In this book, James P. Carse distinguishes between finite and infinite games. Finite games are instrumental activities with clear rules, boundaries, and winners, such as sports, politics, and wars. Infinite games, on the other hand, are authentic interactions that aim to continue the play, changing rules and boundaries as needed. Carse explores how these concepts apply to various aspects of life, including culture, religion, sexuality, and self-discovery. He argues that finite games offer wealth, status, and power, while infinite games provide something more subtle and grander, such as true freedom and endless possibility. The book offers insights into how approaching life as either a finite or infinite game affects one's choices, satisfaction, and success[2][4][5].
In *Story*, Robert McKee provides a detailed and integrated explanation of the craft of writing for the screen. The book expands on the concepts he teaches in his highly regarded seminars, offering insights into the relationship between structure and character, and the underlying principles that make a story compelling. McKee draws from a wide range of sources, including Aristotle and classic films, to offer practical advice on storytelling that is applicable to screenwriters, novelists, playwrights, and non-fiction writers.
This book is derived from a series of television interviews between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers, aired in 1988. It delves into the universal themes and functions of myths across various cultures, highlighting their role in uniting communities, explaining social, cosmological, and spiritual realities, and guiding individuals through life's significant stages. Campbell discusses how myths help people understand common human experiences such as love, death, and the search for meaning. He also addresses the modern world's disconnection from mythological narratives and the consequences this has on individual and societal well-being. The book emphasizes the importance of myths in providing a framework for life, fostering community identity, and helping individuals navigate life's transitions and challenges[1][2][4].
1Filmmaker Ben Stewart describes the tactics mass media uses to bend your mind to their will and how you can turn the tables by living your own myths and stories and embracing the badassery of being human by learning how to use the tools the fat cats use for good, this week on Spirit Gym.
Learn more about Ben’s work on his website and social media via Instagram. Watch his series Psychedelica and Limitless on Gaia. Take the first steps to tell your own stories on film by checking out Ben’s The Soul of Filmmaking program.
For Spirit Gym Listeners: Spirit Gym listeners can save an additional $100 on top of a $500 early discount for signing up for Ben’s The Soul of Filmmaking program when you select Spirit Gym With Paul Chek in the How did you hear about us? box at checkout. (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)
Timestamps
9:59 Storytelling: The oldest technology known to man.
20:01 The obvious answer and the new myth that can solve the world’s problems.
32:04 Neurocinematics.
41:40 Did you know your smartphone may be a military-grade weapon aimed at your brainstem?
52:46 Embrace the badassery of being human and don’t hyper-focus on the negative applications of technology.
1:02:56 How can we trust the messenger in the age of the influencer?
1:15:55 The only difference between art and propaganda.
1:21:42 Ben’s evolution from poet to singer-songwriter and, finally, filmmaker.
1:33:14 Synergies between myth and story.
1:40:13 In this age of AI, rapidly advancing technologies and dumbfounded people, we must write our new mythology right now!
1:45:53 Myth calls on us to locate, understand and engage the self on a new level.
2:00:57 To the change the world, you must actively engage with the consensus of opinions or you’ll be ignored and misunderstood.
2:18:09 The use of story to promote propaganda.
Resources
Land of the Free
Inception
Find more resources for this episode on our website.
Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz) by Brave as Bears
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