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 healthy man does not torture others - generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Healthy individuals do not inflict pain on others; rather, those who suffer are more likely to become the source of suffering.
This quote by Carl Jung explores the relationship between suffering and the propensity to inflict harm. It suggests that individuals who experience trauma or pain may develop tendencies to project their suffering onto others, often becoming tormentors themselves. In this light, the quote emphasizes the importance of mental health and the cycle of abuse, highlighting how untreated pain can perpetuate a cycle of harm in society.
Themes
HealthyTortureSufferingPsychologyTrauma
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about mental health, this quote can highlight the importance of addressing emotional pain.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes →The 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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