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
Only a life lived in a certain spirit is worth living. It is a remarkable fact that a life lived entirely from the ego is dull not only for the person himself but for all concerned.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True fulfillment comes from living authentically rather than from ego-driven pursuits.
Carl Jung emphasizes the importance of living a life that resonates with a genuine spirit as opposed to merely existing through the ego. He warns that lives spent centered on ego are not only unfulfilling for the individual but also fail to engage and enrich the lives of others, suggesting that a meaningful life is one that is connected to deeper values and shared experiences.
Themes
LifeSpiritEgoMeaningFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about living authentically.
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.
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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.
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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