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 facts of nature cannot in the long run be violated. Penetrating and seeping through everything like water, they will undermine any system that fails to take account of them, and sooner or later they will bring about its downfall. But an authority wise enough in its statesmanship to give sufficient free play to nature - of which spirit is a part - need fear no premature decline.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Natural laws are inevitable and must be respected; otherwise, systems that ignore them will ultimately fail.
In this quote, Carl Jung emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and respecting the laws of nature. He suggests that any system or authority that disregards these fundamental truths will eventually crumble under the weight of its own ignorance. Conversely, those in power who embrace and accommodate these natural laws, allowing for their rightful place within society, will not only survive but thrive without facing premature decline.
Themes
NatureLawsSystemsAuthorityRespect
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about environmental sustainability, one could quote Jung to highlight the need to respect natural laws.
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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Roger ScrutonRead