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Thought Haunts's avatar

This is the real news. It’s a shame topics like this aren’t promulgated in mainstream media; it’s not that people can’t understand these concepts (though there might be some so densely steeped in denial and other defense mechanisms), but rather…it’s never really talked about in the open.

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Suzannah Alexander's avatar

Wouldn’t that be nice? Anymore, I just. don’t know what the mainstream news thinks it’s doing. From where I’m standing, it sure isn’t informing people.

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Jake Wiskerchen's avatar

Nice job capturing the shadow. I'd like to offer that the shadow isn't always negative, as there's a concept of a "golden shadow" as well. It's that part of us which we also deny, and are quick to see in others, albeit from a positive angle. For example, the phrase "I could never be like THAT" can apply to child molesters as much as entrepreneurs; theivery as much as philanthropy. Spoken condescendingly, it captures that which we want to avoid. Spoken wistfully it captures that which we wish we could be but don't think we can.

Anytime we deny a part of our psyche, we whittle away a bit of our potential. As Jung wrote once, "That which we resist, persists." We should be mindful not only to embrace our negative potential but also our positive potential, for we may need them both, and we definitely don't want to be enslaved to either. Integration is the key in order to become masters of our Selves (capital S).

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Suzannah Alexander's avatar

Great point! Thanks for adding that texture to the shadow. That is a much trickier aspect to manage, and at least superficially seems less like it is scaling up into politics. Maybe the authoritarian arm of that side can be seen where we don't bother to lighten necessary punishments because that's just how we are... definitely worth some consideration, as the small patterns do seem to scale up.

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Jake Wiskerchen's avatar

Suicidal empathy will destroy us all if it's not curbed immediately.

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Suzannah Alexander's avatar

Absolutely. Los Angeles and California aside, from where I'm sitting, we are turning that corner, if too slowly even for my patience.

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