danger or royalty; departing from family or homeland to live with others; an event that leads to a quest or journey; the hero may have a special weapon or supernatural help; the hero must prove himself or herself many times during the journey; the hero experiences atonement with the father or some authority figure; the hero experiences a homecoming in which he or she is rewarded by the community; and when the hero dies, that person is rewarded spiritually.
The hero may encounter and endure all manner of adversity, but in most cases, he or she triumphs in the end, returns from the many ordeals of the journey, and on some level, lives happily ever after. In many myths, heroes are nearly or completely invincible. Often this is connected with their unusual birth and the supernatural help they receive.
The paradigm of industrial civilization is nothing if not heroic. It teaches its inhabitants that its paradigm is essentially invincible. The very word civilized connotes a special, exceptional status, and if the would-be heroes adhere to the paradigm, adopting the proscribed way of life, they are guaranteed success.
Because heroism always accrues from the ego and succeeds for the most part in inflating it, the hero invariably must fall. Perhaps this is the most valuable lesson one can acquire from studying heroes and their journeys. Heroes can certainly accomplish the journey and experience its rewards, but their downfall is sealed when they come to believe that this pattern is eternally repeatable, which they almost always do. Thus, unless awakened, the hero is fated to become a tragic victim.