Entropy implies gradients from one extreme to another.
Jung gives many examples of opposites in psychology such as introvert and extravert.
Just as our bodies are energy systems, so Jung claimed the psyche can be regarded as an energy system. Some examples of gradients found within the psyche includes:
Fear of the future----from fearless to an inability to deal issues
Dealing with change—from an inability to change habits to openly embracing new thoughts and ideas
Moral responsibility for one’s actions ---from saintly to psychopathic!
Interest in sexuality--- from hypersexual to asexual
Interest in Religion--- from fundamentalist to radical Atheism
Jung suggests--- the greater the tension between the pairs of opposites, the greater will be the energy that comes from them, and the resultant increase in consciousness will be the greatest.
In other words, after a person experiences a major life event that calls into question some assumptions or beliefs change, there is an interval where the person wrestles with new ideas and insights and finally a new level or equilibrium is found.
Without such a process the psyche is doomed to stagnation, congestion, and ossification.
Life is born of the spark of opposites and Jung put great value on the opposites, insisting that, “… the pairs of opposites are not to be understood as mistakes, but as the origin of life.”
No opposites, no “spark,” no flow of psychic energy, no change, no healing.”
Comment
I see posts in these threads as a way to increase the tension of the opposites –in terms of opinions and ideas.
We then look for ways to resolve the tensions that each post creates. This increases our level of understanding and our consciousness or awareness of an issue.
However, some interactions end up in a slanging match and so the issue needs to wait for another day to be once again resolved, or parties agree to disagree, and move on--- even though the issue is unresolved.
In the same way if we repress personal issues, they don’t go away, but remain in our sub-conscious until we are once again ready to confront the issue or the issue is forced upon us by our circumstances.
