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
The experience of the self is always a defeat for the ego.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that true self-discovery often challenges our ego and preconceived notions of self.
Carl Jung highlights the idea that personal growth and genuine understanding of oneself can often lead to moments of humility and defeat for the ego. The 'self' represents the deeper aspects of our being, while the 'ego' symbolizes our outward identity and the mask we present to the world. As we delve into self-experience, we may find that our ego's need for validation and superiority is undermined, leading to profound internal transformation.
Themes
SelfEgoDefeatExperiencePersonal Growth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a self-help seminar to emphasize the importance of introspection.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes βThe majority of my patients consisted not of believers but of those who had lost their faith.
Carl JungRead
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.
Carl JungRead
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.
Carl JungRead
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.
Carl JungRead
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.
Carl JungRead
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