No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You win a war by making the other poor bastard die for his country!

— Patton, Patton (1970)

Lars: Well, Bianca can help you. She's got nurse's training. Gus: No she doesn't. That's because she's a plastic...thing. Lars: That's amazing. Did you hear that? Bianca said God made her to help people.

— Lars & Gus, Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles to-day To-morrow will be dying.

— John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

(looking at remains of a battle) I love it! God help me, I love it so. I love it more than my life.

— Patton, Patton (1970)

Give George a headline, and he's good for another 30 miles.

— Gen. Omar Bradley, Patton (1970)

The core of man's spirit comes from new experiences.

— Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild (2007)

Young William: I can fight. Malcolm Wallace: I know. I know you can fight. But it's our wits that make us men.

— William & Malcolm Wallace, Braveheart (1995)

All I ever wanted was a single thing worth fighting for.

— Jake Sully, Avatar (2009)

Katsumoto: Do you believe a man can change his destiny? Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed to him.

— Katsumoto & Nathan Algren, The Last Samurai (2003)

If you don't have money at my age, you're not even in the game anymore. You're just a pasture animal waiting for the abattoir.

— Miles, Sideways (2004)

Miranda (to Daniel): I bring home a birthday cake and a few gifts; you bring home the Goddamn San Diego Zoo. And I have to clean up after it!

— Miranda, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Half my life is over, and I have nothing to show for it...I’m a smudge of excrement on a tissue, surging out to sea with a ton of raw sewage.

— Miles, Sideways (2004)

Not the archers. My scouts tell me their archers are miles away and no threat to us. Arrows cost money. Use up the Irish. The dead cost nothing.

— King Longshank, Braveheart (1995)

The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

— John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

I'm hearing horses! Parry will be so pleased!

— Jack Lucas, The Fisher King (1991)

I have a hard-on for you the size of Florida!

— Parry, The Fisher King (1991)

Look at me, jerking off in the shower... This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.

— Lester Burnham, American Beauty (1999)

I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong.

— Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild (2007)

Quintus: "People should know when they're beaten!" Maximus: "Would you, Quintus? Would I?"

— Quintus & Maximus, Gladiator (2000)

I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark, Rome is the light.

— Maximus, Gladiator (2000)

When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God's light shines on you.

— Ron Franz, Into the Wild (2007)

Often the most barbaric atrocities occur when both sides proclaim themselves freedom fighters.

— Yuri Orlov, Lord of War (2005)

No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You win a war by making the other poor bastard die for his country!

— Patton, Patton (1970)

Lars: Well, Bianca can help you. She's got nurse's training. Gus: No she doesn't. That's because she's a plastic...thing. Lars: That's amazing. Did you hear that? Bianca said God made her to help people.

— Lars & Gus, Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles to-day To-morrow will be dying.

— John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

(looking at remains of a battle) I love it! God help me, I love it so. I love it more than my life.

— Patton, Patton (1970)

Give George a headline, and he's good for another 30 miles.

— Gen. Omar Bradley, Patton (1970)

The core of man's spirit comes from new experiences.

— Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild (2007)

Young William: I can fight. Malcolm Wallace: I know. I know you can fight. But it's our wits that make us men.

— William & Malcolm Wallace, Braveheart (1995)

All I ever wanted was a single thing worth fighting for.

— Jake Sully, Avatar (2009)

Katsumoto: Do you believe a man can change his destiny? Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed to him.

— Katsumoto & Nathan Algren, The Last Samurai (2003)

If you don't have money at my age, you're not even in the game anymore. You're just a pasture animal waiting for the abattoir.

— Miles, Sideways (2004)

Miranda (to Daniel): I bring home a birthday cake and a few gifts; you bring home the Goddamn San Diego Zoo. And I have to clean up after it!

— Miranda, Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Half my life is over, and I have nothing to show for it...I’m a smudge of excrement on a tissue, surging out to sea with a ton of raw sewage.

— Miles, Sideways (2004)

Not the archers. My scouts tell me their archers are miles away and no threat to us. Arrows cost money. Use up the Irish. The dead cost nothing.

— King Longshank, Braveheart (1995)

The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

— John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

I'm hearing horses! Parry will be so pleased!

— Jack Lucas, The Fisher King (1991)

I have a hard-on for you the size of Florida!

— Parry, The Fisher King (1991)

Look at me, jerking off in the shower... This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.

— Lester Burnham, American Beauty (1999)

I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong.

— Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild (2007)

Quintus: "People should know when they're beaten!" Maximus: "Would you, Quintus? Would I?"

— Quintus & Maximus, Gladiator (2000)

I've seen much of the rest of the world. It is brutal and cruel and dark, Rome is the light.

— Maximus, Gladiator (2000)

When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God's light shines on you.

— Ron Franz, Into the Wild (2007)

Often the most barbaric atrocities occur when both sides proclaim themselves freedom fighters.

— Yuri Orlov, Lord of War (2005)

Lovely video on initiation with Joseph Campbell

posted by Eivind on March 31, 2012, at 2:00 pm

I want to share this video with you featuring Joseph Campbell speaking on initiation in tribal cultures.

It moved me to notice Joseph’s voice crack in an obvious display of emotion around 1:30. He describes the ritual in which a boy gets to defeat the larger-than-life personifications of a malevolent god. The god is really a man of the tribe, and he lets the boy win on purpose. He then takes off his mask and puts it on the boy. All of a sudden, the power which the boy has grown up fearing is his to wield. He has slain the dragon and taken its skin. He can do anything now. Protect the tribe in turn.

Joseph’s emotion resonates deeply with me because it reminds me of the beauty and importance of what is going on here. Every time I hear of initiation rites like these, I feel pangs in my heart and a yearning for what never was. Thankfully, it feels different now, having done trainings with the Mankind Project and others.