This article was originally published in The Hill.
May the Fourth be with you!
Today, “Star Wars” fans from all over the world are celebrating their passion for the multi-billion-dollar science fiction franchise created by George Lucas 46 years ago.
On the surface, Star Wars Day may seem to be little more than a pseudo-holiday at the intersection of geek culture, viral social media trends and corporate marketing. However, its growing popularity reflects something deeper about the human need for meaning in our so-called secular age.
In Ernest Becker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “The Denial of Death,” the American anthropologist wrote, “Society itself is a codified hero system, which means that society everywhere is a living myth of the significance of human life, a defiant creation of meaning.”
