THE SHADOW

The shadow, as Carl Jung dubbed it, “is a composite of personal characteristics and potentialities of which the individual is unaware.” This dark and ominous black cloud that follows each-and-every one of us, though looking strikingly different, “contains inferior characteristics and weaknesses that the ego’s self-esteem will not permit it to recognize..” (Wallace, p. 21) which is distinct to each individual.

These characteristics, as Jung contends, reveal themselves at what seems like the most inopportune times, through projections. Projections, as Jung defined them, are “an unconscious, automatic process whereby an unconscious content transferred itself to an object and seemed to belong to it” (Wallace, p. 21).

Projections can, and should, be combated with all one has within him/herself; they can internally murder oneself without the possessor ever consciously aware of the death. Jung goes on to say, “while the shadow is projected, the individual can, as one analysts has said, ‘hate and condemn freely the weakness and evil he sees in others, while maintaining his own sense of righteousness” (Wallace, p. 21). Projections of the shadow seem to be steps toward 1) internal death to the psyche. 2) the backsliding of one’s personal and psychological growth 3) the easy, selfish out from under the heavy burden of self.

I confess I have a very difficult list of things I currently struggle with that cause my most important relationships much difficulty. On that list is selfishness, impatience, judgement, and anger. It seems there is something so very deep inside me that causes me to be troublesome. These internal things kick and scream telling me lies that the world and evil has somehow convinced me of. I can’t help but think of the very real and deeply psychological (amazingly perceptive at the time) words of St. Paul:

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:15-20).

Life is not easy; there are no ifs, ands, or buts- life is very, very hard. We live in a world caked in misery, suffering, disappointment, hate, evil, and unfairness. There is well-founded truth to the proverbial saying, “nice guys finish last.” Further, many – nice, kind, meek, and humble – finish dead last or don’t have an opportunity to finish at all. The immediate following question comes to mind: “why try at all in this life?”

I suppose the truth may be found here: “to love oneself is to accept oneself – ‘just as I am,’ which, as an old evangelical hymn suggests, is the way God accepts us. Then, having accepted ourselves, we can accept others, just as they are. Then we can truly withdraw our projections. One is reminded of Jesus’ admonition, ‘Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye [or sister’s- sorry, T], but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?’ (Matt. 7:3) Jung said that all gaps in our actual knowledge are filed out with projections, to be conscious of the shadow to the extent that one knows that whatever is wrong in the world is in oneself. To learn to deal with one’s own shadow is to do something real for the world. Such a person, Jung said, ‘has succeeded in shouldering at least a infinitesimal part of the gigantic, unsolved social problems of our day.’ Jung saw the task of individuation as a process continuing throughout life. As we continue to withdraw projections, we continue to recognize and accept aspects of ourselves that we had not seen before” (p. 48, emphasis added).

It becomes more evident daily: there is not one solid, one-sentence easy catch phrase that encompasses the point of life. However, there are many little, powerful things each one of us can do that allow for a better world, and I must believe that, in some way, this is a part or whole of the purpose of this life. The process of knowing thy self is a very arduous and tender, aching, nasty, unpleasant procedure, at times- seemingly never-ending - and perhaps increasingly painful one. One thing, without fail, always leads to another and, I would argue, there seems to be a moment in time for each person when the question must be asked, “is it worth it!?! is this horrendous pain worth it!?!”

There may be some sliver of hope, or light, at the end of the tunnel. With self-awareness comes a new beginning and a eye-opening experience that may be too much for many to accept and live with. This actualization process leaves me personally wishing I were ignorant to the world and the many problems surrounding me; more importantly blind to my own personal issues. Ignorance is bliss, they say. For some strange reason, I must live veilless, without any unconscious, subconscious, or conscious garment covering my eyes and preventing me from encountering difficulty and truth. I know I have many, many problems.

“’Know thyself,’ Socrates taught. As a life moves toward a close (the ‘second half,’ as Jung calls it), the urgency to proceed with this kind of understanding increases. An individual who neglects this task or turns away from it- refusing to undertake the inward journey of understanding- begins to behave awkwardly, or may be troubled with an illness that no medicine seems to cure. Instead of becoming acquainted with the ‘woman within,’ for example, (the anima, as Jung called it), a man may find himself divorcing his wife of many years and chasing after other women. This is the literalistic, materialistic distortion of his own messages from the unconscious. It is an ineffective way of dealing with the problem of opposites” (p. 49).

What should we do? What is our responsibility as humans who roam this earth? Are we better off unaware ricocheting around in this life like a ball bearing bouncing around during a pinball game? What is the point and why does it seem only a select few of us are struggling with these weighted topics!?!

Know thyself, combat the shadow, obliterate the projections, and learn to live a life of meaning in the small things- that’s what we have! To look at anything larger than that may just be too much for such a small mind to wrestle with.

What are YOU willing to give up to know thyself?


Sources Cited:

Clift, Wallace B. (1986) Jung and Christianity, The Challenge of Reconciliation. The Crossroads Publishing Company, New York, New York.