Discovering the

work of Carl Gustav Jung

1875 - 1961

Introducing Carl Jung • Swedish born psychiatrist • Student of Sigmund Freud • Introduced a valuable theory of

personality • He saw the beginning of World War I. • He lived through the second World

War. • He obviously experienced a great

deal of human emotion throughout his life time.

• He was a well educated individual, and the time period in which he lived, at least in part, is a clear reflection of his theory of personality.

Jung’s doubts • At the start of Jung’s career

as a psychiatrist, the work of Sigmund Freud appeared to be quite influential.

• However, later in his career he began to disagree with Freud on a number of key issues, including the influence of sexuality on human behaviour.

• Although he did not agree with Freud about many issues, Freud’s thoughts had a profound effect on his own.

Analytical Psychology • He was the founder of this

strand of psychology

• This strand of psychology attempts to understand the motivation based on the conscious and unconscious mind, which together form the psyche (mind).

• He believed that achieving balance within the psyche would allow people to reach their true potential.

Jung on the mind • He believed there are two

parts to the unconscious: the personal and the collective

• The personal unconscious is unique to each individual.

• The collective unconscious contains memories from our ancestors, shared by all human beings regardless of their culture.

• Although common in humanity these memories manifest differently according to each person.

Collective unconscious

• Jung observed through his practice and research that certain images and symbols tended to appear over and over again.

• Jung determined that these models of people, behaviours, and personalities were universal archetypes or symbolic figures of the collective unconscious.

• He believed that we are born with these archetypes, as our collective unconscious contains images derived from our early ancestors’ experiences.

Archetypes • Archetypes connect us to images

as well as emotions (generate thoughts).

• We tend to feel emotionally connected to these images, which suggests that they are deeply ingrained in our psyche.

• Symbols that often reoccur include stones, animals, and the circle.

• Jung believed our brains are pre-programmed before birth to experience the world in a certain way (innate and inherited).

• Archetypes can initiate and control types of behaviours.

Collective unconscious

• Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious is his greatest contribution to psychology.

• The psyche (mind) is not simply the result of personal experiences.

• Personal experiences are important in that they play a role in activating potential archetypes that are already present in the self.

• The four main archetypes are the self, the persona, the shadow and the anima/animus.

Personal unconscious: Complexes

• Complexes are the personification (role) of archetypes.

• They are the means by which an archetype manifests itself in the unconscious. (Archetypes are in the collective unconscious; complexes are in the personal conscious).

• They are not always negative.

• They often surface in our dreams.

The self

• The unification of the unconsciousness and consciousness of an individual.

• The creation of the self occurs through a process known as individuation, in which the various aspects of personality are integrated.

• Jung often represented the self as a circle, square or mandala.

The shadow • Is composed of repressed ideas,

weaknesses, desires, instincts and shortcomings.

• Often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos and the unknown.

• These latent dispositions are present in all of us, Jung believed, although people sometimes deny this element of their own psyche and instead project it onto others.

• Jung suggested the shadow appears in dreams or visions as a snake, a monster, a demon, a dragon or some other dark, wild or exotic figure.

The anima and animus

• The anima is a feminine image in the male mind and the animus is a male image in the female mind. The anima/animus represents the "true self" rather than the image we present to others and serves as the primary source of communication with the collective unconscious.

• The combination of the anima and animus is known as the syzygy, or the divine couple. The syzygy represents completion, unification and wholeness.

The persona

• The persona is how we present ourselves to the world.

• The word literally means "mask.“

• The persona represents all of the different social masks that we wear among different groups and situations. It acts to shield the ego from negative images.

Other archetypes • The number of existing archetypes is not

static or fixed. Instead, many may overlap or combine at any given time.

• The following are just a few of the various archetypes that Jung described:

The father: Authority figure; stern; powerful. The mother: Nurturing; comforting. The child: Longing for innocence; rebirth; salvation. The wise old man: Guidance; knowledge; wisdom. The hero: Champion; defender; rescuer. The maiden: Innocence; desire; purity. The trickster: Deceiver; liar; trouble-maker.

Other archetypes

• The mother archetype develops through care of the infant (usually the mother, sometimes the father) and becomes the complex of the mother. The infant bonds with the mother.

• The archetype of the enemy becomes the child’s xenophobia – in other words, fear of strangers. This fear of strangers is universal in babies. Fear is a survival response; that is, trust only those who consistently care for you.

A larger-than-life character that often goes on some kind of journey or quest. In the course of his journey, he demonstrates the qualities and abilities valued by his culture. Which archetype do you think is being portrayed?

The protector and leader

Gandalf from the Lord of the rings

Dumbledore in Harry Potter

Mufasa in the Lion King

Which archetype is being portrayed?

The antagonist, especially in opposition to the hero

The Big Bad wolf from Little Red Riding Hood

The Giant in Jack and the beanstalk

This is an Archetype not previously mentioned. Any ideas what it may be?

Step mom from Cinderella

Characters who trick others to get them to what s/he wants – they can be both virtuous and nefarious

Can you think of the Archetype?

The methods

• Similar to Freud’s • Jung felt that examining past experiences,

dreams, and fantasies was useful for understanding the unconscious self.

• Made patients produce creative projects, such as a painting, and having them use their imagination. The goal of using imagination was to exert as little influence as possible on the mental images as they flowed.

• He believed these methods allowed the unconscious mind to express itself.

Personality according to Carl Jung

Freud’s Influences

• The ego - everything that an individual is conscious of was the first component of personality.

• Since Jung and Freud had a close relationship at one time, the concept of ego described by Freud is similar to Jung’s own notion of the ego. Basically, the ego is what a person thinks, feels, remembers, and perceives; more generally, the ego is one’s consciousness.

Psychological types • He then attempted to classify human

beings according to type • Nearly two thousand years ago, a

Greek physician, Galen, distinguished four fundamental temperamental differences in men based on which bodily fluids believed to be in excess

• the sanguine (blood – optimistic) • the phlegmatic (phlegm – calm,

unemotional character) • the choleric (yellow bile – irritable

character) • the melancholic (black bile –

depressed character)

Personality • Jung had different

ideas about how to describe personality. He distinguishes two differing attitudes to life, two modes of reacting to circumstances which he finds sufficiently marked and widespread to describe as typical.

• First, he believed we are all either introverted or extroverted.

Introverts & Extroverts

• It frequently happens that one attitude is developed and the other remains unconscious. No one, however, lives completely as one or the other, but manifests the unconscious attitude at times, though in an inferior way.

• The differentiation in attitude often seems to begin very early in life -- in fact, there are grounds for considering that it may be innate.

Introverts/ Extroverts

Personality types EXTROVERTS

• Directed towards the objective world

• Interested in what is happening around them

• Open and talkative

• Compare their opinions with the opinions of others

• Like action and initiative

• Easily make new friends and adapt to a new group

• Say what they think

• Are interested in new people

• Easily break unwanted relations

INTROVERTS • Directed towards the subjected

world

• Interested in their own thoughts and feelings

• Need to have own territory

• Appear reserved, quiet and thoughtful

• Usually do not have many friends

• Have difficulties making new contacts

• Like concentration and quiet

• Don’t like unexpected visits and therefor e don’t make them

• Work well alone

Celebrity Introverts

Extrovert celebrity

Children EXTROVERT

• Quick adaptation to environment

• Gives extraordinary attention to objects and his affect on them

• Slight shyness

• Makes quick perceptions

• Develops more quickly, has no fear

• Popular with parents and teachers (makes good impression)

• Spoken of as ‘well-adjusted’ and bright

INTROVERT

• Shy and hesitant • Dislikes new situations • Approaches new objects with

caution and sometimes fear • Prefers to play alone, may

have one friend not several • Cause anxiety to parents • They are just as intelligent,

but harder to recognize • Thoughtful and reflective • Have rich imagination • Need more time to develop

their gifts

Adults

EXTROVERT

• Sociable (dislike being alone)

• Meets others half way

• Interested in everything and anything

• Likes organizations, groups, community gatherings and parties

• Enjoy working with others

• Optimistic and enthusiastic

• Easily and quickly make & break friendships

• Enjoy an audience

INTROVERT

• Dislike society and feel lonely and lost in large gatherings

• Sensitive and afraid of looking ridiculous

• Unable to learn how to behave in social situations

• Clumsy and ridiculously polite

• Pessimistic and critical

• Keep to themselves and easily misunderstood

• Often overlooked and less successful

• Do not try to impress others

• The two types misunderstand one another and tend to see only the other's weakness, so that to the extravert the introvert is egotistical and dull, while the introvert thinks the extravert superficial and insincere.

• There is a marked tendency for either type to marry its opposite. Each secretly hopes that the other will take care of the side of life they find uncongenial; the quiet, thoughtful man finds a lively, practical wife, who arranges the social activities that further his business or professional career, and the shy, withdrawn woman attracts a husband who is only too glad to leave his wife safely at home while he immerses himself in the world. All goes well so long as their chief concern lies in adapting themselves to the many needs of life, establishing a career, building up a family and making a secure financial position. If they are content to remain at this level there may be (at least outwardly) an ideal marriage, but if they look for real understanding or a fuller companionship difficulties will arise -- 'Each speaks a different language ... the value of the one is the negation of value for the other'.

Functional types

• Then he added his four Functional types:

Thinking (uses reason)

Feeling (uses emotions)

Sensation (uses the five senses)

Intuition (uses perception)

• Thinking and feeling are opposites of each other, as are sensation and intuition.

Sensing vs. Intuition

• To deal with information on the basis of its physical qualities and its affection by other information.

• See everyone and sense everything.

• Live in the here and now. • Quickly adapt to any

situation.

• To deal with the information on the basis of its hidden potential and its possible existence.

• Are mostly in the past or in the future.

• Worry about the future more than the present.

• Are interested in everything new and unusual.

Sensing vs. Intuition

• Like pleasures based on physical sensation.

• Are practical and active.

• Are realistic and self-confident

• Do not like routine.

• Are attracted more to the theory than the practice.

• Often have doubts

Thinking vs. Feeling

• To deal with information on the basis of its structure and its function.

• Interested in systems, structures, patterns.

• Expose everything to logical analysis.

• Are relatively cold and unemotional

• To deal with information on the basis of its initial energetic condition and its interactions.

• Are interested in people and their feelings.

• Easily pass their own moods to others.

• Pay great attention to love and passion.

Thinking vs. Feeling • Evaluate things by

intellect and right or wrong.

• Have difficulties talking about feelings.

• Do not like to clear up arguments or quarrels.

• Evaluate things by ethics and good or bad.

• Can be touchy or use emotional manipulation.

• Often give compliments to please people.

Perceiving vs. Judging

• Motivated into activity by the changes in a situation.

• Act impulsively following the situation.

• Can start many things at once without finishing them properly.

• Prefer to have freedom from obligations.

• Motivated into activity by their decisions resulting from the changes in a situation.

• Do not like to leave unanswered questions.

• Plan work ahead and tend to finish it.

• Do not like to change their decisions.

Perceiving vs. Judging

• Are curious and like a fresh look at things.

• Work productivity depends on their mood.

• Often act without any preparation.

• Have relatively stable workability.

• Easily follow rules and discipline.

Psychometrics

• Jung’s theories have led to the field of psychometrics

• This is an area of study that uses questionnaires and tests to measure personality, ability and knowledge.

• Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Meyers developed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a method of classifying personality based on Jung’s personality types.

Psychometrics

• The Canadian Personality dimensions and the American True Colours systems are based on Jung’s personality theory and were developed to help understand human behaviour, motivation and communication.

• Students take these tests to help them decide what jobs might be suitable for them, while businesses use the tests to help managers hire suitable employees or to help co-workers understand one another.

Myer-Briggs Type Indicator

• Although the MBTI is a popular tool, its validity as an adequate way to classify personality has been questioned.

• While the Introversion/Extroversion scale has shown some accuracy, the accuracy of the other scales have been challenged.

• Another criticism of the MBTI is that its answers can be easily faked to obtain a particular result.

Today

• Jung’s ideas are still very current today.

• His classification of the personality types is commonly used today by psychologists, psychiatrists and career counselors to help people understand the personality patterns unique to them. The Meyers-Briggs personality test is widely used for this purpose.