Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. - Carl Jung or as my dad paraphrased, "What you like least in others, you like least in yourself." Hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture. The 'nice' peanut butter is layered thicker the higher the degree of culture. The lower you go the more true honesty you find. What we like least in others we like least in ourselves. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
While I agree with the analysis that Jung was possibly projecting his own dissatisfaction with a part of his life path, it's not to agree that Jung was completely wrong.
An obsession with philosophy can reflect some kind of inner-tension and turmoil that's being expressed. Obsessions of any kind reflect things about a person which can be seen as negative, but maybe those obsessions, if not for philosophy, would be just as strong towards some other end, which may not be nourishing at all for the mind and spirit.
Maybe claiming someone has "mental health problems" is a symbol for "people who don't live like good lives, like me." It could be an admittance of pride, which can be the face of an underlying envy, which you hit on nicely.
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. - Carl Jung or as my dad paraphrased, "What you like least in others, you like least in yourself." Hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture. The 'nice' peanut butter is layered thicker the higher the degree of culture. The lower you go the more true honesty you find. What we like least in others we like least in ourselves. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
May be your best essay yet!
Thanks Phil!
While I agree with the analysis that Jung was possibly projecting his own dissatisfaction with a part of his life path, it's not to agree that Jung was completely wrong.
An obsession with philosophy can reflect some kind of inner-tension and turmoil that's being expressed. Obsessions of any kind reflect things about a person which can be seen as negative, but maybe those obsessions, if not for philosophy, would be just as strong towards some other end, which may not be nourishing at all for the mind and spirit.
Maybe claiming someone has "mental health problems" is a symbol for "people who don't live like good lives, like me." It could be an admittance of pride, which can be the face of an underlying envy, which you hit on nicely.
Great work!
Great read! Thank you for posting it.