In the film, Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges’ character, Bad Blake, referred to doing what he shouldn’t do (drinking, multiple failed marriages) as his fallings. He wisely stated, “It all happens for a reason, even if it’s wrong, especially if it’s wrong.” Blake accepted his fate, even when tragic. Fate is used to describe whatever is […]
Scarcity & Abundance
In the reality show, Hoarders, the accumulation of material possessions, especially with items deemed worthless, such as yogurt containers, may evoke our wonder as to possible underlying psychologically reasons for such behaviour. When we accumulate or have difficulty in giving, we are working from a scarcity mindset. This worldview believes that there is not enough […]
How We Contribute to the Collective Shadow
Whenever a group, society or nation strongly believes in its own moral righteousness, superiority or entitlement, the collective shadow is present. Shadow traits, usually undesirable ones, based upon race, culture, politics, religion or other qualities are disowned by a collective mass of one group and are placed onto another group or population. This communal phenomenon […]
Evil Shows in Times of War
We often watch in horror and disbelief the media reports of human atrocities, violence and war. However, evil is a very real part of the human psyche. Concerning evil in the context of war, Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Evil exists. God exists also. Evil and God are two sides of ourselves.” We carry within ourselves […]
What Lurks in Your Shadow?
James Hollis recounted a story of a man searching frantically for his lost keys under the light of a lamppost. A passerby attempted to help by asking, “Is this where you dropped them?” The searching man replied, “No, I lost them in the dark, but this is the only place where the light is.” What […]
We are Complex in Many Ways
In many myths, a dark destructive force, whether Zeus or the Devil, often appears in an ambush-like manner, thwarting the hero’s best intentions. This negating, often judging and disdainful force causes chaos, often stunning the hero into a disheartened place. Psychologically, this destructive force is called a complex. Complexes are deeply rooted in us and […]
