[April 5, 2025] I’ve been curious – all my life – about my desire for a quest for adventure, a quest purposefully sought. But I never understood why, especially why a scared little kid would want to seek such a quest. I would later learn, through the works of Joseph Campbell and Jordan Peterson, that my childish and confused yearning was part of a universally accepted human experience told in myths and stories that go back further than written language.
This quest for adventure has three legs. The first is a “calling.” The second is “facing the trials,” and the third is “personal transformation.” We see this displayed in popular film, art, and literature. I would suggest that the success of telling these stories is due to the fact that they are giving us the very thing we hope to find: a quest. We call this the hero motif.
Films such as Star Wars, King Kong, and Lord of the Rings are examples of the telling of a hero who is called by some outside figure that encourages him to voluntarily seek that goal. The goal can only be achieved through a dangerous journey.
To seek is to leave the comfort of his surroundings and expose himself to the dangers that lie in his path. Staying in his comfort zone would retard his personal development. A decision must be made to either stay in comfort and stagnate or move toward the dangerous edge of life where personal development lies.
During the journey, this man is faced with numerous challenges that test his external and internal strengths. Does he have what it takes to pass through these trials? Is he strong enough? Does he have the will to see it through to the end? Is he distracted by other desires or tribulations that distract him from his journey and promise a safe and comfortable life? Modern versions of this archetype of the quest often focus on the hero’s trials and choose to ignore the calling or the transformation.
The transformation of that hero into something better, stronger, and more reliable version of himself could never be achieved without the quest itself. This is the development of that hero into something new and more exciting and more useful for his community, nation, or family. Furthermore, this transformation of the hero unites his community and makes it more vibrant and viable.
We all have this choice: Either live in comfort and luxury or seek out danger and do so voluntarily. Those who choose to go on the quest for adventure will find the world open to them, and they will be transformed into better people.
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Very thoughtful.
I’m new here – been reading this blog for a few weeks – so I do hope to make a contribution. I hear that this is a good place to share ideas and thoughts without being overly or aggressively criticized. This article really hit me because this is how I felt as a kid growing up in Queens, NY.
See the threat (symbolized by the dragon).
Go on the quest to fight and overcome the threat.
Be transformed by the quest.
Return to your community, now made better.
This is the hero stories, told since the first human walked the earth.
Good summary. Most movies today follow this pattern.
Sir, it’s good to be curious. That’s what drives innovation, societal advancement, improvements in our lives and while difficult to argue with this idea, there are many who will. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it helps humans who are smart enough to find creative solutions to difficult problems. Gen. Satterfield is doing us a big favor with this article and many more like it. If one looks back on American history, we find the drive to move out into new territory, build homes and businesses, raise families, and worship as one sees fit. The idea has continued and we see this embedded in our most popular SciFi stories “the new frontier.”
Excellent article that keeps me thinking. I’d like Gen. Satterfield to develop the idea more. 😁
This is something I never thought about. I always believed the hero already had the right qualities BEFORE the quest, not developed during the quest. “The transformation of that hero into something better, stronger, and more reliable version of himself could never be achieved without the quest itself. This is the development of that hero into something new and more exciting and more useful for his community, nation, or family. Furthermore, this transformation of the hero unites his community and makes it more vibrant and viable.” — Gen. Doug Satterfield is making this clear. Don’t make the mistake that I made.
Now, I’m going have to walk my dog and think about what Gen. Satterfield wrote here. This is deep – at least, deep for me. I’m just an average Joe and to think there are patterns in human thinking is wild. Does anyone else think this way?
This article is classic Gen. S. He tells us of what I call his instincts and those instincts would be the basis of his later success as an adult in the US Army, one who was all over the world. Go,to his LinkedIn page for more details about him that we don’t see in his short bio.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglassatterfield/
Thank you, JT.
WOW
Great stories never die. Thank you, Gen. Satterfield for your childhood dreams and why we all have then.