"Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy"

Joseph Campbell's words call for a profound shift in attitude toward the inevitable sufferings of existence. Amid a world filled with distress, grief, and misfortune, he invites us not merely to endure these experiences, nor to detach ourselves from them, but to engage with them with an open heart and a sense of joy. Rather than seeing sorrow as an aberration or a problem to be eliminated completely, he recognizes suffering as an inseparable dimension of the human condition. Accepting this truth, we are challenged to transform our relationship with sorrow, actively participating in the world’s afflictions with courage, compassion, and even celebration.

Joy in this context is not ignorance nor naive optimism. It is not a denial of loss, pain, or injustice. Instead, it arises from a sense of acceptance and connectedness. Living in joy is an act of resilience, a refusal to let suffering define the boundaries of our lives. It comes from engaging the world fully, embracing its darkness with the same openness as its light, and finding meaning in presence rather than in retreat or cynicism. Joyful participation is a form of solidarity, compassion, and creative energy that can bear witness to pain without becoming paralyzed by it.

Campbell acknowledges that sorrow is not something we can eradicate; efforts to "cure the world of sorrows" are doomed if they rest on the assumption that pain can be banished outright. The promise, however, is that we always retain agency in our response. Choosing joy is a radical act, an affirmation of life against despair. Through this deliberate orientation, we contribute to the healing of ourselves and others, not by fixing every wound, but by refusing to let sorrow stifle celebrations of beauty, love, and hope. In doing so, we discover a deeper, more abiding joy that coexists with heartache, and a sense of community with all who suffer and rejoice alongside us.