From Hero to Wise Elder
From Role to Soul. DR Phelan
Neo meeting the Oracle in The Matrix Reloaded
Introduction
Across cultures, philosophies, and wisdom traditions, life is not simply a pursuit of success but a profound journey of transformation. The first half of life emphasises achievement and identity-building — the "Hero phase." Yet for those willing to embrace the deeper invitation, there comes a further journey into Elderhood: a season marked by wisdom, surrender, compassion, generativity and legacy.
This guide draws upon a wide range of thinkers, including Daniel Levinson, Connie Zweig, Richard Rohr, Carl Jung, my own and others listed at the end, integrating psychological, spiritual, mythological, and developmental perspectives to help you reflect on your own journey from Hero to Wise Elder.
1. The Hero's Quest (Youth & first decades of Adulthood) . See The Hero’s Journey for a deeper dive
Core Task: Establish personal identity; pursue ambitions; build external success.
Primary Drivers: Achievement, recognition, proving oneself to the world.
Illustrations:
Luke Skywalker (Star Wars): A young farm boy called into an intergalactic struggle; grows from naïve youth into heroic warrior.
Joseph (Bible, Genesis 37-50): Dreams of greatness, betrayal by brothers, and rise to leadership in Egypt.
David slaying Goliath (Bible, 1 Samuel 17): A shepherd boy courageously faces a giant, proving faith and personal bravery.
King Arthur: A chosen young king who unites his people and builds the legendary kingdom of Camelot.
Insights: This phase is marked by the formation of ego identity, ambition, and striving for recognition. As Levinson (1978) observed, early adulthood centers on forming a "life structure" — career, relationships, family, and social identity. This phase lays important foundations but is often dominated by ego and external validation.
2. The Crucible of Adversity (Midlife Challenges)
Core Task: Confront limitations, setbacks, and disillusionment
Primary Drivers: Loss, failure, necessary suffering (Rohr), question previous assumptions.
Illustrations:
Bruce Wayne (The Dark Knight Rises): Overcoming physical and emotional defeat to rise again with new understanding.
Naomi (Bible, Ruth 1): Experiences grief, displacement, and loss but finds new purpose and relationships.
Jean Valjean (Les Misérables): From prisoner to compassionate leader, transformed by mercy and hardship.
Frodo (The Lord of the Rings): Endures the heavy burden of the Ring, struggles with temptation and fear, but perseveres with the help of friends.
Insights: Midlife confronts us with crisis and limitation, often dismantling earlier assumptions of control. As Bridges (1980) emphasises, this becomes a threshold where inner transformation becomes possible if we embrace the ambiguity of transition.
3. The Unveiling of Authenticity (Midlife Transition)
Core Task: Let go of false identities; embrace inner truth.
Primary Drivers: Realignment of personal values; move from outer image to inner essence. Authenticity
Illustrations:
Moses (Exodus 2–4): Leaves behind his privileged Egyptian status to answer God’s call and lead his people.
Shrek (Shrek): Rejects societal judgment, embraces who he truly is.
Elsa (Frozen): Struggles to conceal her powers, but eventually embraces her true identity and gifts.
Scout Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird): Comes to see beyond prejudice and simplistic narratives as she matures.
Insights: This stage, deeply aligned with Zweig's "Role to Soul" (2021), invites the shedding of external masks to discover one’s core identity and soul vocation. Here, the Hero begins the shift from external striving to internal alignment with authentic selfhood.
4. Transitioning to the Wise Elder (Second Half of Life)
Core Task: Transition from achievement to wisdom and service… generally over a number of decades.
Primary Drivers: Humility, surrender, spiritual depth, mentoring others.
Illustrations:
Naomi (Bible, Ruth 3-4): Guides Ruth and contributes to a future beyond her own life.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars): Moves from warrior to wise mentor, guiding Luke on his journey.
Professor X (X-Men): Leads with wisdom, compassion, and vision for the next generation.
The Oracle (The Matrix): Offers guidance based on insight and spiritual perspective.
Insights: As Rohr (2011) describes, this is the turning point where we "fall upward," moving from ego-centred living into generative service and non-dual wisdom.The Wise Elder is born from accumulated experience, surrender, and an openness to the greater mystery.
Jungian Insight
Carl Jung (Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology) observed that many of his patients in the second half of life struggled with a loss of meaning and inner direction. He wrote: "Among all my patients in the second half of life ... there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life” i.e. a personal, lived sense of connection to meaning, transcendence, and the deeper structures of psyche — what we might call today spirituality. For Jung, true maturity required not only psychological growth but a spiritual awakening — a reconnection with what he called the "numinous" — the deeper, transcendent dimension of the Self. Our True Self.
5. Cultivating Wisdom Through Reflection
Core Task: Integrate the full arc of life’s experiences into deep wisdom.
Primary Drivers: Reflection, spiritual practice, discernment, meaningful storytelling.
