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
Mistakes are, after all, the foundations of truth, and if a man does not know what a thing is, it is at least an increase in knowledge if he knows what it is not.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mistakes help us understand what is true, as recognizing errors contributes to our knowledge.
This quote by Carl Jung emphasizes the importance of mistakes in the learning process. It suggests that acknowledging what we don't know or what is incorrect is a step towards gaining greater knowledge and understanding of the truth. By recognizing the limitations of our understanding, we expand our intellectual horizon and become more informed individuals.
Themes
MistakesKnowledgeTruthLearningUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a seminar about the importance of learning from failure.
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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