“It is really the individual’s task to differentiate himself from others and stand on his own feet. All collective identities, such as membership in organisations, support of “-isms”, and so on, interfere with the fulfilment of this task…
It is wrong to regard this intermediary step as a trap; on the contrary, for a long time to come it will represent the only possible form of existence for the individual, who nowadays seem more than ever threatened by anonimity. Collective organisation is still so essential today that many consider it, with some justification, to be the final goal; whereas to call for further steps along the road to autonomy appears like arrogance or hubris, fantasticality, or simple folly.
Nevertheless it may be that for sufficient reasons a man feels he must set out on his own feet along the road to wider realms. It may be that in all the garbs, shapes, forms, modes, and manners of life offered to him he does not find what is peculiarly necessary to him. He will go alone and be his own company. He will serve as his own group, consisting of a variety of opinions and tendencies – which need not necessarily be marching in the same direction.”
Carl Jung, Late Thoughts, from his autobiography Memories, Dreams, ReflectionsWhen I first read this passage, I was astonished to find someone else had considered the same thoughts I had. Perhaps this was my own personal foible, to be quite so pleasantly surprised by the presence of fellow traveller on the same road as I but it was so refreshing to find him that I was happy nonetheless. If you haven’t read Jung’s autobiography, I strongly recommend it. It is an excellent read, full of diverting, well-written stories and if it occasionally lapses into some self-indulgent passages, I think we can forgive such a titan and genius of the 20th century these diversions.
I particularly appreciate one of the sentences that follows the passage above:
“… the individual on the lonely path needs a secret which for various reasons he may not or cannot reveal. Such a secret reinforces him in the isolation of his individual aims.”
I believe that interpreted at its most metaphorical, this is true. To be brave enough to seek one’s own path through the world requires such a degree of courage (given the ease with which one can lapse back into social conformity) that an almost incomprehensible inner steel is required. This clarity of thought and purpose can only come through a unification of attitude engendered by some secret goal.
If the goal was known to the wider world, we would suffer mockery or faint praise and or other undermining and patronising commentary, and be discouraged from pursuing it. Only by keeping true to that inner aim can we truly work towards individuation and happiness.
I love the passage quoted from Jung. I’ll definitely read his work in my spare time (if I even have any).
Intellectual fearlessness is a gift, and I admire people who have the courage to break out of these societal norms and pursue his intellectual growth with freedom.
Jung said “thank god I am Jung and not a Jungian” As someone who read 9 volumes of the Collected Works and other volumes of his work and then spent 5 years doing Jungian analysis I find the quotes very appealing, the task of individuation is a long road, much akin to mapping the uncharted country.
However a lot of people don’t make the whole journey and find that when they reach the river bank they are content. Individuation is a hard task there is no doubt about that, the best way to describe the process from a personal perspective is ‘same yet different’.
Jung was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th Century but he is much maligned and misunderstood. Its a pity that humanity still clings to the safety of the herd rather than crossing the river and facing the challenges on the other bank.
Thank you for this post! These are all the words that I can come up with at this moment, plus a joyous feeling running through me, appreciation for my own past, and a contentness when peeking into my future…
I believe there are many people out there, like you, like myself, like Jung. You know when you are walking seemingly alone, but actually walking straighter than ever, with a flair of newness and great expectations without expecting. I am walking the road now (without a secret but a real life project), and nothing has ever made more sense to me.
Individualism is having its worst times and press, in a world which continuously works towards globalisation and creating a smudged society of alphas, betas and other nonsense classifications, symbolism, clothes, pop, teams, corporations, media, religions. There is no space or praise to self fulfillment without it coming across as Judas itself in the form of a human being.
But we must continue walking. It has always been this way.