Nelson Mandela
Illustrations:
Nelson Mandela (Real Life): Years of reflection during long imprisonment allowed him to develop wisdom, forgiveness, and leadership that transformed a nation.
Captain Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation): Reflects on leadership, choices, and the complexity of moral decisions.
Paul (Bible — Prison Letters): Imprisoned, Paul writes letters full of deep theological insight, courage, and encouragement for the early Christian communities.
Siddhartha (Herman Hesse): After years of striving and disillusionment, Siddhartha reaches profound inner peace through reflection, acceptance, and communion with the river as a symbol of life’s unity and flow.
Morrie Schwartz (from Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie): As Morrie approaches the end of life, he shares profound lessons on love, regret, aging, and purpose with his former student. Through honest conversations, Morrie becomes a model of reflective elderhood—mentoring with authenticity and grace.
Insights: James Hollis (2005) emphasises that true meaning in later life arises through honest engagement with the complexity and contradictions of lived experience.Through reflection, the Elder integrates life's contradictions into profound wisdom.
6. Embracing the Continuum of Learning (Late Elderhood)
Core Task: Stay open to new understanding.
Primary Drivers: Lifelong curiosity, humility, ongoing inner work.
Gandalf from Lord of the Rings
Illustrations:
Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings): Constantly learns, adapts, and offers wisdom as Middle-earth’s conflicts evolve.
Carl Fredricksen (Up): In later life, opens his heart to new relationships and adventure.
Nicodemus (John 3): A respected religious leader who seeks new spiritual understanding through his conversation with Jesus.
The Elderly Potter (Japanese Kintsugi Masters): Continually refining the art of repairing what is broken with beauty.
Insights: Elderhood is not the end of growth but a deeper invitation into mystery, as Parker Palmer (2018) describes — “living at the brink of everything”. True wisdom is never finished; the Elder remains open to the ongoing mystery of life.
7. Legacy of Compassion and Contribution (Final Gift)
Core Task: Pass on wisdom and love; nurture others, future generations.
Primary Drivers: Selfless service, love, legacy.
Desmond Tutu
Illustrations:
Desmond Tutu (South African Archbishop): Eldership through reconciliation, healing, and public witness of grace.
Mister Rogers (Fred Rogers): Through decades of gentle teaching and compassion, he nurtured generations of children with kindness and emotional wisdom.
Barnabas (Bible, Acts 4 & Acts 9): Known as the "son of encouragement," Barnabas mentors and supports emerging leaders like Paul, building the early church with generosity and humility.
Charlotte (Charlotte's Web): The wise spider who saves Wilbur the pig through love, sacrifice, and her web of words.
Insights: Chittister (2008) reminds us that this is where elders become “the wisdom keepers for those who follow.” The final phase focuses on blessing others, leaving a legacy of compassion, and fostering the next generation.
Common Themes Across the Journey
From ambition to wisdom
From external identity to inner soul, ego to soul
From striving to surrender
From certainty to mystery
From control to humility
Questions for Personal Reflection
Where am I on this journey?
What roles or identities am I being called to release?
How have my trials prepared me for deeper wisdom?
Who do I serve and nurture with my life experience?
How can I cultivate further spiritual and inner reflection? Where is further inner work being invited?
Who has mentored me, and who might I now mentor?
What wisdom am I called to pass on?
A Reflective Practice : Five-step Daily Examen
Final Thought
The journey from Hero to Wise Elder is not automatic. It asks courage, honesty, surrender, and openness to grace; it requires intention, reflection, and discernment. It invites us not only into personal growth but into compassionate service for others. As Connie Zweig reminds us, "The real work of aging is the inner work of soul."
Some References for further reading
Levinson, Daniel J. The Seasons of a Man’s Life. Ballantine Books, 1978.
Zweig, Connie. The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul. Park Street Press, 2021.
Rohr, Richard. Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life. Jossey-Bass, 2011.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton University Press, 1949.
Jung, Carl G. Psychology and Religion: West and East (Collected Works, Vol. 11). Princeton University Press, 1958.
Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New Directions Publishing, 1951 (English translation).
Sheehy, Gail. Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life. Dutton, 1976.
Bridges, William. Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes. Addison-Wesley, 1980.
Hollis, James. Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life. Gotham, 2005.
Bateson, Mary Catherine. Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom. Vintage, 2010.
Moore, Thomas. Ageless Soul: The Lifelong Journey Toward Meaning and Joy. St. Martin’s Press, 2017.
Palmer, Parker J. On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old. Berrett-Koehler, 2018.
Kegan, Robert. The Evolving Self. Harvard University Press, 1982.
Chittister, Joan. The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully. BlueBridge, 2008.
Brooks, David. The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life. Random House, 2019.
Cohen, Gene. The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain. Basic Books, 2005.
Plotkin, Bill. Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche. New World Library, 2003.
Pearson, Carol S. The Hero Within. HarperOne, 1986; Awakening the Heroes Within. HarperOne, 1991.
Turner, Victor. The Ritual Process. Aldine, 1969.