Jung’s Personality Theory
The
Principle of Opposites: The Various Elements of Personality are continually opposed
to One Another.
Core
Characteristics
I. The
EGO, which is the
conscious mind. It contains every
thing we are aware of in our conscious.
II. The PERSONAL UNCONSCIOUS. The contents
of it are called COMPLEXES.
III. The COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS. The contents
of the collective unconscious are called ARCHETYPES.
An archetype is a universal
form or predisposition to characterize thoughts or feelings. Archetypes are
inherited through the collective unconscious. Archetypes represent the
memories of our ancestors, which we inherit.
“Archetypes are not specific memories. Archetypes
represent the cumulative effect of perpetually repeated experiences on the human
nervous system’s development. The repetitive subjective emotional
reaction to the event is impressed on human unconscious mental processes,
and it is this internal state,
this predisposition to react in a similar way to repetitions of the physical
event, that is transmitted to future generations.” (Jung,
1917).
Thus we all have a “Mother”
archetype. It leaves us predisposed to know what it is like to both “mother”
and “to be mothered”.
Read Chapter 3 and 15 (
Examples of archetypes are
1) The Shadow, 2) Anima-Animus, 3) Persona, and 4) The Self-the midpoint of
Personality. Archetypes are also called “Dominants”, “Imagoes”, or “Primordial
Images”.
Archetypes in Literature: Star Wars &
Harry Potter
Hero: Luke Skywalker
Harry
Potter
Yoda
Dumbeldore
Shadow: Darth Vader
The Emperor
Malfoy
Lord Voldemort
Shape Shifter: Hans Solo
Prof. Quirrell
Prof. Snape
The MANDALA (a wheel) is a symbolic representation of Personality according to
Jung, with the SELF in the Center. All the
other elements of Personality are arranged around the rim of the Mandala. Each
one of these peripheral elements on the rim has a line drawn between it and the
Self in the center. Each of the elements in Personality shares in the overall
energy, which is called LIBIDINAL energy.
www.netreach.net/~nhojem/jung.htm
DEVELOPMENT
There are three stages of
development in Jung’s theory.
I. SURVIVAL- 1-5 years of
age.
II. INDIVIDUATION, from
During Individuation
the different elements around the rim of the mandala are not equal in
energy. The elements with more energy have more influence on the self. There
are a lot of energy shifts now. At different times different elements have
dominance in influencing the self.
The energy shifts often
occur according to the PRINCIPLE OF OPPOSITES. The number of potential
conflicts over energy among the elements on the rim is unlimited--energy can
move in a variety of directions.
For example:
Ego versus Personal
Unconscious,
Persona versus Shadow,
Persona versus Anima-Animus,
Biological gender versus
Animus-Anima, Introversion versus Extraversion (see below).
There are two other energy
principles:
A. Equivalence: A change in energy in 1 part of a system will result in a change in
another part.
B. Entropy: The distribution of energy in a system seeks a state of equilibrium
(balance).
III. TRANSCENDENCE, from 40 yrs.
till death.
In Transcendence the elements are almost
equal in energy. The Self can be influenced by all elements of Personality.
ADULT
PERSONALITY TYPES
There are 4 functions, 2 rational and 2 irrational.
RATIONAL
A. Thinking (2)--Logical understanding, classification,
comprehension of the world
B. Feeling
(3)--Evaluation of an event (Good vs. Bad, Pleasure vs. Pain)
IRRATIONAL
A. Sensing (1)--Sensory perception in an open,
non-evaluative way
B. Intuiting (4)--Perception of underlying meaning,
latent ideas
The numbers 1-4 refer to the firing order of the
functions. Sensing,
Thinking, Feeling, and Intuiting.
There are also 2
ATTITUDES
A. Introversion, oriented toward the internal world,
and
B. Extraversion oriented toward the external world.
4 FUNCTIONS X 2 ATTITUDES = 8 ADULT PERSONALITY TYPES.
EXTRAVERTED THINKING
INTROVERTED THINKING
EXTRAVERTED FEELING
INTROVERTED FEELING
EXTRAVERTED SENSING
INTROVERTED SENSING
EXTRAVERTED INTUITING
INTROVERTED INTUITING
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Neuroses are caused by a lack of balance when one
element of personality has continued dominance over the self, and the other
elements are repressed.
Psychoses occur when repressed and unconscious forces
overpower consciousness.
STAGES OF THERAPY
1. Confession
2. Elucidation
3. Education
4. Transformation
Jungian Dream Interpretation occurs throughout.
There is a personality test on the internet, the Keirsey temperament sorter that is derived from Jung’s theory.
If you wish to take it go to:
www.similarminds.com/myers-briggs-jung.html
for a more extensive interpretation go to