> Is “the hero’s journey” not a story about rugged individualism that has been told over and over in different forms across cultures since the beginning of history?

I don't think so. The heros journey does not need to be about "rugged individualism" at all. Not is about it all across cultures and history.

We like stories about rugged individualism. We prefer them. And oftentimes, we change original stories fro. other culture to fit the patterns we like or ignore those that don't fit them.

And also, across cultures and history, the hero journey is far from the only or even primary kind of story.

> Is “the hero’s journey” not a story about rugged individualism that has been told over and over in different forms across cultures since the beginning of history?

I dont thi k thats true at all -

Lets see, oldest stories - buddhism, hiduism - none of them are about individualism.

I wouldn't say the christian writing or that of ancient Egypt is about individualism either.

The oldest 'hero's journey' I can think of, would be myths of ancient greece - but ewually, many of them are not heroic, they are dramas.

The dominance of this genre is a compeltely modern phenomena

The whole point of the hero monomyth is that the hero is a hero. They're an exceptional individual, sometimes the child of a god, sent on an exceptional quest that nobody else can accomplish. And even so, they are reluctant to leave society at first, and eventually return to it. I don't think its purpose is primarily to facilitate individual aspiration.

The hero usually has companions and almost always has a mentor. The hero must be of strong mind and body, certainly, but that doesn't necessarily suggest individualism.