Proceed with Caution: Exploring the Human Psyche (Jung & Nietzsche)
Carl Jung and the Shadow
Studying the work of Carl Jung this year has had a profound impact on me. I believe that he captured the essence of what constitutes a fully evolved human being.
Jung believed that a virtuous or ‘good’ person was one who had fully integrated his shadow self into his conscious. By ‘shadow’ Jung was referring to the darker impulses of our subconscious that we don’t like to admit to, or if we are particularly naïve, perhaps do not even know about. It is composed of our dark, innate primal desires.
“None of us stands outside humanity’s black collective shadow” — Carl Jung
Jung identified a collective human unconscious that we all share. And due to the historical propensity of human beings to inflict unimaginable atrocities upon one another, Jung believed that we all necessarily had to confront these uncomfortable truths or risk being puppets to these hidden impulses. The most frightening aspect of reading history is that if you actually understand what you are reading about — well, you are potentially reading about yourself (both the good and the bad). Most people find it comforting to dismiss instances of inhumane acts as exclusive to that one particular race, tribe, nation or civilisation. Yet we know this this simply not the case.
Unfortunately, and this is terrifying even to acknowledge, we all possess these capabilities somewhere deep inside of us by mere virtue of being a human. It is a non-negotiable feature that comes with the pact of this existence. Even though we may be a genuinely good person, under the right circumstances our shadow could manifest itself. This is precisely why it is of the utmost importance that we each individually incorporate these subconscious aspects of our psyche into our conscious, so that we can ensure that they are never unleashed.
“How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole” — Carl Jung
Enlightenment
So far I have canvassed this concept using the proverbial ‘stick’. There is a ‘carrot’ to this process too. Jung believed that the fully developed — even “enlightened” — individual was a dangerous individual. His contention was that without fully integrating our shadow into our very Being, we risked being a puppet to our darker impulses. Not only did this make us dangerous through our ignorance of such a risk, but it left us open to manipulation by deceitful and tyrannical individuals who appealed to those very same dark impulses deep inside of us. The exploitation by people in power of the mob mentality and “us and them” distinctions are examples of this.
“One does not become enlightened by imaging figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious” — Carl Jung
Friedrich Nietzsche’s observation was that cowardice was often mistaken for morality. It is not that the ‘good’ person chooses not to commit acts of evil, but that they are incapable of doing so. The whole individual was the person who had the capacity to break the rules when necessary, stand up for themselves and for what they believed in, and to confront immoral acts when they occurred. Yet this could only be achieved by the individual who they themselves cast a shadow. If we do not have the capacity to stand up for ourselves, then we risk falling victim to the pathology of the crowd or to other individuals.
When we stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. The people we respect the most almost always have an element to their presence that means that we will not cross them or try to cheat them because we know that there will be repercussions if we were to do so. When we think of the mythological ‘Hero’ figure — evident in all of our superhero movies — they always have an underlying capacity for destruction that can be unleashed at any moment which induces fear into their nemesis. Jung said that the “assimilation of the shadow gives a man body, so to speak”.
Voluntary Undertaking
Another positive aspect is that we can undertake this process on our own terms. The beauty of this is that we are in control of how much we expose ourselves to at any given time. We retain autonomy over how chaotic the process is. To quote Jordan Peterson:
“Exposure to the things you that you don’t want to be exposed to is curative, if it’s voluntary”.
If we become exposed to our shadow self involuntarily, it will induce a state of primal reaction and fear and this produces vastly different neurochemicals vis a vis when we undertake this process voluntarily. Based on my own anecdotal evidence, whenever you feel that you are diving too deep into exploring your shadow you can take a step back. The importance of this cannot be understated. Why?
Friedrich Nietzsche: The Abyss
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you” — Friedrich Nietzsche
I vividly remember reading this quote and being shaken to the core. At the time I was deep into exploring some of what occurred in the twentieth century and was starting to find it psychologically heavy going. This quote made me take a step back and put such endeavours on hold for a few months. I was then able to reapproach similar subject matters on my terms, when I felt that the time was right. I find myself much more equipped and rounded for having done so.
Some people would argue that Nietzsche’s cautionary observation is precisely why we should not entertain and seek out the darkest aspects of our unconscious, for fear of being consumed by them. It is certainly a concern. However I do not believe this process is a zero sum game. Instead the art lies in finding a balance between the exploration advocated by Jung, and the caution necessitated by Nietzsche. Nietzsche himself was a man who spent his whole life on the precipice of his psychological capacities, and would have known the value and importance of fully integrating the shadow.
I believe wholeheartedly in the greatness of humanity, and in our capacity for good. The difficult thing to come to terms with is why we need to engage in the uncomfortable process of integrating our shadow? Why should we care about the sometimes brutal reality of human nature? We do so precisely because one believes in the good of humanity:
— Without the awareness of what constitutes evil and its many manifestations, we do not have an appreciation nor a comparison for the acts of greatness and kindness carried out by human beings.
— We become forces to be reckoned with. When we equip ourselves with the capacity to stand up to others — be that physically, verbally, or emotionally — we become powerful individuals. People will respect us.
— History is necessary reading. Without an awareness of what went before us, we cannot guard against such reoccurrences. Our naivety and blindness to the true realities of what is possible weaken us in our ability to stand up to the evil and treachery in the world.
— Protect your psychological well-being. One of the recovery techniques for PTSD is to introduce people to the concept of good and evil. They realise that what they experienced or witnessed is not unique to their particular situation. Integrating your shadow is a proactive measure to ensure that we are not blind to what some people are capable of in the world.
Should you choose to undertake this arduous path, always proceed with caution and remain cognisant to infuse such a process with positivity and reminders of humanity’s (and your own) enormous capacity for good.
The Ithaca Diaries
