Myths are the stories we tell each other to make sense of our lifeworld. Myths differ from stories such as creative fiction and fables in that myths are considered true : either true about human behavior (such as urban legends about tainted food) or true about proper ways to live one's life (such as the myth of Manifest Destiny) or true about spiritual matters (such as religious stories). Mythic stories provide the frameworks for our personal and cultural identity.

Rarely is a myth thought of as such by those who tell it; rather, it is believed to be truth, often religious truth. "Myth" is a word attached to other people's beliefs, often by anthropologists.