Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionII. Psychodynamic
Theories- Jung: Analytical
Psychology
© The McGraw−Hill^113
Companies, 2009No. 1 personality, which had to make accommodations to the outside world. Each of
us, Jung believed, should project a particular role, one that society dictates to each
of us. A physician is expected to adopt a characteristic “bedside manner,” a politi-
cian must show a face to society that can win the confidence and votes of the peo-
ple; an actor exhibits the style of life demanded by the public (Jung, 1950/1959).
Although the persona is a necessary side of our personality, we should not con-
fuse our public face with our complete self. If we identify too closely with our per-
sona, we remain unconscious of our individuality and are blocked from attaining
self-realization.True, we must acknowledge society, but if we over identify with our
persona, we lose touch with our inner self and remain dependent on society’s expec-
tations of us. To become psychologically healthy, Jung believed, we must strike a bal-
ance between the demands of society and what we truly are. To be oblivious of one’s
persona is to underestimate the importance of society, but to be unaware of one’s
deep individuality is to become society’s puppet (Jung, 1950/1959).
During Jung’s near break with reality from 1913 to 1917, he struggled hard to
remain in touch with his persona. He knew that he must maintain a normal life, and
his work and family provided that contact. He was frequently forced to tell himself,
“I have a medical diploma from a Swiss university, I must help my patients, I have a
wife and five children, I live at 228 Seestrasse in Küsnacht” (Jung, 1961, p. 189).
Such self-talk kept Jung’s feet rooted to the ground and reassured him that he really
existed.
Shadow
The shadow,the archetype of darkness and repression, represents those qualities we
do not wish to acknowledge but attempt to hide from ourselves and others. The
shadow consists of morally objectionable tendencies as well as a number of con-
structive and creative qualities that we, nevertheless, are reluctant to face (Jung,
1951/1959a).
Jung contended that, to be whole, we must continually strive to know our
shadow and that this quest is our first test of courage.It is easier to project the dark
side of our personality onto others, to see in them the ugliness and evil that we re-
fuse to see in ourselves. To come to grips with the darkness within ourselves is to
achieve the “realization of the shadow.” Unfortunately, most of us never realize our
shadow but identify only with the bright side of our personality. People who never
realize their shadow may, nevertheless, come under its power and lead tragic lives,
constantly running into “bad luck” and reaping harvests of defeat and discourage-
ment for themselves (Jung, 1954/1959a).
In Memories, Dreams, Reflections,Jung (1961) reported a dream that took
place at the time of his break from Freud. In this dream his shadow, a brown-skinned
savage, killed the hero, a man named Siegfried, who represented the German people.
Jung interpreted the dream to mean that he no longer needed Sig Freud (Siegfried);
thus, his shadow performed the constructive task of eradicating his former hero.
Anima
Like Freud, Jung believed that all humans are psychologically bisexual and possess
both a masculine and a feminine side. The feminine side of men originates in the
collective unconscious as an archetype and remains extremely resistant to
Chapter 4 Jung: Analytical Psychology 107