Carl Gustav Jung
Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology, a ground-breaking development in the nascent field of depth psychology at the turn of the 20th century. Depth psychologists are particularly interested in the influence of the unconscious dynamics (‘the depths’) of the psyche to understand human behaviour, arguing these are much more significant than conscious and cognitive mechanisms in shaping the self.
Jung’s many contributions to our knowledge of deep psychodynamics include numerous concepts which are now part of the common language, such as the persona (the social mask we wear), the contra-sexual personality in men and women (the anima or the animus), the notion of personality types (for example when we say we are an introvert, or an extraverted person), the concept of archetypes, the symbolic dimensions of dreams, or the mechanism of projection . His proposition that our unconscious is not merely personal but is also shared collectively remains one of his most significant insights.
Photo from Memories, Dreams, Reflections (1963/1995)
Development and Individuation
Jung believed that human beings are designed to develop and individuate, that is, to express their individuality fully in relation to their archetypal self, to consciously become who they actually are instead of being what they think they are. Interestingly, Jung explained that individuation (to consciously become an individual) is very different from individualism (to show concern only for one’s needs, possibly at the expense of other people’s needs). Indeed, when we engage with the process of individuation, we usually realize that we are imperfect beings and that we need others to make our life richer, more fulfilling, more worthwhile.
On the other hand, we also come to realize that we hold a greater share of individual responsibility in crafting our life, and that the choices we make are ours, and ours alone. Self-development is not an easy task, but Jung believed that, at one point or another, everyone will be called upon to explore their psyche, willingly or not (cue the often-cited mid-life crisis!). He thus advised to pay attention to the signs and symptoms, and to prepare ourselves to tackle the task rather than risk being caught unprepared and getting lost in the turmoil.
‘I have frequently seen people become neurotic when they content themselves with inadequate or wrong answers to the questions of life. They seek position, marriage, reputation, outward success or money, and remain unhappy and neurotic even when they have attained what they are seeking. Such people are usually confined within too narrow a spiritual horizon. Their life has not sufficient content, sufficient meaning. If they are enabled to develop into more spacious personalities, the neurosis generally disappears. For that reason the idea of development was always of the highest importance to me.’ – C.G. Jung
Some Reading Suggestions
The best introduction to Jung’s works is the very accessible and fascinating book Memories, Dreams, Reflections (Jung’s autobiography).
- Jung, C.G. (1963/1995). Memories, Dreams, Reflections. London: Fontana Press/HarperCollins.
Other introductory resources on Analytical (or Jungian) Psychology include:
- Jung, C.G. (1964) (ed.). Man and his Symbols. Dell Publishing.
- Goss, P. (2015). Jung: A Complete Introduction. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
- Hall, C.S. and Nordby, V.J. (1973). A Primer of Jungian Psychology. New York, NY: Meridian.
- Mattoon, M.A. (2005). Jung and the Human Psyche. Hove: Routledge.
- Stevens, A. (2001). Jung: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.