Part 3/11:

Drawing an analogy to computers, Patnayak describes mythology as the "operating system" of our minds—programs embedded from birth that determine how we think, behave, and respond. For instance, the rituals, stories, and symbols different societies hold dear influence everything from eating habits to leadership styles.

He illustrates this with cross-cultural examples:

• The Chinese use chopsticks; Europeans prefer cutlery; Indians traditionally eat with fingers. These practices reflect deeper cultural operating systems. When colonization and military organizations introduced cutlery in India, it shifted the native operating system of eating habits and thinking.