Jun 23, 2020
Carl Jung & the Shadow: Why We’re Racist
Tame your inner monster, and you will change the world.
In an interview from 2016, a TV reporter asked Denzel Washington the following question: “Have race-relationships improved under the leadership of President Obama?”
This question is kind of tricky. Whether you answer with yes or no, either way, you will get sucked into the game of politics. And additionally, one large group of people will eventually attack you based on your answer.
But Mr. Washington, wise as he is, didn’t fall for the trap and answered:
“You can’t legislate love… the President of the United States can’t legislate us into liking each other. We have to step forward and ask questions about each other and engage.“ — Denzel Washington
Boom. Denzel Washington gets it.
Relying on our government to “fix” racism is like a little child who’s asking his parents to confront the bully at school.
Racism in the Middle of Nowhere
I don’t know about you, but I’m an introvert who lives in a rural area. My life is pretty simple.
So every time I turn on global news, I suddenly feel small. I become this powerless victim who gets overwhelmed by the chaos of the world.
Does that mean I’m a coward? If I’m not protesting on the streets, am I automatically running away from the truth?
I hope not.
I’m convinced that everyone can contribute to racial harmony in his own way, according to his situation and personality. In our epic fight for social justice, everyone must fight his own small battle.
In my own village, for example, racism starts quite innocently — ambiguous comments, strange looks, or micro-aggressions.
But similarly, I think we can change the world by starting small. Brick by brick, from the bottom up.
To achieve this kind of vision, however, we need to shift our perspective, away from the global stage, toward the individual.
Only when we understand our psyche on a deeper level, we’ll be able to change the world around us.
Racism, in its essence, is a psychological and not a political issue.
Understanding Your Darkness
Carl Gustav Jung, arguably one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century, acknowledged the fact that human beings have different personality aspects. He called them archetypes.
One important archetype is called the Persona. It’s the mask we wear in society to be successful in whatever we want to do or achieve. The Persona allows us to live in a civilized society, be it as an employee, father, daughter, friend, or simply citizen — the Persona is basically the ego.
In our daily life, the Persona is mostly in control and heavily influenced by willpower and daily habits. For example, suppose a colleague makes you angry, but you keep cool and act as it didn’t phase you. That’s when your Persona is running the show.
The Persona, however, isn’t always in full control. Deep down, in the depths of the unconscious mind lies an archetype which Jung calls the Shadow. This archetype is a repressed part of the psyche that embodies all the impulsive and evil instincts of human beings. It’s basically the dumping ground for our deepest and most painful feelings and memories — primal instincts like the lust for revenge, repressed sexuality, or unresolved conflicts from our past.
The Shadow embodies everything that’s too ugly to look at and therefore frowned upon by society.
The tricky part about the Shadow is that it can’t be controlled consciously but rather acts on an unconscious level. This archetype always lurks around the corner, threatening the foundation of your Persona.
A nice family husband who killed his whole family in an act of rage. Haven’t we all heard of a drama like this? That’s an extreme but perfect example of the Shadow taking over the Persona.
Who Do You Mean?
Human beings are utterly terrified to confront their Shadow. It’s the hardest thing a human can possibly do. After all, who wants to face his personal hell?
“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.“ — C. G. Jung
So instead of facing the demon within, we blame the outer world for our personal problems. We project our own insufficiencies and insecurities onto other people.
This kind of behavior has a name, and it’s called psychological projection.
People tend to use psychological projection when an emotional wound is triggered by the external world. And they do it unconsciously. Here are two examples from daily life:
- If you know someone who hates his cocky colleague, it may be because he’s too afraid to speak up on his own and secretly envies his freedom of speech.
- If someone calls another person lazy, it might be because he’s an insecure person who defines his self-worth purely by his work ethic.
Protecting Our Egos Is the Real Problem
By using psychological projection, the ego is acting as a shield that is protecting you from the chaos of the world. It’s a naive attempt to divide the world into good and bad. But deep down, we run away from one simple fact:
“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart.” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Projection makes us feel safe in daily life. It’s so much easier to find a scapegoat than facing the evil within.
And here’s the golden rule for finding a scapegoat: the further we are away from the scapegoat, the safer and easier it is to protect our egos.
That’s the reason why we blame another country instead of family and friends. In that way, it has absolutely nothing to do with ourselves. We blame another race because we have no points of reference with the history, rituals, and ideologies of that foreign group of people.
And voila, racism is born.
No One is Holier Than the Other
According to C.G. Jung, every single one of us has the capacity to be a monster.
So if you think you’re a nice person, think again. Maybe it’s because you haven’t been in a situation where you had to confront your Shadow.
Walter White, the main character of the TV series Breaking Bad is a great example of a person who had been absolutely unaware of his own Shadow. While he was living inside his little rat race as a teacher, he wasn’t dimly aware of his huge capacity for doing evil. Only after he started to sell drugs, his Shadow was unleashed.
The Shadow is a destructive force — true. However, in combination with psychological projection, it leads to an interesting idea:
Racism is only a symptom of not facing the Shadow.
This statement is worth thinking about. It means that racism can be solved by self-reflection and solving your own problems. You don’t need approval from the President of the United States to do so.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” — Rumi
Staring Into the Abyss
A basic understanding of psychology is the first crucial step to fight racism. From my own experience, however, I can say that it’s always easier to conceptualize the problem than actually solving it.
Only after I started to stretch my comfort zone I got a glimpse of my own Shadow. Only after I sought solitude in nature, I had enough confidence to confront my own psychological blindspots.
For example, I realized that people are much friendlier than I’d like to admit. Rather, it was my own aloofness that harmed my relationships. Psychological projection at its best.
To sum it up, it’s time to take action. To make it easier for you, I created a simple 3-step process on how to confront your Shadow:
1. Accept
First of all, don’t pretend that you’re any different. Acknowledge your own darkness. Admit that you have unhealthy impulses that could potentially harm yourself and the people around you. No big deal. We’re all the same.
I’ll be the first one to admit that I’ve labeled people based on their origin or looks. We all do it. Period.
2. Integrate
As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that the Shadow gets tickled every time your physical, emotional, or psychological well-being is in danger. This occurs either when you’re in solitude or when you’re outside of your comfort zone — it could be a new situation, strange people, or radically new ideas that are outside of your day-to-day life.
Here are some signs that your Shadow might take over:
- Interrupting someone else’s words
- Jumping to hasty conclusions
- Being drunk or bored
- Feeling empty inside
- Gossiping or procrastination
If you find yourself in such a situation, take a mental snapshot of your thoughts and feelings. Listen to your inner chit-chat. Be brave, and don’t run away from your feelings. Sit it out. Stay with it. Confront it. Meditate on it.
For example, if you are sitting on the train, and a foreigner sits next to you, what do you think? How does your body react? Don’t concentrate on the other person, rather focus on your inner world to learn about your Shadow.
3. Transcend
The Shadow seems like an evil entity that is constantly harming your life. On the positive side, however, the integration of your Shadow provides a massive opportunity for personal growth. Once you have tamed your inner monster, you will be able to use that dark energy to achieve your highest goals.
A great example is Nicolas Tesla. He lived a celibate life and transmuted all of his energy towards his revolutionary inventions.
So keep in mind that the destructiveness of your Shadow can be transformed into extreme levels of motivation and wisdom.
