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
One could say, with a little exaggeration, that the persona is that which in reality one is not, but which oneself as well as others think one is.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the idea of persona as a facade we present, which may differ from our true selves.
Carl Jung's quote emphasizes the concept of persona, suggesting that it is a social mask we wear, reflecting what we believe others perceive us to be, rather than our authentic selves. This observation sheds light on the complexities of identity, highlighting the tension between societal expectations and individual truth.
Themes
PersonaIdentitySelfAuthenticityMask
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a psychology seminar to highlight the nature of identity.
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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When religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion, its message becomes meaningless.
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The correct description is that we try every day to become more humble when we talk about divinity, we try to realize how little we know and how open minded we should be.
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Power is not brute force and money; power is in your spirit. Power is in your soul. It is what your ancestors, your old people gave you. Power is in the earth; it is in your relationship to the earth.
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