Jung first gave us the term “shadow” to refer to those parts of our personality that have been rejected out of fear, ignorance, shame, or lack of love. His basic notion of the shadow was simple: “the shadow is the person you would rather not be.” He believed that integrating the shadow would have a profound impact, enabling us to rediscover a deeper source of our own spiritual life. “To do this,” Jung said, “we are obliged to struggle with evil, confront the shadow, to integrate the devil. There is no other choice.”
You must go into the dark in order to bring forth your light. When we suppress any feeling or impulse, we are also suppressing its polar opposite. If we deny our ugliness, we lessen our beauty. If we deny our fear, we minimize our courage. If we deny our greed, we also reduce our generosity. Our full magnitude is more than most of us can ever imagine. If you believe that we have the imprint of all humanity within us, as I do, then you must be capable of being the greatest person you ever admired, and at the same time capable of being the worst person you ever imagined. This book is about making peace with all these sometimes contradictory aspects of your self.
Recommended reading: “The Dark Side of the Light Chasers” by Debbie Ford