Embrace Your Shadow

We all have a dark side. There's a monster inside each one of us. Trouble is, most of us just stuff it deep down and carry on with our day. We either ignore it, or deny its existence.

Carl Jung didn't believe you could be a good person until you recognized and overcame your capacity for evil. You have to identify it, acknowledge it, and bring it under control.

Jordan Peterson says there's a big difference between someone who's just naive and someone who's truly a good person. The naive are good because they can't not be. They're like a domesticated house cat. They don't have the capacity to be bad, and there's no morality in that.

True morality comes when you have the capacity to be a monster, but are able to control it.

Jung said the roots of the shadow go all the way down to hell. People need to understand their capacity for horrific behavior. It's part of the human experience. It's terrifying though. Most of us will never explore our shadow.

Robert Greene addresses the Shadow as well. He notes people are rarely who they seem to be. Beneath their polite exterior lurks a dark, shadow comprised of insecurities and the aggressive, selfish impulses they repress and conceal. This darkness leaks out in behavior that will baffle, shock, and possibly harm you.

Greene advised us to become aware of our own dark side. If we’re conscious of it, we can control it. We can use our shadow to channel the creative energies that lurk in our unconscious. He says by integrating the dark side into your personality, you will be a more complete human, and will radiate an authenticity that will draw people to you.

“Attention is the new gold.” ~ J.P. O’Shaughnessy

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