Grounded in the natural philosophy of the Middle Ages, alchemy formed a bridge: on the one hand into the past, to Gnosticism, and on the other into the future, to the modern psychology of the unconscious.
Carl JungRead
Every individual needs revolution, inner division, overthrow of the existing order, and renewal, but not by forcing them upon his neighbors under the hypocritical cloak of Christian love or the sense of social responsibility or any of the other beautiful euphemisms for unconscious urges to personal power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True revolution comes from within and should not impose personal power on others under the guise of love or responsibility.
This quote by Carl Jung emphasizes that personal transformation and revolution are essential for individuals, but it warns against the hypocritical tendency to impose one's own ambitions under the pretense of altruism. Jung critiques the use of beautiful terms like ‘Christian love’ or ‘social responsibility’ that often mask deeper, unconscious desires for control and dominance over others, suggesting a more authentic approach to personal change that does not compel others unjustly.
Themes
RevolutionInner ChangePersonal PowerHypocrisyResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the role of personal development in social movements.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes →The majority of my patients consisted not of believers but of those who had lost their faith.
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Complexes are psychic contents which are outside the control of the conscious mind. They have been split off from consciousness and lead a separate existence in the unconscious, being at all times ready to hinder or to reinforce the conscious intentions.
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We are in a far better position to observe instincts in animals or in primitives than in ourselves. This is due to the fact that we have grown accustomed to scrutinizing our own actions and to seeking rational explanations for them.
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From the viewpoint of analytic psychology, the theatre, aside from any aesthetic value, may be considered as an institution for the treatment of the mass complex.
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I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among those in the second half of life - that is to say, over 35 - there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life.
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