This thing up here, this consciousness, thinks it's running the shop. It's a secondary organ. It's a secondary organ of a total human being, and it must not put itself in control. It must submit and serve the humanity of the body." - Meaning and context.">
QuotesCosmos
Episode 1, Chapter 12
“

This thing up here, this consciousness, thinks it's running the shop. It's a secondary organ. It's a secondary organ of a total human being, and it must not put itself in control. It must submit and serve the humanity of the body.

— Joseph Campbell

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "This thing up here, this consciousness, thinks it's running the shop. It's a secondary organ. It's a secondary organ of a total human being, and it must not put itself in control. It must submit and serve the humanity of the body." in the context of "Episode 1, Chapter 12" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Joseph Campbell" (Quotes, The Power of Myth (1988): Joseph Campbell and The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers PBS television series, Mystic Fire Video (2001) ) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

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#Joseph Campbell#secondary#organ#consciousness#humanity#running#control#thinks#itself#submit#thing#total
Joseph Campbell

About Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell (26 March 1904 – 30 October 1987) was an American professor, writer, and orator most famous for his work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion.