Do Not Confront Your Dark Side

Jung says: embrace it instead

Photo by on

In every human soul, there is a darkness, a lurking form that we wish to keep hidden from the light of others — and often, from ourselves. This is called the shadow — a subtle form of self-denial. It is the source of our greatest contradictions, a force moving in silence, shaping us without our permission. Yet, it is precisely this silent motion that reveals its true power: the shadow acts upon itself. In its retreat from the conscious mind, it does not disappear; it transforms, reflects, deepens. It can remain a source of creativity, driving us to fulfilment, if only we learn to embrace it.

By examining our dark side, we can find that it consists of those traits, desires, and impulses that we’ve pushed aside because we’ve been conditioned to see them as unacceptable or undesirable. Whether it’s anger, jealousy, or fear, these aspects are buried in the unconscious. But repression doesn’t make them disappear. In fact, these disowned parts can often surface in destructive ways, causing emotional turmoil and inner conflict.

When we refuse to recognize or accept these hidden parts, they influence us indirectly — perhaps through projections, where we see in others the very qualities we fail to accept in ourselves. By denying them, we inadvertently deny parts of our…