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Man is in need if a symbolical life- badly in need. We only live banal, ordinary, rational or irrational things- but we have no symbolic life. Where do we live symbolically? Nowhere except where we participate in the ritual of life
Carl Jung
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the importance of living a symbolic life, rich in meaning beyond the ordinary elements of existence.

Carl Jung suggests that humans require a symbolic life to find deeper significance in their experiences. He argues that in our everyday lives, we are often caught up in mundane realities, lacking the rich symbolism that rituals can bring. This absence of a symbolic existence leaves us feeling disconnected from the deeper meanings of life, highlighting the importance of participating in rituals that connect us to something greater.

Themes

Symbolic LifeRitualMeaningExistenceCarl Jung

In practice

Example use cases

In a lecture on existentialism, one might quote Jung to emphasize the significance of finding meaning in everyday rituals.

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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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Quote by Carl Jung | QuoteProject