Carl Jung’s 4 stages of life
(Thinking Humanity) “As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.”
According to Carl Jung, what prevents people from becoming autonomous, fulfilled and ultimately happy is their refusal to open themselves to experiences that are new and unfamiliar, and thus potentially threatening to their sense of self. Jung created some of the best known psychological concepts, including the archetype, the collective unconscious, the complex, and extraversion and introversion.
The psychologist believed that there are 4 archetypes, 4 stages that we go through during our lifetime.
1) The athlete
The athlete is the least mature of the 4 stages. It’s the phase early in our lives, when we are more selfish and we tend to care more about out physical appearance rather than our soul and spirit. The athlete phase can be narcissistic, critical, or even both. He also values the body much more than the mind and heart.
2) The Warrior
The warrior illustrates the beginning of the adult years, when people gradually understand how to deal with bigger responsibilities. This is the time when we want to conquer the world. We want to be the best and have the best. We act as warriors act, and we do what warriors do. We’re always prepared for battle, even when it doesn’ t matter and isn’ t necessary. This is a stage when we continually think of ways to get more than everybody else, a stage of comparison, of defeating those around so we can feel better. As years go by people strive to gain independence, find a mate, and raise a family.
3) The Statement
At that phase, a person understands that they’re not fulfilled with everything they have achieved. It’s the time when we realize that happiness isn’t what we were after. You now realize what you chased after until now, money, power, possessions etc. will keep on appearing in your life but you no longer attribute them the same value as before, you no longer are attached to those things because you are now in a different stage of your life, where you know there is more to life than that. You receive them, you accept them and you are grateful, but you are ready to let go of them at any time. The mid-life stage is a process that is full of promise. There is a great resource within that is untapped in each of us.
4) The spirit
This is the final stage in a human’s life. It’s the phase when we finally realize that the 3 previous stages weren’t who and what we are. It’s then clear that a person is much more than their body, more than their possessions, more than the people they love. Each single person is a divine spiritual being. The realization that we will not live forever creates tension, so when we become the spirit, we also become the observer of our lives and we see world from a different perspective. The years of the spirit are the years of wisdom.
Source: Thinking Humanity
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