Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionII. Psychodynamic
Theories- Jung: Analytical
Psychology
(^116) © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2009
that world at the strike of midnight. Legends, myths, religious beliefs, art, and liter-
ary stories are filled with other symbols of the great mother, a person who is both
nurturing and destructive.
Fertility and power combine to form the concept of rebirth,which may be a
separate archetype, but its relation to the great mother is obvious. Rebirth is repre-
sented by such processes as reincarnation, baptism, resurrection, and individuation
or self-realization. People throughout the world are moved by a desire to be reborn:
that is, to reach self-realization, nirvana, heaven, or perfection (Jung, 1952/1956,
1954/1959c).
Wise Old Man
The wise old man,archetype of wisdom and meaning, symbolizes humans’ preex-
isting knowledge of the mysteries of life. This archetypal meaning, however, is un-
conscious and cannot be directly experienced by a single individual. Politicians and
others who speak authoritatively—but not authentically—often sound sensible and
wise to others who are all too willing to be misled by their own wise old man ar-
chetypes. Similarly, the wizard in L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Ozwas an impressive
and captivating speaker whose words, however, rang hollow. A man or woman dom-
inated by the wise old man archetype may gather a large following of disciples by
using verbiage that sounds profound but that really makes little sense because the
collective unconscious cannot directly impart its wisdom to an individual. Political,
religious, and social prophets who appeal to reason as well as emotion (archetypes
are always emotionally tinged) are guided by this unconscious archetype. The dan-
ger to society comes when people become swayed by the pseudoknowledge of a
powerful prophet and mistake nonsense for real wisdom. Recall that Jung saw the
preachings of his own father (a pastor) as hollow pontifications, not backed by any
strong religious conviction.
The wise old man archetype is personified in dreams as father, grandfather,
teacher, philosopher, guru, doctor, or priest. He appears in fairy tales as the king, the
sage, or the magician who comes to the aid of the troubled protagonist and, through
superior wisdom, he helps the protagonist escape from myriad misadventures. The
wise old man is also symbolized by life itself. Literature is replete with stories of
young people leaving home, venturing out into the world, experiencing the trials and
sorrows of life, and in the end acquiring a measure of wisdom (Jung, 1954/1959a).
Hero
The heroarchetype is represented in mythology and legends as a powerful person,
sometimes part god, who fights against great odds to conquer or vanquish evil in the
form of dragons, monsters, serpents, or demons. In the end, however, the hero often
is undone by some seemingly insignificant person or event (Jung, 1951/1959b). For
example, Achilles, the courageous hero of the Trojan War, was killed by an arrow in
his only vulnerable spot—his heel. Similarly, Macbeth was a heroic figure with a sin-
gle tragic flaw—ambition. This ambition was also the source of his greatness, but it
contributed to his fate and his downfall. Heroic deeds can be performed only by
someone who is vulnerable, such as Achilles or the comic book character Superman,
110 Part II Psychodynamic Theories