I feel like there's a lot of sympathy and camaraderie among

Hear now, O seekers of truth, the words of Morgan Neville, a craftsman of stories rooted not in fantasy, but in reality itself: “I feel like there’s a lot of sympathy and camaraderie among documentary filmmakers.” Though these words are spoken softly, they bear the weight of an ancient truth—that those who walk a hard road together, in pursuit of truth and service, grow bound not by rivalry, but by fellowship.

For the calling of the documentary filmmaker is unlike that of others. They do not deal in pure invention, but in the fragile fabric of reality, in the voices of the forgotten, the struggles of the oppressed, the hidden corners of life where few dare to look. This task is not adorned with riches or fame; it is often marked instead by long hours, scarce resources, and the heavy responsibility of bearing witness. In such a realm, it is natural that those who labor in it turn not against each other, but towards one another in sympathy, recognizing the weight they all share.

Consider the story of the great Herodotus, often called the father of history. He, too, gathered stories from many lands, seeking not glory but truth. His work was questioned, doubted, even mocked, yet he persisted, recording the deeds of nations so they would not vanish into silence. Imagine him encountering another traveler of truth—they would not be rivals, but companions, for each knew the loneliness of such a calling. So it is with documentary makers, who find camaraderie in their common struggle to illuminate what others would leave in shadow.

There is heroism in such fellowship. Recall the frontline war correspondents of the 20th century, who, cameras in hand, entered battlefields not to fight, but to reveal the human cost of war. When they returned, they found not glory but solace in each other’s company, for only those who had seen such things could understand. Likewise, the documentarian stands on the frontlines of truth, whether among the ruins of history or in the quiet sorrows of daily life, and only another documentarian can truly feel the depth of that burden.

Thus, Neville’s words remind us that sympathy and camaraderie are the lifeblood of noble callings. When the task is difficult and the reward uncertain, men and women must lean on one another, lest they collapse under the weight of isolation. It is not competition but community that allows such vocations to endure. And in this there is a lesson for all: that wherever the road is hard, unity is stronger than rivalry, compassion is greater than pride.

O listener, take this wisdom into your own life: seek camaraderie with those who walk the same path as you. Do not envy their victories, nor scorn their failures, but stand beside them as allies. When they falter, offer them sympathy; when you falter, let them lift you in return. For no journey worth taking is meant to be walked alone, and no truth worth telling is carried by a single voice.

So let it be remembered: the greatness of documentary filmmakers is not only in the stories they bring to light, but in the fellowship that sustains them as they labor. And so it should be with us all. Sympathy and camaraderie are not luxuries; they are the very pillars by which truth, endurance, and greatness are upheld. Embrace them, and your path—though heavy—will never break you.

Thus speaks the lesson of Morgan Neville: that in shared struggle lies shared strength, and in shared strength lies the power to carry truth forward into the ages.