There is a much deeper chasm and much deeper water when we choose to abandon what we know (relatively high utility) to venture toward something that we don’t know (zero utility) and may even disappoint us (negative utility). Out there on the sea, without a clear view of the place to which we are headed, we find ourselves in a transitional state of limbo (Bridges, 1980; Bridges, 2001). While on the journey, we are terrified but also posed to engage in significant learning (Sanford, 1980; Mura and Bergquist, 2020).
Carl Jung’ Shadow
In Jungian psychology, the shadow represents one of the primary archetypes that reside outside of our direct consciousness. While the shadow is often portrayed in art, literature, and poetry as a force of evil, it is actually best illustrated as a struggle between good and evil, as in Robert Lewis Stevenson’s portrayal of both sides in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The portrayal of shadow functions in Jungian psychology is complex, with many layers of meaning and representation.
Specifically, Carl Jung considers the shadow to be the unconscious part of the personality that contains repressed weaknesses, desires, and instincts. It represents the darker aspects of the self that individuals often deny or ignore. Often driven by shame, the shadow will usually remain unknown to us, yet it can show up in various ways. Most often, our shadow is on display through our projections onto other people. We attribute our own undesirable qualities to those around us.
While some promoters of Jungian psychology have proclaimed that “shadow” work can unlock economic potential and increase one’s accumulation of money, the original model of “shadow” that Carl Jung introduced would seem to offer a cautionary note about money rather than a gateway to financial prosperity. Carl Jung’s shadow is likely to be “shocked” by an obsessive quest for money on the part of one’s persona. This being the case, our shadow is likely to throw up some roadblocks that prevent us from acting successfully on our quest for money (and thereby increasing our thirst for it).
While the persona, as the conscious part of ego, is usually considered the source of moral behavior, Jung suggests that it is much more complicated and that the shadow plays an important role regarding moral guidance (Jung, 1948):
“The situation which is more common and more familiar to the average man is that in which the ego identifies itself with the ethical values. The identification takes place by means of an identification of the ego with the persona. The ego confuses itself with the façade personality (which is of course in reality only that part of the personality that is tailored to fit the collective), and forgets that it possesses aspects which run counter to the persona. This means that the ego has repressed the shadow side and lost touch with the dark contents, which are negative and for this reason split off from the conscious sector.”
Recognizing the shadow involves moral effort and self-reflection, as it challenges the ego and requires individuals to accept their full selves, including the darker aspects.
