Jung said that human nature can be described as ‘bipolar.’
He was not referring to a mental illness, but if we are honest in our dealings in outer life, we have a liar in our ‘shadow.’
The shadow is the side of ourselves we usually want to hide as it contains our negative qualities
For example: If we pride ourselves on our organizational abilities, you can bet there’s chaos somewhere in our own inner or outer life. A racist has a black person in his/her inner world, just as an anti-Semite has a Jew.
This works in all realms of life, as Jung reminded the students in his dream analysis seminar: “Where there is a church, the devil is not far away.”
A person cherishing the qualities of a saint has a peculiarly close relation to the devil…. one must be a saint to have infernal relations.
Jung did not subscribe to the Lockean idea that human beings at birth are ‘blank slates.’
He said, man is not born as a tabula rasa---a clean slate---he is merely born unconscious, but he brings with him at birth the ground-plan of his nature, and not only of his individual nature but of his collective nature.
Jung understood that we come into life with innate preferences, e.g. for Extraversion or Introversion, and with a particular temperament.
Jung also regarded every person as having a destiny or a ‘ground-plan’ that was present at birth and meant to be lived out over the course of the individual’s life.
Anticipating the discovery of our reptilian brain years before neuroscience found it, Jung noted that; “The saurian is still functioning in us, and one only needs to take away enough brain to bring it to the daylight.”
Jung repeatedly stressed the shadow side of human nature: “the dark, body-bound nature of man…” ‘man’s shadow side, ‘the devilishness of human nature.’
His writings are replete with reminders that human nature is not compounded wholly of light, but also abounds in shadows and aspects associated with the seamy side of our personality.
Irrational, demonic, beastly and vicious are some terms Jung uses to describe our nature.
These aspects of our personality are paired with their opposites. For example if we are irrational, we also are rational. We can plunge into risky endeavours, and also hang back, wanting things to be safe.
We can spot our shadow when we project and see failings, faults or problems in others. When we find ourselves criticizing others, we should stop and ask ourselves, what insight is this giving me about my shadow side?
Even more unappealing is another of Jung’s suggestions: To learn virtue through sinning. This is a shocking statement, given our culture’s traditional attitude toward sin.
It is a bewildering thing in human life that the thing that causes the greatest fear is the source of the greatest wisdom. One’s greatest foolishness is one’s biggest stepping-stone. No one can become a wise man without being a terrible fool.
Through Eros one learns the truth, through sin we learn virtue. Meister Eckhart says one shouldn’t repent too much, that the value of sin is very great.
Rather than follow the moral strictures of conventional morality, Jung would have us recognize and honour the dictates of our own souls.
Jung says--- live this way and you might well be a holy terror to that society.
Pope Francis said recently when asked his opinion of homosexuals by reporters, “Who am I to judge?”
Comment:
I find this idea interesting as we often find we don't like someone for any obvious reason. Jung suggests-- when this happens we are probably projecting our shadow or our inferior side onto others .
Being aware of how this happens help us to be more civil in our discussions--no real problem here--but a big problem in the Political threads!
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