Unless you learn to face your own shadows, you will continue to see them in others because the world outside of you is only a reflection of the world inside of you. -Anonymous
I was drawn to Carl Jung’s teaching when he said “What if I were the least of these?” He was reflecting on what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did to the least of these you did unto me.” It was sobering. He made me see clearly how important it was to self-examine my thought life if I want healing and wholeness. If I don’t, I will be followed by my own shadow.
The shadow is a critical psychological insight from the work of psychiatrist Carl Jung.
The shadow is the “dark side” of our personality because it consists chiefly of primitive, negative human emotions and impulses like rage, envy, greed, selfishness, desire, and the striving for power.
Everything we deny in ourselves—whatever we perceive as inferior, evil, or unacceptable—becomes part of the shadow.
The Shadow Archetype is the Disowned Self.
This shadow self represents the parts of us we no longer claim to be our own, including both inherent negative and positive qualities.
Whatever we disown gets relegated to our unconscious.
Jung found that the psyche is comprised of both conscious and unconscious material. This “psychic material” includes thoughts, feelings, images, attitudes, motivations, judgments, and impulses.
Conscious material is the stuff we know about ourselves. Unconscious material is all of the stuff we don’t know. Generally, there’s far more unconscious material hiding from us.
Dear LORD please teach us to love You completely, to love others compassionately, and love ourselves correctly. We pray that you help us to see the needs of those around us, especially the least of our brothers and sisters. May we be moved with compassion to serve and love them as we would serve and love you. May our actions reflect your love and grace, and may we be a light in this world. Amen. ♡